Our favorite Thai-style easy peanut sauce recipe with garlic, ginger, and a little sweetness! Only 6 simple ingredients, 10 minutes to make, and super versatile. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

I cannot contain my excitement for this Thai-style peanut sauce recipe. It is one of my favorites and has such delicious flavor.
It combines garlic, ginger, and tangy sweetness. All swirled into a luscious peanut butter base.
Plus it is easy to make with only 6 ingredients and (less than) 10 minutes prep time.

Ingredients for Thai Peanut Sauce
For this recipe you will whisk together in a bowl:
- Peanut butter: I use creamy and natural. (If peanuts are an issue, I suspect you could substitute it with a different nut butter or seed butter, but I have not tested this.)
- Brown sugar or maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup for a refined sugar-free option.
- Tamari: Or soy sauce or coconut aminos. I use tamari for gluten-free.
- Fresh lemon juice or lime juice
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh ginger
- Hot water: To thin to desired consistency.
You can also make it spicy with red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce to taste.

Ways to Use
This recipe is very flexible. There are so many ways to make it and enjoy it:
- Thai-Style Quinoa Salad (pictured above)
- On noodle dishes like Easy Peanut Noodles (pictured below)
- Spring Roll Bowls
- As a dipping sauce for fresh veggie spring rolls
- On protein like tempeh or Baked Tofu
- A rich sauce for stir fry with vegetables
- Thin it out for a flavorful salad dressing (to use on an Asian-Style Chopped Salad)
Storing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. We find they keep for about 4-5 days.

For more inspiration, also browse all sauce + seasoning recipes.

Easy Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (I use creamy, natural)
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar or maple syrup (more/less to taste)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger (more/less to taste)
- Hot water to thin to desired consistency
- Optional: red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Mince garlic and grate ginger. (I use a microplane grater for ginger.)
- In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients except water.
- Heat about 3/4 cup of water to just under boiling.
- Add water a couple tablespoons at a time, slowly whisking and working the mixture together.
- Continue adding water and whisking until sauce reaches your desired consistency. (I usually end up adding about 1/2 cup hot water.)
- Salt to taste if desired or adjust flavors as needed: more tamari for saltiness, more sweetener, garlic, ginger, or fresh lemon/lime juice.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
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Margie
I love this sauce so much! My husband and I have Pad Thai every Monday night now. He likes the sauce really thick so we do maybe 1/4 cup of water and it comes out so good. We use brown rice noodles and I love crunchy peanut butter so I use it for extra crunch. Fantastic recipe with plenty of room to add your own touch.
Kaitlin
Wonderful to hear, Margie! So glad you're both enjoying it, and great call with the crunchy peanut butter. Pad Thai Monday sounds like a fantastic way to start the week! Thanks for sharing your kind and helpful feedback.
Natasha
Love it! Make it all the time now
Kaitlin McGinn
So great to hear this Natasha! Thrilled you're enjoying - thanks for the kind feedback.
Julie
I am not gluten free but have friends and relatives with celiacs disease...you must be very careful to read the labels of tamari and soy sauce as they are not all gluten free.
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Julie - absolutely. Thank you for sharing.
BLD in MT
Mmmmmmmm, peanut sauce!!! I love how easy it is and how satisfying! I haven't tried it as a salad dressing yet though! Sounds perfect.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Thanks so much! (PS - just checked out your blog, love your photos! Where in Montana are you located?)
BLD in MT
Southcentral MT--in Billings!