Quick and easy Peanut Butter Sauce for Noodles made with peanut butter, coconut aminos, low-sodium soy sauce, and garlic. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Believe it or not, I was inspired to make peanut butter sauce for pasta after having something similar during my lunch break at a hospital cafeteria years ago. I figured if they could whip up a delicious pasta with peanut sauce fast, so could I. 😅
It was the most delicious (and filling!) lunch ever, and now I make it for dinner.
I'll show you how to make this peanut butter sauce with a handful of pantry staples along with ways to enhance the flavor even more depending on what you have on hand.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy Recipe Add this peanut butter sauce with noodles to your weeknight dinner rotation asap. It has a different flavor and is more filling than Pad Thai, but it is still SO good!
- Simple Ingredients If you're like me, you keep peanut butter, soy sauce, coconut aminos, and garlic on hand at all times. Simple ingredients like these can be used to add incredible flavor to a variety of recipes. And while you can always add to the sauce ingredients (fresh ginger, or sambal), I don't think it's necessary. 🙌
- Meal Prep Save time and make this simple peanut sauce the night before so you can toss it together with noodles, veggies, and a protein the next day.
- No Added Sugar So many Asian-inspired sauces call for brown sugar, sugar, or maple syrup. Not this one! Coconut aminos adds just enough sweetness. For an even sweeter and creamier sauce, replace some of the broth with coconut milk.
Ingredient Notes
- Peanut Butter Use natural peanut butter (made with peanuts and a small amount of salt). If you want a creamy peanut sauce without chunks, use creamy peanut butter.
- Garlic I've made this with fresh garlic as well as jarred minced garlic. Jarred minced garlic adds a noticeable flavor that might taste more familiar to you.
- Rice Vinegar Adds a slight tangy flavor that I love.
More Uses for Peanut Sauce
- Dipping Sauce Peanut sauce is often served as a dipping sauce for spring rolls. You can also use it as a dip with grilled chicken skewers or shrimp skewers. So good!
- Salad Dressing Thin this peanut sauce out with a small amount of lime juice. I use the ratio of one-quarter to one-half teaspoon fresh lime juice per tablespoon of peanut sauce to turn this into a peanut butter salad dressing. Drizzle on crisp greens. Yum!
- Stir Fry or Rice Bowl Top brown or white rice with cooked tofu, chicken, or shrimp. Then, add stir fried veggies, like bell peppers and snow peas. Drizzle on the peanut sauce. And if you happen to keep sesame seeds on hand, sprinkle some on top, just before serving.
Helpful Tips
- After making this sauce with whole wheat noodles for years, I just served with udon noodles and absolutely loved it! I have no doubt this peanut sauce will taste just as good with ramen noodles. Just be sure to follow the package instructions and not overcook the noodles.
- Use warm or hot broth (a splash of hot water will work, too) to help smooth out the sauce and make it easier to stir.
- There is no need to add olive oil or toasted sesame oil unless you really want to.
- Feel free to add sambal or a pinch of red pepper flakes to make this a spicey peanut butter sauce. Adding spice will help balance out the tangy flavor from rice vinegar.
- For more a Pad Thai flare, use rice noodles and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to the peanut sauce and noodles. Then top it with bean sprouts, sliced green onions, and lime wedges.
Questions You May Have
In my experience, a heartier noodle is best for serving with peanut sauce. Thin rice noodles turned to mush when I stirred in the peanut sauce.
I've had the most success with heartier noodles like whole wheat penne and wheat squiggly noodles (from Trader Joe's, I don't use the sauce pack that it comes with).
Yes, almond butter is a great substitute for almond butter in this recipe. You may want to add fresh lime to make the almond flavor a little less noticeable, but it will still taste great.
Peanut sauce makes a great addition to a variety of dishes including chicken, shrimp, tofu, rice, salads, and of course, noodles.
More Dinner Recipes
- Simple Egg Salad with Greek Yogurt (No Mayo)
- Green Goddess Salad with Green Goddess Dressing (Homemade)
- Green Goddess Salad Dressing (No Oil, No Mayo)
- Meals for After Wisdom Teeth Removal (Ideas from a Dietitian)
Did you make this incredible peanut butter sauce for noodles and love it?! Please let me know by leaving a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and comment below. A 5-star rating is the best compliment!
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📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Sauce for Noodles
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter all-natural, lightly salted.
- 2 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoon coconut aminos
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1½ tablespoon rice vinegar up to 2 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoon hot water
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except hot water in a small or medium bowl. Whisk well.½ cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce, 1½ tablespoon coconut aminos, ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth, 2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- Whisk in the hot water. Serve and enjoy!2 tablespoon hot water
Notes
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- I've served this delicious peanut butter sauce with whole wheat noodles and, most recently, "squiggly knife cut wheat noodles" from Trader Joe's and absolutely love both! I have no doubt this peanut sauce will taste just as good with ramen noodles or udon noodles. Just be sure to follow the package instructions and not overcook the noodles.
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- Use warm or hot broth to help smooth out the sauce and make it easier to stir, especially after it's been refrigerated.
-
- There is no need to add olive oil or toasted sesame oil unless you really want to.
-
- Feel free to add sambal or a pinch of red pepper flakes to make this a spicey peanut butter sauce. Adding spice will help balance out the tangy flavor from rice vinegar.
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- For more of a Pad Thai flavor, use rice noodles, thin out the peanut butter sauce a little more, then add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to the noodles mixed with peanut butter sauce. Top with bean sprouts, sliced green onions, and lime wedges.
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