How to Make Homemade Sugar-free Hoisin Sauce - This Homemade Keto Hoisin Sauce is not only easy to make also much healthier and lower in carbs than anything you can find at the store. Now you can eat all your Chinese food favourites without any of the sugars or chemicals that are found in traditional store-bought hoisin sauce!
This Sugar-Free Homemade Hoisin sauce is the easiest thing in the world to make.
Combining simple ingredients and a quick stir, homemade Sugar-free hoisin sauce is ready to be slathered onto all your favourite Chinese or any other Asian food recipes!
What Is Hoisin Sauce?
According to the dictionary, hoisin sauce is a sweet, spicy, dark red sauce made from soybeans, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and various spices, widely used in southern Chinese cooking.
What are the typical ingredients found in commercial Hoisin Sauce?
Here is a list of the most common ingredients found in store-bough Hoisin sauce:
- sweet potato, wheat and/or rice starches
- sugar
- soybeans
- sesame seeds
- white distilled vinegar
- salt
- garlic
- red chili peppers
- preservatives or colouring agents
So, as you can see, I would not consider store-bought Hoisin sauce to be healthy. However, with a few simple modifications to the ingredients, I was able to make the most delicious Sugar-free and Keto-friendly Hoisin sauce
What ingredients do you need to make traditional Homemade Hoisin Sauce?
Soy sauce - this is one of the main ingredients for the sauce and gives the sauce the necessary salty and umami flavour
Peanut butter - Adds a little thickness to the sauce. You can replace this easily with cashew butter or any other nut or seed butter
Brown sugar substitute - I used Lakanto Golden, but any type of brown sugar substitute will work. You can also use Yacon syrup or molasses if you are not counting carbs.
Rice vinegar - Rice vinegar is a type of vinegar made from fermented rice. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavour.
Garlic - I have used both minced garlic or garlic powder so feel free to use either one. Make sure that you do NOT use garlic salt as the sauce will be WAY TOO salty.
Sesame oil - Sesame oil has an earthy, nutty flavour so I would not suggest replacing it with any other type of oil
Miso paste - Miso has a complex flavour and can be described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savoury.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MISO AND HOW DO THEY DIFFER?
Here is what I found on The Kitchn website:
WHITE MISO:
- made from soybeans that have been fermented with a large percentage of rice.
- resulting colour can range from white to light beige
- has a definite sweet taste
- best used in condiments like mayo or salad dressings, or in light sauces
YELLOW MISO:
- made from soybeans that have been fermented with barley and sometimes a small percentage of rice.
- can be yellow to light brown in colour.
- has a mild, earthy flavour and is better for general use in not only condiments, but soup, marinades, and glazes.
RED MISO:
- made from soybeans fermented with barley or other grains, though with a higher percentage of soybeans and/or a longer fermentation period.
- can range in colour from red to dark brown.
- the deep umami flavour of red miso can overwhelm mild dishes but is perfect for hearty soups, braises, and glazes.
BLACK MISO:
- some sources say this paste is made entirely from soybeans, others say that it’s made from soybeans fermented with hearty dark grains like buckwheat.
- the strongest flavoured miso around (tastes a bit like marmite!).
For this recipe, any type of miso will work. However, if you want the Miso with the lowest amount of sugar and carbs, I suggest you use Red Miso.
What can I substitute to make it Paleo or Whole30 approved?
For Paleo and Whole30 Homemade Hoisin Sauce:
- replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos
- replace the peanut butter with almond butter
- replace the miso paste with a garlic Chinese hot sauce
- some Paleo people don't believe that rice vinegar is paleo-approved. If you fall into this category, simply replace the rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar
How do you make this Homemade Hoisin Sauce?
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until all the ingredients have been incorporated.
How do you store this Homemade Hoisin Sauce?
Store the sauce in an air-tight container in the fridge. It should last at least a week.
You should be able to freeze any leftover sauce but I have not tried to do so, so I can not say for sure that it will work.
If you like this low carb Hoisin sauce recipe, you may also enjoy:
Skillet Coconut Ginger Fish - Dairy-Free Keto
The Best Keto Ginger Salad Dressing
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How to Make Homemade Sugar-Free Hoisin Sauce
How to Make Chinese Hoisin Sauce sugar-free, gluten-free and keto-friendly. This rich and flavorful sauce is a nice addition to Asian-style meat & vegetable dishes. This is a recipe and walk-through on how I make low-carb/keto hoisin sauce. You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze it in an ice cube tray.
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients
-
4 tablespoons soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
-
2 tablespoons peanut butter (or almond butter)
-
2-4 tablespoon brown sugar substitute
-
2 teaspoons seasoned rice vinegar
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1 garlic clove, finely minced
-
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
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1 teaspoon Chinese hot sauce/miso paste(more or less to taste)
-
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the peanut butter in a small dish and microwave for about 10 seconds to soften. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Notes
For Whole30 or Paleo:
- replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos
- replace the peanut butter with almond butter or tahini
- replace the miso paste with hot sauce
- replace the liquid sweetener with date paste (Whole30) or honey (paleo)
- Prep Time: 5
- Category: Sauce, Sides
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
- Diet: Gluten Free
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