Last Updated on January 13, 2023 by Anne-Marie

It's easy to make a batch of homemade hoisin sauce from common ingredients you have in your pantry!

Why this recipe works

This gluten free hoisin sauce is so much better than store-bought hoisin sauces, too.

Use this homemade sauce for spring rolls, stir-fries, and other Asian food recipes.

What is hoisin sauce?

Hoisin is a thick sauce commonly used in Asian food recipes.

Traditional hoisin sauce is made with soybean paste, like miso, or fermented black bean paste.

Instead, this homemade hoisin sauce recipe uses gluten free soy sauce or tamari sauce, which is much easier to find.

The taste is a combination of spicy, sweet, and salty. In Chinese cooking, it's used as a stir-fry sauce, and as a glaze for meat.

I like to use it as a dipping sauce for my Turkey Asian Meatballs and Asian Style Gluten Free Meatballs Recipe.

It's also a main ingredient in the sauce in my Best Gluten Free General Tso Chicken Recipe.

(Looking for more Asian recipes? Check out 35 of the Best Recipes to Serve with Fried Rice! )

How to make homemade hoisin sauce

You won’t believe how easy it is to make this gluten free hoisin sauce recipe!

1. Place the ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine.

2. Heat over medium-low heat until the honey melts. Whisk the sauce ingredients occasionally.

3. Remove the homemade hoisin sauce recipe from the stove. Let cool.

4. Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge.

Use as a dipping sauce or as a glaze for meats in your favorite Asian dishes.

Making a gluten free hoisin sauce

Soy sauce: Use a low sodium gluten free soy sauce. Or use tamari sauce, which is also gluten free.

Can you make sugar-free hoisin sauce?

Yes, you can make this recipe sugar-free and keto-friendly. Instead of honey, use Swerve Sweetener or Swerve Sweetener, Brown.

Use 3 tablespoons or more or less to taste.

I think the brown sugar version would give the sauce a lovely, deep flavor.

Cooking substitutions

Vinegar: This version uses white vinegar since most of us have that in our pantries.

You can use 2 tablespoons rice vinegar if you think that's more traditional. Or cider vinegar if you don't care either way.

Honey: No honey? You could use agave nectar, maple syrup, or molasses.

Spice: Add 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder to give this an even more authentic flavor.

Chili sauce: For a kick of heat, use sriracha instead of chili sauce. You can also use your favorite hot sauce, a red chili sauce, chili paste, Chinese hot sauce, or a Thai chili sauce.

Tahini: What I like about using tahini paste is that it adds thickness to the sauce.

No tahini? You could use 3 teaspoons sesame oil to the mixture instead.

Don't use peanut butter, which has a different flavor from tahini and sesame oil.

Hoisin sauce cooking tips

Thin sauce? Add a cornstarch slurry to the sauce.

1. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until it forms a slurry.

2. Add slurry to the saucepan. (Do this after step 2, while it's still warm.)

3. Whisk until the sauce thickens. If it's still not the right consistency, repeat with another tablespoon of cornstarch.

What to serve this with?

Sure you can serve hoisin sauce with tradition Asian dishes. But why not try it with:

● Easy Smoked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

● The Best Smoked Chicken Thighs Recipe

● Oven Roasted Vegetables Recipe

● Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs

● Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe

What's your favorite recipe to use hoisin sauce in?