Creamy Thai Peanut Sauce

Peanut sauce is a delicious addition to a variety of healthy dishes, and can also make a tasty dressing!

I like to make quick, healthy meals that are packed full of flavour and nutrients. Using a healthy dressing or a dipping sauce is a great way to make any meal or snack extra delicious.

Jump to:

• Why make your own Thai Peanut Sauce?
• Recipe
• Ingredients
• Method
• How to thicken your sauce

This Thai peanut sauce is the perfect partner to one of my favourite on-the-go lunches: Summer Rice Paper Rolls (or cold rolls). It can also be a yummy alternative to hummus for dipping carrot sticks, capsicum or celery. Peanut sauce can even be used at dinner in a stir fry or with Lemongrass Chicken Skewers. If you make a big batch you are sure to find plenty of ways to use it up!

Why make your own Thai Peanut Sauce?

Store-bought sauces and dressings may have high sugar or salt content, but when you make your dressing or sauce yourself YOU can control exactly what goes into it. I love to provide my BBG girls with plenty of alternatives so you can see that eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be time-consuming, or require sacrificing the flavour of your food.

This peanut sauce recipe is just one way you can boost the nutrient content AND the taste of your food. Using peanut sauce with your meals or snacks is an easy way to ensure that you get the health benefits of nuts every day. Peanuts are rich in Vitamin E, an important fat-soluble vitamin that is great for your skin and may also help with a healthy heart. Peanuts are also a source of niacin, folate, and thiamin.

This recipe is perfect for any ladies who are following a plant-based diet, as peanuts contain plant-based protein.

Healthy Thai Peanut Sauce Recipe

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: Makes 1 cup
Dietary Preferences: Vegetarian, Vegan-option, Dairy-free, Gluten-free option

Ingredients:

• 200g natural peanut butter
• 50ml unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 long red chilli, seeded and halved (optional)
• 1 small lime, juiced
• 10 sprigs fresh coriander
• 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• sea salt, to taste  

Method:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a food processor or high-speed blender and process for 30-60 seconds or until smooth.

2. Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and heat it over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of hot water at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Remove it from the heat and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

3. To serve, add the Thai Peanut Sauce to your favourite dish or pour it into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!

If you are someone who loves spicy foods, you can add in the optional chilli to make this sauce as spicy as you like! A spicy Thai peanut sauce pairs really well with chicken dishes or noodle bowls.

Try thinning the peanut sauce by stirring in one tablespoon of hot water at a time until the desired consistency is reached. A thinner consistency makes a yummy and healthy dressing for a home-made noodle bowl like this Soba Noodles, Ginger and Salmon Bowl.

How do you thicken peanut sauce?

If you want to pack and carry this peanut butter sauce as an on-the-go snack, you’ll probably want it to be a little thicker. To get a thicker sauce, simply cook it for a little longer to reduce the mixture.

Try this healthy peanut sauce for yourself!

Peanut sauce can be enjoyed in so many different ways! I like to make peanut sauce as part of my meal prep for the week to use for different healthy snacks and meals.

If you don’t have peanut butter in the cupboard, there are a lot of other tasty sauce alternatives! Try one of these 4 Healthy Homemade Dressing Recipes instead. These salad dressings are so versatile and can also be used as a dipping sauce.

What other healthy sauces would you like recipes for? Let me know in the comments below!

Enjoy!