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Home » Blog » Recipes » Hoisin Sauce (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free)

Hoisin Sauce (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free)

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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!

A collage of the cooking steps to make paleo hoisin sauce.

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.

A closeup of a chef's knife mincing Medjool dates on a gray cutting board.

Next, combine the minced dates with the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

An overhead shot of the ingredients of paleo hoisin sauce in a saucepan before it gets cooked.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the sauce thickens and darkens. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

A closeup shot of paleo hoisin sauce simmering in a small stainless steel saucepan

Want a smoother sauce? Blitz it with an immersion blender until it reaches your desired consistency.

Using an immersion blender in the the saucepan to make the paleo hoisin sauce smooth.

Time to slather this paleo hoisin sauce on everything! Make some Moo Shu Pork already!

An overhead shot of paleo hoisin sauce in a gray bowl topped with sesame seeds and chives

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

An overhead shot of a dish filled with paleo hoisin sauce topped with sesame seeds and chives
Print Recipe
5 from 14 votes

Paleo Hoisin Sauce

This lip-smacking Paleo Hoisin Sauce can be made in 15 minutes! My Whole30-friendly version still delivers all the complexity and flavor of the classic, with none of the soy, wheat, sugar, or preservatives!  
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time15 mins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: gluten-free, low carb, paleo, Primal, Whole30
Servings: 12 tablespoons
Calories: 62kcal

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
US Customary - Metric

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

Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Fiber: 1g
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marianne says

    September 4, 2020 at 6:58 pm

    5 stars
    Love this sauce!

    Reply
  2. Jeannine Greyer says

    January 17, 2021 at 4:46 pm

    Can I substitute pumpkin seed butter?

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      January 19, 2021 at 6:00 pm

      I haven’t tried it, but I bet it would work!

      Reply
  3. Arija says

    February 3, 2021 at 12:12 am

    5 stars
    Stess-cooking before a pocedure tomorrow, and made some paleo hoisin. OMG, SO GOOD. Can’t wait to make some moo shu to slather all over it.

    Reply
  4. Esther says

    March 14, 2021 at 3:28 am

    I made it with almond butter and it was delicious! Thanks!

    Reply
  5. Rjdeck says

    July 11, 2021 at 7:14 pm

    Made it with cashew butter because that’s what I had on hand. DELICIOUS!!
    Help me, I can’t stop eating it! 😂

    Reply
    • Ella says

      September 5, 2021 at 12:43 am

      Good to know, i have mine on the stove with cashew butter because that’s what I had on hand!

      Reply
  6. Rjdeck says

    July 11, 2021 at 7:17 pm

    5 stars
    Forgot to rate it. 5 stars. ❤

    Reply
  7. Katrice Krebs says

    August 2, 2021 at 10:18 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic paleo hoisin sauce. Thank you!

    Reply
  8. andy says

    August 5, 2021 at 9:58 am

    Hi! How can I substitute the ingredients to be AIP elimination phase?

    Reply
    • Ella says

      August 20, 2022 at 11:11 am

      You can’t. The spices and the need for seed or nut butter means you’ll have to hang on until you reintroduce things. Sorry. Look up AIP specific recipes so you don’t disappoint yourself. I’ve been there and had to accept that myself.

      Reply
  9. Ilene says

    August 7, 2021 at 2:55 pm

    Hi there! So I just finished this but mine isn’t as dark as your picture. Mine is mostly the color of the sun butter, is that OK? Also, it’s not very sweet. Should it be? I double checked and added all the ingredients. I’m using it to make your chicken satay tonight! Thanks for all your recipes!!

    Reply
  10. Kristin says

    April 3, 2022 at 1:02 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! I didn’t have dates, so I replaced with 1/4 cup coconut sugar. Made the recipe even easier and was DELICIOUS! Thank you!

    Reply
  11. gin says

    May 18, 2022 at 4:31 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Regina Chan says

      May 18, 2022 at 3:18 pm

      The shelf life is at the end of the post. One week in the refrigerator.

      Reply
  12. Sheila says

    May 19, 2022 at 11:08 pm

    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.

    Reply

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