Homemade Hoisin Sauce
This recipe for homemade Hoisin sauce contains mainly pantry ingredients and is quick & easy to make in just a few simple steps. The fragrant, rich, sweet and salty sauce is low in fat, vegan, refined sugar-free, and can be made gluten-free.
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp (64 g) date paste (*see notes)
- 2 tbsp (32 g) creamy peanut butter (*see notes)
- 1 tbsp (20 g) maple syrup
- 1/2 tbsp (10 g) molasses or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (20 ml) soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp (20 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil
- 1 tsp hot sauce or more to taste
- 1 clove garlic finely minced or crushed
- 1/4 tsp five-spice powder (*see notes)
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch (optional)
Instructions
- Add date paste, peanut butter, maple syrup, and molasses to a medium-sized bowl and stir with a whisk until smooth.
- Now add all other ingredients (except the cornstarch) and mix again until combined. You can also blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- The sauce is medium thick but if you want it to be even thicker and smoother, I recommend the saucepan method: Add the ingredients along with the cornstarch to a saucepan and stir with a whisk. Bring to a simmer and cook on low heat for about 30 seconds.
- Taste the sauce and add more soy sauce/rice vinegar/sweetener/hot sauce, etc. if needed. Enjoy as a dip for summer rolls, spring rolls, vegan dumplings, or as a sauce for stir-fries!
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- Date paste: If you want to make the Hoisin sauce in a food processor or blender, you can use 2 Medjool dates or 4-5 small dates instead of date paste. Simply add the dates to a small bowl and pour in hot water to just cover the dates. Soak for a couple of minutes until softened. Then discard almost all the soaking water but keep 2 tablespoons and add it to the blender or food processor with all other ingredients. Read the blog post above to find how to make homemade date paste.
- Substitute for dates: If you can't have dates, you can use soaked raisins or soaked dried plums instead.
- Peanut butter: Traditional Hoisin sauce contains black fermented soybean paste. Since it's unavailable where I live, I used peanut butter for a creamy and thick sauce but feel free to use fermented soybean paste for a more authentic version. Miso paste could be another option.
- Five-spice powder: To make your own five-spice powder, mix together the following ground spices: A pinch each of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds. You can also include a pinch of nutmeg. If you don't have all these spices, just use the ones you have. I definitely recommend cinnamon, cloves, and fennel!
- Recipe makes about 175 grams (about 3/4 cup). Nutrition facts are for 22 grams (about 1 heaped tablespoon).
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Hoisin Sauce
Serving Size
22 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
56
% Daily Value*
Fat
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
5
%
Carbohydrates
7
g
2
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
6
g
7
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.