Have you missed Chinese hoisin sauce ever since going paleo? Well, your healthy condiment wishes have been granted: I have a thick, fragrant, lip-smacking paleo hoisin sauce that you can whip up in 15 minutes—and it’s vegan and Whole30-friendly, too!
I originally created this sunbutter paleo hoisin sauce recipe for our second cookbook, Ready or Not!, but it’s become such a fan favorite that I’ve decided to share it on my blog and iOS app, too.
What is hoisin sauce?
Hoisin sauce—a centuries-old Chinese barbecue sauce—can be hard to pin down. A thick, robust sauce used as a glaze or condiment, hoisin literally means “seafood” in Cantonese, even though the sauce actually contains zero seafood, and isn’t typically served with it. In the West, this tangy-sweet sauce is often misidentified as plum sauce or raisin sauce, despite containing neither plums nor raisins. To top it off, there’s a dizzying number of hoisin sauce varieties out there, and each one offers a slightly different flavor profile.
After weeks of tinkering, I came up with a fantastic Whole30 version of this rich sauce using Paleo-friendly ingredients that still delivers all the complexity and flavor of the classic, with none of the soy, wheat, sugar, or preservatives!
How do you use hoisin sauce?
The possibilities are endless if you love hoisin sauce. Traditionally, it’s used as a dipping sauce for meats or slathered on buns or wraps filled with Moo Shu Pork or Peking Duck. You can also mix it into marinades for grilled meats because hoisin sauce imparts a sticky and savory yumminess. Squeeze bottles filled with hoisin sauce are also commonly found at your table when you’re dining at Vietnamese restaurants because it’s used to flavor steaming bowls of phở.
Can you substitute the sunbutter?
Yes! I’ve tried this paleo hoisin sauce recipe with almond butter and tahini in place of sunbutter, and both work well in this recipe.
How long can you keep the paleo hoisin sauce?
This condiment can be kept in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 1 week. (If it gets too firm, just stir in a tablespoon or two of water when you’re reheating it.)
Ready to make Paleo Hoisin Sauce?
Makes ¾ cup
Ingredients:
- 4 large dried Medjool dates, pitted
- ¼ cup sunflower butter
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Equipment:
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Small saucepan
- Silicone spatula
- Immersion blender
Method:
First, use a sharp knife to mince and mash up the dates until they’re the consistency of a thick, sticky paste.
Next, combine the minced dates with the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the sauce thickens and darkens. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Want a smoother sauce? Blitz it with an immersion blender until it reaches your desired consistency.
Time to slather this paleo hoisin sauce on everything! Make some Moo Shu Pork already!
Looking for more amazing paleo and Whole30-friendly sauce recipes? Grab our cookbook, Ready or Not!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Paleo Hoisin Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 large dried Medjool dates pitted
- ¼ cup sunflower butter
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- First, use a sharp knife to mince and mash up the dates until they’re the consistency of a thick, sticky paste.
- Next, combine the minced dates with the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the sauce thickens and darkens. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Want a smoother sauce? Blitz it with an immersion blender or high powered blender (my Vitamix gets it super smooth) until it reaches your desired consistency. Time to slather this paleo hoisin sauce on everything!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, I wanted to know how long does it last in the fridge and is there a way to keep it for longer than say (guessing) 2-3 weeks?
The shelf life is at the end of the post. One week in the refrigerator.
Is there a particular reason this would only last 1 week in the fridge? Most of the ingredients seem pretty robust, I would think it would last a while longer in a sealed container. If not, could I freeze the sauce in an ice cube tray and store it long term and take out a few cubes as needed?
There are no preservatives so I don’t feel comfortable suggesting a longer time in the fridge. You can definitely freeze it if you want to keep it longer.
I just made this and it’s got a nice flavor to it. In all honesty I’ve never had hoisin sauce before. I know, I know. But I could totally see myself eating it just by itself. I had date syrup and almond butter. Everything else I had. It’s delicious.
I was going to ask about the taste if subbing for date syrup and almond butter. Sounds like it worked out! I want to try this tonight.
Can you please tell me what constitutes a serving size? I am trying to figure out the carb count. I see that it is 9 carbs, but is that per 1 Tbsp?
Thank you!
Yes, each serving is 1 tablespoon.
If I use a nut butter how much tahini should I add?
You can use a nut butter OR tahini in place of sunbutter, no need to use both!