Showing is a pourable jar containing a homemade vegan buffalo sauce with a spoon covered with the sauce on the side. In the background, there is a small white bowl with more of the sauce and a white plate with cauliflower wings and sliced carrots on a white and blue hand towel.
Sauces, Dips and Condiments

Vegan Buffalo Sauce (without butter)

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This is the best homemade vegan buffalo sauce recipe (yes, really) and is ridiculously easy to make! Even without using butter, you can prepare a creamy and rich sauce that tastes so darn good.

If you are looking for a way to prepare your own vegan buffalo sauce in a healthier – whole food plant based – way, but without losing on flavor and texture, do not look any further!

This sauce is so tasty, simple, perfectly luscious and carries big flavor. You will want to drizzle it on just about anything! All you need is 6 ingredients, a blender and about 2 minutes. Not bad at all!

Overhead shot of a creamy hot sauce in a pourable jar with a few slices of carrots and a spoon covered with the sauce on the side.

What is buffalo flavor

It is a very flavorful spicy sauce that carries a good tang. The spicy flavor comes from cayenne peppers and a buffalo sauce usually has extra vinegar, which brings a good bite to it.

There are different variations to a classic buffalo sauce, some might have more spice, or can be creamier or even with the addition of smoky aromas.

Showing are cauliflower wings on a white plate with a few slices of carrots on the side, the plate is on a lined white and blue hand towel and there is a small white bowl containing some of the vegan buffalo sauce that was used to coat the cauliflower.

What’s the difference between a regular hot sauce and a buffalo sauce

It’s the butter!

Buffalo is usually prepared using a hot sauce based with cayenne pepper, but with the addition of butter, vinegar and sometimes other spices. It makes for a creamier and thicker texture compared to a regular hot sauce.

Showing is a pourable jar containing a homemade vegan buffalo sauce with a spoon covered with the sauce on the side. In the background, there is a small white bowl with more of the sauce and a white plate with cauliflower wings and sliced carrots on a white and blue hand towel.

How to prepare a homemade buffalo sauce that is vegan and healthier

Making a vegan buffalo sauce is super easy if you simply swap the regular butter for vegan butter. But if you want to avoid adding any extra processed oil to the mix, then there are many other ways to achieve the creaminess without all the extra fat.

In this case, blending raw hemp seeds with the other ingredients is what allows the sauce to reach a thicker and richer consistency. And oh hello there, bonus healthy omega-3 fat.

Ingredients needed to make a homemade vegan buffalo sauce, displayed are cayenne pepper hot sauce, white vinegar, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, maple syrup, hemp seeds and Worcestershire sauce.

What you will need to make this vegan buffalo sauce

  • Hot sauce made with cayenne pepper. My favorite one when making a buffalo sauce is Frank’s RedHot original sauce. I love how this sauce is fat free and has a relatively simple ingredient list. But, feel free to choose your favorite hot sauce.
  • Hemp seeds
  • Water
  • Maple syrup
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Garlic powder
  • White vinegar
  • Although optional, I love adding a small amount of smoked paprika for extra smoky flavor.
Close up on vegan cauliflower wings piled on a white plate with sliced carrots on the side. There is a white bowl with more of the vegan buffalo sauce in the background.

How to make this vegan buffalo sauce

It cannot be easier than this! All the ingredients are blended together until smooth. No soaking or cooking required, the hemps are gentle little seeds that blend easily.

Even if you don’t have a high speed blender, you should still be able to reach a super smooth texture (easier than if blending cashews). You will need to stop the blender a few times to stir and blend again. Repeat until smooth and uniform.

  • Close up of a few ingredients at the bottom of a blender just about to be blended (to prepare a creamy hot sauce)
  • Close up at the bottom of a blender showing a spicy creamy sauce.

Watch how to make it

How to adjust the spiciness of this sauce

It is very easy to adjust how spicy you want your buffalo sauce to be. The recipe is actually less spicy than many other buffalo sauces I have eaten, so it might be perfect if you like gentler – but still spicy – meals like me.

You can play around with the amount of ingredients to get to your perfect ratios, but starting with these modifications if you need to adjust the heat:

To make it spicer: Add more hot sauce. Start with 2/3 instead of 1/2 cup, and work your way up as you taste along the way.

To make it milder: Add more hemp seeds + water. Try with 2/3 of each and taste. You can also add a little extra maple syrup to help temper the heat. If adding more hemps/water dilute the delicious tangy flavor too much, then add also an extra splash of vinegar.

Storage tips

This sauce stores very well in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. If you like to pour it over your food, then transfer the sauce into a pourable air-tight jar or container. Also, give it a good shake before serving to ensure all the ingredients are well combined.

Close up on vegan cauliflower wings piled on a white plate with sliced carrots on the side.

Great pairings for this vegan buffalo sauce

I hope you enjoy this buffalo sauce as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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Showing is a pourable jar containing a homemade vegan buffalo sauce with a spoon covered with the sauce on the side. In the background, there is a small white bowl with more of the sauce and a white plate with cauliflower wings and sliced carrots on a white and blue hand towel.
Print Recipe

Vegan Buffalo Sauce without butter

This vegan buffalo sauce is so easy to prepare, carries big flavors and even though no butter is used in this recipe, the texture is luscious and creamy, thanks to the hemp seeds!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time0 mins
Total Time10 mins
Course: condiment, Dip, Sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dairy-free, healthy, No granulated sugar, oil-free, spicy, Vegan
Author: plantbasedjess

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce (I like Frank red's hot)
  • 1/2 cup hemp seeds
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika optional, for smoky flavor

Instructions

  • In a blender, combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. You might have to stop the blender a few times to scrape the walls and blend again.
  • Enjoy as a dipping sauce or generously pour over breaded cauliflower, sandwiches, pasta dishes, potatoes and so much more.

Video

Notes

  • Store the sauce in a air-tight container for up to 3 weeks. Stir (or shake!) before serving.
  • To make it spicer: Add more hot sauce. Start with 2/3 instead of 1/2 cup, and work your way up as you taste along the way.
    To make it milder: Add more hemp seeds + water. Try with 2/3 of each and taste. You can also add a little extra maple syrup to help temper the heat. If adding more hemps/water dilute the delicious tangy flavor too much, then add also an extra splash of vinegar.
  • I use Original Frank’s Hot Red to make this sauce, but feel free to use your favorite hot sauce.

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