This vegan "Big Mac Sauce" copycat recipe is made healthier without mayo! Use this creamy vegan burger sauce on a variety of burgers or as a flavorful dipping sauce for fries. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

This vegan "Big Mac Sauce" recipe is a healthier version of McDonald's classic special sauce. It's slightly sweet, tangy, and deliciously creamy.
Plus it's made with whole food, plant-based ingredients (no mayo!) and is dairy-free, gluten-free, and oil-free.
Spoon it over your favorite veggie burger patties for wonderful flavor and texture!

Ingredients for Vegan Big Mac Sauce
For this recipe you will blend in a high-speed blender:
- Raw cashews: You'll need a half cup of raw, unsalted cashews. We'll soak them first to help soften and blend into a creamier sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar: Or you can substitute white vinegar if needed.
- Dijon mustard: I like the flavor of Dijon, but yellow mustard could also work.
- Pure maple syrup: I use this as a natural sweetener to help balance the flavors.
- Dried onion powder: As always, be sure your pantry spices are fresh (not expired) for best flavor.
- Dried garlic powder
- Smoked paprika: I like the flavor of smoked paprika, but you could substitute regular sweet paprika instead if desired.
- Sweet pickle relish: We will stir this in after blending the sauce. I use the "Field Day" brand organic pickle relish which doesn't contain any high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, or synthetic colors. (You could also substitute chopped dill pickles instead.)
- Salt: I use fine grain salt. You can also add black pepper to taste if desired.
Blender note: I use a small Nutribullet for this recipe. A good high-powered blender works best to blend the sauce into a creamy consistency.

Customizing
Cashew-free: Feel free to omit the cashews and use the more traditional vegan mayo (or plain & unsweetened vegan yogurt) for the creamy base instead.
Flavors: For different flavor variations, add a little ketchup, BBQ sauce, or even hot sauce to the mixture before blending. You can also slightly adjust the vinegar, mustard, or spices to better suit your taste.

Serving
Burgers: Spoon this sauce over any of your favorite burgers, or even on wraps and sandwiches. My favorite is the Southwest Black Bean Burger pictured above!
Dipping sauce: Change it up and dip your French fries, oven fries, or potato wedges in this creamy sauce.
Dressing: Drizzle it over a vegan burger bowl or burger salad for a flavor-rich dressing.
Storing
Store any leftovers in a sealed jar or airtight container in the fridge. I find it keeps for about 4-5 days.

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

Vegan Big Mac Sauce (No Mayo!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked*)
- 1/3 cup water (or more as needed)
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp. salt (more/less to taste)
- 3 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish (or chopped dill pickle)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients (except pickle relish) in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Add a splash more water if needed to thin to desired consistency. Taste and adjust flavors if needed.
- Stir in pickle relish.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
If you're enjoying this vegan Big Mac Sauce recipe for burgers and fries, also check out:
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Heidi
SUPER tasty sauce! We used it on our homemade veggie burgers and loved the flavors. Really added that something special to our regular burger night. Will make again!
Kaitlin
Excellent to hear, Heidi! Thanks for giving it a try and sharing.