10 Vegan Sauces and Condiments You Can Buy or Make

Here’s the thing about going vegan—nobody warns you that you’ll spend the first month staring at your plain bowl of rice like it personally wronged you. Sure, the veggies are great, the grains are wholesome, but without a killer sauce? You might as well be eating cardboard with good intentions.

I learned this the hard way after my third consecutive dinner of unseasoned quinoa and steamed broccoli. My taste buds staged a full-on rebellion. That’s when I discovered the magic of vegan sauces and condiments. They’re not just flavor boosters—they’re the secret weapon that transforms your “I guess I’m eating healthy” meals into “holy crap, I can’t believe this is vegan” experiences.

Whether you’re team homemade or team “I’ll buy it because who has time for that,” I’ve got you covered. These ten sauces and condiments have saved my dinner routine more times than I can count, and they’ll do the same for you.

1. Cashew Cream—The Swiss Army Knife of Vegan Sauces

If you only master one vegan sauce, make it cashew cream. Seriously, this stuff is absurdly versatile. You can drizzle it over Get Full Recipe for breakfast tacos, stir it into pasta, or use it as a base for literally any creamy sauce your heart desires.

The beauty of cashew cream lies in its simplicity. Soak raw cashews overnight (or do the quick version—boil them for 15 minutes), blend with water until silky smooth, and boom. You’ve got yourself a dairy-free cream that puts actual cream to shame. Nutritional yeast is rich in B vitamins and adds that cheesy depth vegans often miss, so I always toss a tablespoon into my cashew cream for extra flavor.

You can buy pre-made versions, sure, but homemade tastes infinitely better and costs about a third of the price. I use this high-speed blender because cheap blenders just can’t get the texture smooth enough—you’ll end up with gritty sauce, and nobody wants that.

2. Tahini Sauce—Nutty, Tangy, and Stupidly Easy

Tahini sauce is what happens when sesame seeds realize their full potential. It’s nutty, it’s tangy, it’s got this beautiful Middle Eastern vibe that makes everything taste more sophisticated than it actually is.

Mix tahini paste with lemon juice, garlic, and water until it reaches your preferred consistency. That’s it. Three ingredients, maybe five minutes of your time. I drizzle this over roasted vegetables, grain bowls, and fresh salads like there’s no tomorrow.

Store-bought tahini sauce exists, but it’s usually loaded with preservatives and costs way more than it should. Making your own means you control the garlic level (I like mine aggressive), the thickness, and whether you want to add cumin or not. IMO, cumin makes everything better.

For the tahini itself, I grab this organic tahini because the flavor is just superior. Cheap tahini can taste bitter and ruin the whole sauce, so don’t skimp here.

3. Nutritional Yeast-Based Cheese Sauce—Better Than You’d Think

Look, I know “nutritional yeast” sounds like something you’d feed laboratory mice, but hear me out. This deactivated yeast has a naturally cheesy, umami flavor that makes vegan cheese sauce not just possible, but genuinely crave-worthy.

Blend soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, a splash of plant milk, and a pinch of turmeric for color. What you get is a sauce so rich and cheesy that non-vegans will question everything they thought they knew. Pour it over pasta dishes, nachos, or steamed broccoli.

According to Cleveland Clinic, fortified nutritional yeast provides over 300% of your daily B12 needs in just one tablespoon—pretty impressive for something that basically looks like fish food. This makes it especially valuable for vegans who struggle to get enough B12 from plant sources alone.

If you want to skip the DIY route, brands like Kite Hill and Miyoko’s make excellent store-bought versions, but they’ll run you about $8 per container. Your call.

4. Classic Marinara—Because Everyone Needs a Go-To Red Sauce

Not all marinara sauces are vegan, which honestly shocked me when I first started reading labels. Some brands sneak in cheese or anchovy paste, because apparently tomato sauce wasn’t good enough on its own?

Making your own is dead simple. Sauté garlic in olive oil, add canned San Marzano tomatoes, season with basil, oregano, and a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and you’ve got a sauce that’ll make your weeknight dinners feel way fancier than they are.

I keep these Italian peeled tomatoes in my pantry at all times. They’re the secret to restaurant-quality sauce without the restaurant effort. Store-bought marinara works in a pinch—just read the ingredients carefully.

5. Sriracha Mayo—Spicy, Creamy, Addictive

This is what happens when sriracha and vegan mayo have a beautiful, spicy baby. You can buy it pre-made (most Asian grocery stores carry it), or you can make it yourself by mixing vegan mayo with sriracha until it reaches your preferred heat level.

I use this on everything from veggie burgers to spring rolls to random midnight snacks I probably shouldn’t be eating. It’s got that perfect balance of creamy richness and fiery kick that makes boring food interesting.

For the mayo base, this aquafaba-based mayo has the best texture I’ve found—thick, rich, and completely egg-free. Mix it with your favorite hot sauce and you’re set.

6. Peanut Sauce—Thai-Inspired Perfection

Ever wonder why Thai food tastes so incredible? Half the time, it’s the peanut sauce doing the heavy lifting. This stuff is magic—sweet, savory, slightly spicy, with that nutty richness that makes you want to pour it over absolutely everything.

Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce (or tamari if you’re gluten-free), lime juice, maple syrup, ginger, and garlic. Thin it with water to your liking. Use it as a dip, a dressing, or a stir-fry sauce. I guarantee you’ll go through it faster than you think.

The key is using high-quality peanut butter. I grab this natural peanut butter because it has no added sugar or oils—just pure roasted peanuts. The flavor difference is noticeable.

Speaking of high-protein meals, peanut sauce is sneaky good for adding extra protein and healthy fats to your dinner without trying too hard.

7. Vegan Pesto—Basil, Garlic, and Pure Green Goodness

Traditional pesto has parmesan, but honestly? Vegan pesto tastes just as good, if not better. Blend fresh basil, pine nuts (or walnuts—cheaper and just as delicious), garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and olive oil until smooth.

This sauce is summer in a jar. Toss it with pasta, spread it on sandwiches, or use it as a pizza base. You can also make big batches and freeze them in ice cube trays for instant flavor bombs whenever you need them.

Store-bought vegan pesto exists, but it’s usually expensive and never has enough garlic. Making your own costs a fraction of the price and tastes way fresher. I use this food processor because hand-chopping basil for pesto sounds like a medieval punishment.

8. Coconut Aminos—The Soy Sauce Alternative You Didn’t Know You Needed

If you’re avoiding soy or just want something with a slightly sweeter, less salty profile, coconut aminos is your new best friend. It’s made from coconut sap and has this deep, umami-rich flavor that works beautifully in stir-fries, marinades, and dipping sauces.

You can’t really make this at home (unless you have a coconut farm), so buying it is your only option. This coconut aminos brand is my go-to—it’s organic, has no weird additives, and the flavor is spot-on.

Use it anywhere you’d normally use soy sauce. The taste is a little different—slightly sweeter, less sharp—but it’s delicious in its own right. I keep both in my pantry because sometimes you want that classic soy sauce punch, and sometimes you want something gentler.

9. Balsamic Glaze—Sweet, Tangy, Ridiculously Simple

Balsamic glaze is just reduced balsamic vinegar with a touch of sweetness. It’s thicker, sweeter, and more concentrated than regular balsamic, which makes it perfect for drizzling over salads, roasted vegetables, or even strawberries if you’re feeling fancy.

Making it is stupidly easy. Pour balsamic vinegar into a saucepan, add a little maple syrup, and simmer until it reduces by half and gets syrupy. That’s it. Store-bought versions work too, but they’re often loaded with added sugar and cost way more than they should.

I use this aged balsamic vinegar because the flavor is rich and complex—cheap balsamic tastes like sour wine, and nobody wants that on their food.

10. Chipotle Cashew Cream—Smoky, Spicy, Utterly Addictive

This is what I make when regular cashew cream feels too boring. Blend soaked cashews with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic, and a pinch of smoked paprika. What you get is a sauce with serious attitude—smoky, spicy, creamy, and completely irresistible.

I use this on tacos, burrito bowls, and as a dip for tortilla chips. It’s also incredible on roasted sweet potatoes or as a topping for black bean soup. The smokiness from the chipotle peppers gives it this depth that regular hot sauce just can’t match.

You can buy chipotle-flavored vegan sauces, but they never have enough heat for my taste. Making your own means you control the spice level. I keep these canned chipotle peppers in my pantry specifically for this sauce—they last forever and add instant smoky flavor to anything.

Why Vegan Sauces Are Actually Healthier (Most of the Time)

Here’s something nobody talks about enough—vegan sauces can actually be healthier than their dairy-based counterparts. Cashew-based sauces, for example, are loaded with healthy fats, protein, and minerals like magnesium and zinc. According to research cited by nutrition experts, cashews are considered an excellent source of copper and provide essential nutrients without the saturated fat found in dairy.

Plant-based sauces also tend to have lower cholesterol and fewer calories than cream-based options. That doesn’t mean you should eat them with reckless abandon (moderation exists for a reason), but it does mean you can feel a little less guilty about drowning your vegetables in tahini sauce.

Of course, not all vegan sauces are created equal. Store-bought versions can be loaded with sodium, sugar, and preservatives, which is why I lean toward homemade whenever possible. You get full control over what goes in, and you avoid the mystery ingredients lurking in processed foods.

The Secret to Making Sauces Last Longer

Most homemade vegan sauces will last about 5-7 days in the fridge if stored properly. The key word there is “properly”—use airtight containers (I swear by these glass jars with tight lids), and always use clean utensils when scooping out sauce to avoid contamination.

Freezing is your friend for long-term storage. Pesto, cashew cream, and marinara all freeze beautifully. Pour them into ice cube trays, freeze until solid, then transfer to freezer bags. Now you’ve got portion-sized sauce cubes you can thaw as needed.

Some sauces, like tahini and balsamic glaze, are naturally shelf-stable and can hang out in your pantry for months. Others, like fresh pesto, start to lose their vibrant color and flavor after a week. FYI, adding a thin layer of olive oil on top of pesto before storing helps preserve the color.