Vietnamese Peanut Sauce for Spring Rolls

When you order spring rolls at any Vietnamese restaurant, deli, or food cart, they’re usually accompanied by one of two sauces; the first and likely most common is the fish sauce dipping sauce (nước chấm), and the second one, which is actually my favorite sauce for spring rolls, is this Vietnamese peanut sauce! It’s sweet, savory, creamy, and nutty, and when you smell how fragrant the sauce is, you know that you’re in for a real treat! I could literally drink the sauce by the gallon – it’s just that good!

What is Vietnamese Peanut Sauce?

This peanut sauce is a traditional Vietnamese sauce typically served with Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn)!

This dipping sauce has hoisin sauce and peanut butter as the base. The hoisin provides a complex umami flavor profile, while the peanut butter adds a creamy nuttiness that perfectly complements each other. The other ingredients and the ratio of hoisin to peanut butter vary from recipe to recipe, but you can always count on having both in any Vietnamese peanut sauce recipe.

For me, the perfect ratio of hoisin sauce to peanut butter is 2:1, twice the amount of hoisin sauce to peanut butter. At this ratio, you get a sauce that is balanced between sweet and savory without being too overwhelming. Everyone has their own preferences, though, and I will say that when Hanna’s family visits for dinner, I tend to make the sauce with more peanut butter because they prefer a creamier and nuttier sauce. Taste is incredibly subjective, so play around with the ratios and find out what you like best.

Ingredient Variations:

Consider my recipe a foundational recipe that you can adjust and augment to your preferences. Some changes or additions can include:

• Adding minced garlic – Before adding the hoisin sauce to the sauce pot, add some minced garlic and saute lightly until fragrant. This step is highly recommended if you like extra garlicky peanut sauce.
• Sriracha VS Sambal—In this recipe, I prefer sambal, especially because I don’t add minced garlic. In my opinion, the sambal has a more well-rounded and garlicky flavor than sriracha.
• Using water instead of coconut water – I like the subtle coconut flavor that coconut water adds to the sauce. However, you can still achieve a really delicious sauce by substituting it with regular water if you don’t have coconut water.
• Sauce thickness—I prefer a thinner sauce, and when you dip your spring rolls, it perfectly coats them without being too cloying, but if you like it thick and dense, use less liquid.
• Crunchy peanut butter – Instead of using creamy peanut butter, feel free to swap it out for crunchy for a more texturally interesting sauce. I like adding crushed peanuts to the sauce as a garnish, but I prefer a creamy and silky sauce overall.

Storing the Peanut Sauce:

In my household, we typically finish all the peanut sauce in one sitting and usually have to make more, but if you find yourself with extra or want to make a bigger batch in advance, the peanut sauce holds pretty well in the fridge. It can typically be stored in your fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.

When you’re ready to serve, just reheat it either in the microwave until loose or add it back to a sauce pot to warm up!