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.
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.
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.
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. Plus you will get all the bonus healthy omega-3 fat.
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 (make sure it is vegan, I used the one from Annie's organic)
- Garlic powder
- White vinegar
- Although optional, I love adding a small amount of smoked paprika for extra smoky flavor.
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.
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 ⅔ instead of ½ cup, and work your way up as you taste along the way.
To make it milder: Add more hemp seeds + water. Try with ⅔ 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.
Great pairings for this vegan buffalo sauce
- Butternut squash mac and cheese
- Tofu scramble burrito
- Stuffed baked potatoes
- Lasagna roll-ups
- Potato croquettes
- Creamy primavera pasta bake
- Vegan Buffalo 'Chicken' Sandwich
- Falafel buddha bowl
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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Vegan Buffalo Sauce without butter
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup cayenne pepper hot sauce (I like Frank red's hot)
- ½ cup hemp seeds
- ½ cup water
- ½ tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce - see notes
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt - or to taste
- ¼ 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 ⅔ instead of ½ cup, and work your way up as you taste along the way. To make it milder: Add more hemp seeds + water. Try with ⅔ 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.
- I used the vegan Worcestershire sauce from Annie's.
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Hi there - Worcester sauce is made with anchovies which are small fish. So you may not want to refer to this as Vegan.
Hi! Thank you for your comment. I used the Worcestershire sauce from Annie's, which is vegan, but the info is missing in my text, so I'll go ahead and adjust that info. 🙂