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    Sauces & Condiments

    Creamy Thai Peanut Sauce made with Coconut Milk

    Published: Jan 25, 2021 · Modified: Mar 2, 2021 by Kim @ DancesWithKnives · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    Layered in complex flavor, but super quick and easy to make, this Thai Peanut Sauce recipe is addictive! It is savory with just a touch of spice and sweetness to balance it out. Use as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, a salad dressing, tossed with noodles, or on whatever your peanut sauce loving taste buds desire!

    Overhead photo of peanut sauce in a dish with peanut laid around it, a lime, ginger, and clove of garlic.

    I love peanut sauce! I would venture to say most people do! It's savory, just sweet enough, and goes great with almost anything.

    Like a lot of people I was first introduced to peanut sauce when eating out at a Thai restaurant. This was before you were able to buy peanut sauce in any grocery store in the United States in almost any city. I'm aging myself here! But peanut sauce wasn't always readily available without either making it yourself or seeking it out.

    As crazy as it sounds, it was still exotic back then. A world that had not yet discovered the secret peanut sauce.

    The moral of the story here is that I fell in love with it. And then I went to Thailand and fell even deeper in love with peanut sauce. Truth be told, I fell more in love with all things Thai food related. I just couldn't get enough of it. I was lucky enough to spend a month there researching the culture, food, and learning from local chefs.

    Thai cooks are known for their ability to balance salty, sweet, spicy, and acidic flavors. In fact, balancing these flavors is the key to cooking any Thai dish. This technique of flavor balancing that Thai cooks use is what makes the cuisine so delicious. And peanut sauce is no different.

    This recipe takes all my knowledge of Thai food and produces a plant based version of an authentic Thai peanut sauce.

    Ingredients Needed

    A dish of peanut butter, dish or coconut milk, piece of ginger, clove of garlic, three limes and teaspoon of hot sauce all ready to make peanut sauce.

    Under 10 ingredients are needed to make this amazing Thai peanut sauce!

    • Peanut Butter
    • Low Sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce (tamari for gluten-free)
    • Garlic Cloves
    • Ginger Root
    • Coconut Milk
    • Lime Juice
    • Rice Vinegar
    • Agave
    • Sriracha

    As with any peanut sauce the heart of this recipe is peanuts! In this version, all natural creamy peanut butter is used as a shortcut in place of whole peanuts. Added to that yummy peanut base is tamari or soy sauce, which adds both salt and umami.

    Garlic and ginger are the big players in this recipe that really bring foward the in your face flavor to the sauce. Without them the sauce would not have its amazing, wow, oh so addictive factor going for it.

    Both rice vinegar and fresh lime juice are used to bring some acid to the sauce. This acidity helps to bring out the flavor of all the ingredients. The lime juice helps to brighten the sauce and the rice vinegar is smooth on the palate. I like to use a combination of both, so that the lime does not overpower.

    To round out the flavor profile a touch of agave is used for sweetness and a touch of sriracha for spice.

    And finally, coconut milk to bring it all together! Coconut milk not only adds to the creamy texture and sweetness, but adds that extra special touch of Thai. The recipe just isn't the same without it.

    How to Make Thai Peanut Sauce

    This recipe is super easy to make and takes no time at all. Just get your food processor out and your peanut sauce will be ready in under 10 minutes!

    Just make peanut sauce in a food processor.

    To make the sauce simply put all the ingredients into the bowl of your food processor and puree until smooth. The sauce should have no chunks and be nice and creamy.

    If the finished peanut sauce is a little too thick you can add another 1 to 3 tablespoons of coconut milk to thin it out. I suggest starting out with just a little at a time. The consistency is a personal preference and will likely depend on what you are using the sauce for.

    Once you get the sauce to your desired consistency, taste and season with salt if needed. If you like spice add more sriracha to increase the heat of the peanut sauce.

    And that's it! Done. Simple as can be. You can use this Thai peanut sauce on spring rolls, veggies, noodles, and well, everything! One of my favorite ways to use this sauce is to make my Thai Peanut Noodles recipe.

    Peanut sauce in a dish with peanut laid around it, a lime, and clove of garlic.

    This Thai Peanut Sauce recipe is amazing because it's...

    • Creamy, smooth, peanut sauce lickity good
    • Will have you wanting more
    • Not too sweet or too spicy
    • Goes great on almost anything
    • Quick and easy to make

    Leftovers

    This recipe makes a little over one cup. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to one week or freezer for up to 3 months.

    When I make this peanut sauce I typically make about 2-3 times the amount of this recipe. Which means I double and sometimes triple the recipe. I do this because peanut sauce keeps very well in the freezer.

    Front view of peanut sauce in a dish with peanuts laid around it, ginger, and clove of garlic.

    I hope you love this amazing addictive Thai Peanut Sauce!

    If you try this recipe please let me know how it turns out by leaving a comment and rating. You can also hashtag #danceswithknives with a photo of your creation on Instagram where you can find me @dances_with_knives.

    If you would like to stay up to date with my latest recipes please subscribe to my email list.

    Peanut sauce in a dish with peanut laid around it, a lime, and clove of garlic.

    Creamy Thai Peanut Sauce with Coconut Milk

    Layered in complex flavor, but super quick and easy to make, this Thai Peanut Sauce recipe is addictive! It is savory with just a touch of spice and sweetness to balance it out. Use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, a salad dressing, tossed with noodles, or on whatever your peanut sauce loving taste buds desire!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 3 minutes
    Total Time 8 minutes
    Course: Condiments, Dressing, Sauce
    Cuisine: Southeast Asian, Thai
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
    Servings: 5

    Ingredients
     

    • ½ cup creamy salted peanut butter (no sugar added)
    • 3 tablespoon low sodium tamari (low sodium soy sauce if not gluten-free)
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1 ½ teaspoon ginger root, grated
    • 4 tablespoon coconut milk
    • 1 tablespoon lime juice
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon agave
    • 1 teaspoon sriracha (more to make is spicy)
    • 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts, chopped (optional garnish)

    Instructions

    • Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and puree until creamy and smooth. There should be no chunks.
    • If the sauce is too thick just add a little more coconut milk to thin it out. The consistency of the sauce is a personal preference and may depend on what you are using it for. To coat noodles or if using as a salad dressing thinning it out is often helpful.
    • Taste the sauce and season with salt if needed. You can also add more sriracha to make it spicy.
    • Use this peanut sauce on spring rolls, noodles, in salads, or even as a dipping sauce for veggies. Check out my recipe for yummy Thai Peanut Noodles, which uses this amazing sauce.

    Notes

    *If you are allergic to peanuts, almonds can be substituted. It will no longer be "peanut sauce", but it does still produce an amazing Thai nut based sauce.
    *Sambal oelek, which is a type of chili sauce used in Southeast Asia, can be used in place of sriracha.  

    Nutrition

    Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.8g | Protein: 8.8g | Fat: 15.7g | Saturated Fat: 4.9g | Sodium: 370mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5.4g | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 4mg
    Keyword peanut sauce, thai peanut sauce
    Tried this recipe?Mention me on Instagram @dances_with_knives and add the hashtag #danceswithknives! Would love to see your yummy creations!
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    I'm a professional chef with a culinary degree in my back pocket along with training from all over the world. Dances With Knives is where I share my passion for vegan food and healthy delicious recipes for everyone to enjoy. More about me >


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