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This Vietnamese-inspired dipping sauce is prepared with hoisin sauce, peanut butter, and aromatics like garlic and shallots. It’s nutty, salty, and a bit sweet. This is essential to take your spring rolls to the next level!
Inspired by the Vietnamese sauce called “nước chấm tương đậu phộng,” this sauce is always served with fresh spring rolls in Viet Nam.
⭐️ Why You Should Try This Dipping Sauce
- It’s packed with flavor: Think nutty, savory, and sweet, with a lot of umami! It’s so delicious you will want to make spring rolls just for the sauce. Yes, it’s THAT good!
- It takes just 10 minutes to prepare and requires only 6 ingredients.
- It keeps well: You can store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, meaning you can prepare it ahead of time and make the spring rolls at the last minute.
📘 How to Make Peanut Dipping Sauce
This peanut dipping sauce is super easy to prepare. It can be prepared in one pot in less than 10 minutes. Here is what you will need:
- Garlic and shallots – For a natural sweetness and a garlicky flavor. You can substitute the shallot for 1/4 of an onion if you don’t have any shallots on hand.
- Hoisin sauce – It makes the base, bringing saltiness as well as sweetness. Hoisin sauce is made from fermented soybeans, adding a ton of umami! You can use a store-bought sauce, or if you want to make your own, check out my Hoisin sauce recipe!
- Peanut butter – For the nutty flavor. I recommend using natural peanut butter, the runny kind.
- Water – To slightly dilute the sauce.
- Coconut milk – Optional, coconut milk helps round up the flavor and adds extra creaminess.
Since the sauce needs to be cooled down, I recommend preparing it before your spring rolls. To make the dipping sauce:
- Sauté garlic and shallots for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, water, and coconut milk if using.
- Let simmer for 1-2 minutes and stir to combine.
- Let it cool completely, and use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls!
🥢 Where to Use This Vietnamese Peanut Sauce
While this sauce is almost exclusively served with fresh spring rolls, you can also use it as a dipping sauce for bánh xèo or as a salad dressing! It is definitely not common, but trust me, it’s delicious!
💬 FAQ
While it won’t have the exact same flavor, you can replace the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter.
The sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Yes, it is based on authentic Vietnamese recipes.
This sauce is a must-try if you want to get the real spring roll experience! It has the perfect balance of nuttiness and saltiness with a hint of sweetness!
🇻🇳 More Vietnamese Sauce Recipes
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Vietnamese Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp coconut milk optional
- For topping: crushed peanuts, chopped chili
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced shallots and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Next, add the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, water, and coconut milk if using. Let simmer over low-medium heat for another 2 minutes, whisking regularly to combine.
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to small bowls, top with crushed peanuts and chopped chili to taste, and use as a dip for spring rolls.
- This peanut dipping sauce will stay in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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Cant wait to make this soon for me i never had vietnamese peanut dipping sauce before perfect for my snacks and your recipes love your food and recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
And cant wait to make your other vietnamese inspired recipes soon for my family and i as i never had vietnamese food before
Hope you will like them Ramya!
I’m going to make this soon, maybe this weekend. Can’t wait to try it with spring rolls. My fiance and I, we’re really in love with spring rolls. Your recipes always make our weekend great and special, Thomas! 🙂
Hope you will enjoy the recipe Christina!
delicious, especially with your homemade hoisin sauce!
Thank you Tetyana!