You can’t have Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls without some wickedly thick Hoisin Peanut Sauce! It’s a creamy, savory and sweet dip that tastes luxurious and yet is so simple to make. This recipe uses store-bought sauces so all you have to do it mix them over low heat, then voilà – it’s ready for dipping!
The dip made for Vietnamese rice paper rolls
I can’t have my rice paper rolls without Hoisin Peanut Sauce, period. It’s like trying to eat Stuffed Tofu without any gravy or Vietnamese Chicken Ragu without bread or rice.
It’s simply unheard of!
Now, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be loading each Gỏi Cuốn with the dip as if you’ll never get a chance to eat it again. Trust me, it’s that good.
There are actually many different versions of this recipe out there. But what I find is that many of them end up being quite watery.
And while some of you might prefer that, personally I like mine super thick and creamy so the nuttiness smothers over every crevice.
You can also trust that in this family recipe, you’ll be able to taste both the hoisin AND the peanut flavor. There’s enough of both ingredients for that perfect balance of sweet and savory!
Why this recipe works
- Adding lime juice balances the richness with zest.
- Fried garlic infuses every ingredient with an aromatic flavor.
- Drizzling in a touch of sesame oil gives a boost of nuttiness.
What you’ll need
About the peanut butter
We like to get smooth peanut butter for this dip, but you can also go for the crunchy version to get more texture.
How to make this recipe
Start by heating up the oil in a small pan. Lower the heat to a low-medium and brown the garlic for 1 minute.
Add the hoisin sauce, peanut butter and sugar, mixing until well combined.
Adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding water or stock until it reaches a consistency you like.
Add the lemon (or lime) juice and stir until combined.
To finish it off, drizzle in the sesame oil and give it a stir. Garnish it with crushed peanuts before serving.
Dunk some Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese Summer Rolls) or Bò Bía (Rice Paper Rolls with Chinese Sausage and Eggs) into the dip to complete this summer dream!
Recipe FAQs
For the sharp sweet and savory flavor profile, bean paste, teriyaki or Worcestershire come close. Otherwise, you can make your own following the recipe from Maggie over at Omnivore’s Cookbook.
To get the nutty creaminess, you can try using Biscoff spread, sunflower seed butter or sweetened tahini (add sugar to taste). Alternatively, skip the ingredient altogether and reduce the amount of hoisin to dilute some of its sharpness.
Tips for the best results
- Cook over a low heat. This prevents the sauces from burning.
- Add the liquid in slowly. You can adjust the consistency your liking by pouring in a little of the water or stock at a time while stirring. Stop when you’ve found the perfect balance.
- Stir constantly. The sauces will heat up and bubble quickly, so it’s important to stir to remove the clumps and keep everything smooth.
Check out our favorite homemade sauces!
- Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Mắm) – Other than the Hoisin Peanut Sauce, this is another classic that is often served with Summer Rolls.
- Lemongrass Chili Sauce (Sa Tế) – Drizzle this over anything from meats to vegetables to noodles to rice for maximum flavor.
- Sichuan Garlic Chili Oil – Get a spicy kick out of every dish from this homemade hot oil that can be customized to your own taste.
- Ginger Scallion Oil (薑蔥油) – Our most popular way to dress up your meal. It’s so easy to make with just 4 ingredients!
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Hoisin Peanut Sauce (Tương Chấm Gỏi Cuốn)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 4 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup water (or chicken and pork stock)
- 1/4 lemon's juice (or lime)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- crushed peanuts (optional)
Instructions
- Start by heating up the oil in a small pan. Lower the heat to a low-medium and brown the garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the hoisin sauce, peanut butter and sugar, mixing until well combined.
- Adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding water or stock until it reaches a consistency you like.
- Add the lemon (or lime) juice and stir until combined.
- To finish it off, drizzle the in sesame oil and give it a stir. Garnish it with crushed peanuts before serving.
- Dunk some Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese Summer Rolls) or Bò Bía (Rice Paper Rolls with Chinese Sausage and Eggs) into the dip to complete this summer dream!
Video
Notes
- Cook over a low heat. This prevents the sauces from burning.
- Add the liquid in slowly. You can adjust the consistency your liking by pouring in a little of the water or stock at a time while stirring. Stop when you've found the perfect balance.
- Stir constantly. The sauces will heat up and bubble quickly, so it's important to stir to remove the clumps and keep everything smooth.
- We like to get smooth peanut butter for this dip, but you can also go for the crunchy version to get more texture.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on 11/07/19 and updated with tips and FAQs in April 2021.
Such a lovely dipping sauce idea, I like that it is thick and full of flavor!
The best part is how thick and flavourful it can be! Thanks, Alina!
We are going to make some summer rolls at the weekend, so I will have to make some of this to go with it.
How exciting! I hope you and your family enjoy it!
I love Asian style foods! This hoisin sauce for Vietnamese rice paper rolls are no exception!! I can’t wait to try this on the weekend. Love the little bit of peanut butter in it as well!
I hope you love the jam-packed flavour profile of this recipe as much as I do!
Such beautiful presentation! I always find it so hard to roll mine let alone have them looking like yours. Really beautiful.
Thanks! I sometimes like to sneak a few over to Grandma because she rolls it best! But practise makes perfect!
I have a cupboard full of Asian sauces and spices and don’t really know how to use many of them… Thanks for the info about hoisin. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I’m so glad this post helped! Enjoy the recipe!
Any idea of the nutritional value of the sauce per serving Jeanette?
Ie. kilojoules.
I’m tracking my food.
Thanx
Hi Lynne, I’ve just updated the nutritional value of the sauce. You can find it in the recipe card 🙂
Tastes just like my Mama Luong’s! She never gives me an exact recipe so I appreciate this so much! Cảm ơn!
That’s so wonderful to hear, Teresa! I’m glad it tasted like your Mama Luong’s! Must taste like home 😉
Hi Jeanette,
Just made a batch of this sauce today. Taste lovely!
Do I need to keep the leftover sauce in the fridge ?
If yes, do I need to heat up in the microwave or add some hot water after removing from the fridge for my next use ?
Thanks.
Hi, Fran! Glad you liked it 😀 You can definitely store the leftovers in the fridge. Just make sure it’s sealed in an airtight container. If the weather is cool, you can even leave it out of the fridge so long as it’s covered. We normally just eat it straight out of the fridge if it’s the day after, but you can put it in the microwave for 20 second increments at a time if you’d prefer it warm. Just test to see if it’s the right temperature as you microwave it. Hope that helps!
Is it lime juice or lemon juice? In the beginning of the recipe you say lime is refreshing but the recipe uses lemon?
Hi! Thanks for the spot! I’ve updated the recipe to include both. I generally use whichever I have on hand 🙂
Hi, is the peanut cream that goes into the recipe salty or sweet?
Jozef
Hi, Jozef! For this recipe, we use peanut butter, which is generally not sweet.