Homemade Thai Peanut Sauce

Just 15 minutes to this simple homemade thai peanut sauce! Filled with peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice and fresh ginger, it’s super flavorful and so much better than the stuff from the store. Dairy free, gluten free and vegan.

A grey bowl filled with Homemade Peanut Sauce with limes to the side.

This homemade thai peanut sauce was originally published in May 2013. The post has been updated as of April 11, 2018 with new photos, text and improved recipe instructions.

Let’s get sauce-y! With this finger licking good homemade thai peanut sauce.

Whipped up in 15 minutes flat and perfect for slathering / dunking / drizzling on just about anything you can dream up.

As a delightful sauce for stir-fries? YES. For slathering on top of a burger? YES. For dunking veggies or chicken or anything and everything? Yes, yes and yes.

Can you tell I’m enthusiastic about this sauce?

But seriously. I mean, who doesn’t love a good homemade sauce? I fully believe that a good sauce can elevate just about any meal.

So how do we make this peanut dipping sauce, you ask? Let’s discuss.

It’s filled with creamy peanut butter, dreamy coconut milk, tangy lime juice, fresh ginger, flavorful garlic – i.e. so many delicious thai-inspired flavors.

We dump them all into a saucepan, let it simmer for just a few minutes and voila. Your peanut sauce is served.

Easy, simple and healthier for you than the stuff from the store (because yes, we can 100% pronounce all the ingredients).

A measuring cup filled with peanut butter and fresh ginger and limes to the side.

Tips & Tricks

  1. First things first. Let’s talk about the peanut butter. I tend to use natural peanut butter when making this sauce, but I’ve also tested it with regular peanut butter. Both work fine. Just make sure to stick with creamy peanut butter.
  2. If you love ginger like I do, feel free to add in a little more. So good.
  3. Be sure that your coconut milk is well shaken / stirred before measuring out for the recipe.
  4. I would encourage you to keep an eye on the sauce while it is simmering – i.e. don’t walk away. Adjust the heat and whisk as needed to keep it at a simmer (it can easily go past that!).
  5. And finally, keep in mind that the sauce will thicken up slightly as it cools down. So if you like your peanut sauce on the thinner side, you may want to simmer it for even less time than directed. I like it as written, but adjust as desired.

A grey bowl filled with Homemade Thai Peanut Sauce with lime halves in the background.

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Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Just 15 minutes to this simple homemade peanut sauce! Filled with peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice and fresh ginger! So flavorful & so much better than the stuff from the store!

Homemade Thai Peanut Sauce

Yield: about 1 to 1 ¼ cups
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Just 15 minutes to this simple homemade thai peanut sauce! Filled with peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice and fresh ginger, it’s super flavorful and so much better than the stuff from the store. Dairy free, gluten free and vegan.

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ⅓ cup light coconut milk
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari*
  • 1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup**
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • pinch of red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika

Instructions

  1. Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until smooth.
  2. Let the mixture come to a low simmer, then continue to simmer gently for about 2 to 3 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed and whisking occasionally, until thickened.
  3. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Serve / use as desired. If not using right away, let cool to room temperature then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

*To keep this gluten free - be sure to use gluten free tamari and not soy sauce.

**To keep this vegan - be sure to use the maple syrup and not the honey.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 80Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.