This Vegan Buffalo Sauce is ultra smooth, velvety and going to be your new favorite creamy hot sauce. All you need is 10 minutes to prep, then use this spicy condiment to make endless recipes like Vegan Buffalo Dip, Buffalo Chickpea Sandwich, or Vegan Buffalo Mac and Cheese.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Made without dairy! Most store-bought buffalo wing sauces are made with dairy to make them creamy. This vegan version is made without dairy and instead uses coconut milk to make this diy buffalo sauce equally as creamy.
- Adjustable spice level. The best part of making homemade sauces is you can always adjust them to your personal taste. If you want to make your buffalo sauce more mild, add additional coconut milk and/or butter until the spice is mild enough.
- Lasts up to 2 weeks! This homemade sauce has a long shelf life so make it for meal prep and drizzle it on several meals throughout a couple of weeks.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cayenne pepper hot sauce - The most classic and likely the most widely available hot sauce to use when making creamy buffalo sauce from scratch is Frank's Red Hot. Any cayenne pepper based hot sauce will do, so use what you have or can find. If using Frank's Red Hot, make sure to use their original cayenne pepper sauce.
- Vegan butter - Vegan butter is essential to an authentic tasting hot wing sauce. It helps cut the heat, adds savory flavor and makes the sauce extra smooth.
- Coconut milk - Helps thicken the buffalo sauce without dairy and makes the hot sauce extra creamy. Make sure to use coconut milk from a can and use the thick, white coconut that hardens at the top of the can. This part is the most creamy and rich and the perfect substitution for milk.
- White vinegar - Just like vegan butter, vinegar helps cut the heat and the acidity accentuates the flavor of the hot cayenne. A little goes a long way but is essential to balancing the flavors in the spices and the fat.
Step by Step Instructions
- Place the ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat and stir frequently, until the butter and coconut milk melts.
- Stir to combine. As the butter and coconut milk melts into the buffalo sauce, keep stirring to help the flavors and ingredients meld together into a creamy sauce.
- Remove from heat. Once the buffalo sauce comes together, remove the sauce pan from the heat and transfer to a heat resistant jar or container.
- Chill. Allow the sauce to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours but ideally for 12 hours. This is going to allow the buffalo sauce to become extra thick and creamy.
Ways to Use Buffalo Sauce
Vegan buffalo sauce can of course be use to make the very popular vegan cauliflower buffalo wings, but there are tons of other ways to use this spicy favorite. Try one or two of these ideas in your next meal plan.
- Creamy Vegan Buffalo Dip.
- Vegan Buffalo Pizza
- Buffalo Chickpea Burgers
- Easy Buffalo Chickpea Sandwich
- Vegan Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Vegan Buffalo Ranch Pasta
- Easy Vegan Buffalo Mac and Cheese
- Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
- Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Quesadillas
FAQs
There are many vegan butter options available on the market, but most are oil based. I like Miyoko's Creamery butter and it is coconut oil based. Earth Balance butter is another popular vegan butter that is widely available and it is made with a blend of vegetable oils. Vegan butter is most closely compared to the taste and texture of margarine.
Original cayenne pepper hot sauce is quite spicy, but this vegan buffalo sauce is more mild because the spices are toned down with vegan butter and coconut milk. It still has a kick, but it's not intense in heat as regular hot sauce.
In order to make your homemade sauce last as long as possible, it is important to store them properly. Store your homemade sauces in glass jars or airtight containers. Then, make sure to store sauces with an airtight lid instead of loosely covered or covered with plastic wrap. Sauces stored in these optimal conditions will stay fresh for longer and retain their flavors better.
Yes, buffalo sauce made from scratch needs to be stored in the refrigerator because it contains perishable ingredients like vegan butter and coconut milk.
Expert Tips
- Keep the heat on medium heat. If you heat the sauce on too high of heat you can scorch the sauce which will effect the flavor.
- Do not freeze this buffalo sauce. The coconut milk in this sauce can become grainy and separate from the other sauce ingredients. This will unfavorably change the smoothness and flavor of this vegan buffalo sauce and is not advised.
More Homemade Vegan Sauces You'll Like
Creamy Vegan Buffalo Sauce
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup cayenne pepper hot sauce
- ¼ cup vegan butter hard
- 2 tbsp coconut milk from a can, use hard portion on top
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika optional
- ¼ tsp garlic powder optional
Instructions
- Over medium heat, place all ingredients into a medium sized sauce pan.
- Stir often, mixing the ingredients, while the butter and solid coconut milk dissolve.
- Once butter and the coconut milk are both fully dissolved, remove from heat and place in a heat resistant container.
- The sauce may be consumed immediately, but is best when it is allowed to sit for 2 to 24 hours in the refrigerator to thicken.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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