• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

ZardyPlants

  • Home
  • Vegan & Oil-free Recipes
    • Cheezes
    • Breakfasts
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Snacks & Apps
    • Entrees
    • Dips & Sauces
    • Ingredients
    • Desserts
    • Gluten Free
  • Shop
    • Recipe Books
    • Products I Use
  • About
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Vegan and Oil-free Recipes
  • Free Cookbook with Signup!
  • Plant-Based Jewish Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • About
×
Home » Vegan and Oil-free Recipes

Vegan Sweet and Sour Sauce

Published: Sep 8, 2021 · Modified: Jul 19, 2022 by Liz Madsen

Share with friends!

Jump to Recipe

Tangy yet sweet and addictive, this Vegan Sweet and Sour Sauce is made in just 5 minutes and is the perfect sauce for dinners and appetizers. Use it in any sweet and sour type of dish, or pour it over vegan meatballs, use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, or whatever else you’d like.

Skip to the Recipe!

This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for details.

Hey Internet, sauce is where it’s at as a vegan. I mean, you can take a bowl of plain roasted or air fried veggies, a cooked grain or starch, and some beans or tofu and fine, yeah, it hits your macros. But how does it taste?

Enter sauces. The true vegan hero.

The hero we need but don’t des- just kidding, we totally deserve it.

Like I said though, the right sauce can spice up any food. So today I’m giving you a new sauce recipe.

My vegan sweet and sour sauce is just how it sounds, and it only takes 5 minutes to make!

Store it in your fridge and use it in whatever you like all week. Or, make my sweet and sour tofu. Just saying.

Whatever you make it for, you’re going to laugh when you see how easy it is to make, or at least when you try it yourself.

What You’ll Need

  • Organic cane sugar: I mean, it wouldn’t be SWEET and sour sauce without sugar. I used organic cane sugar, since regular cane sugar sometimes isn’t vegan (sugar can be filtered through animal bone char, and companies aren’t required to print this on their labels. Coconut sugar or brown sugar would also work, your sweet and sour sauce will just be quite dark.
  • Coconut sugar: That said, I did use a pinch of coconut sugar because I like the warmth and flavor it provides, I just didn’t want to use too much because, hey, color. I have to make my food look appetizing, right? Brown sugar will also work here, or you can skip it.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: Now for the sour part. I liked the sweet sour thing apple cider vinegar has going on, but you could use rice vinegar or white vinegar instead if you’d like.
  • Low Sodium Soy Sauce or Gluten-Free Tamari: If you’re gluten-free, use gluten-free tamari. If you’re soy-free, try No Soy or Coconut Aminos. Alternatively, you can just use salt to taste.
  • Ketchup: This flavors and colors the sauce. If you hate ketchup, try tomato puree.
  • Minced or grated garlic: If you want your garlic to be barely detectable in the sauce, either grate it or just use garlic powder to taste instead.
  • Arrowroot powder or cornstarch: So technically, because of the sugar, you can boil this sauce until it reduces and thickens, but then you’ll also have less sauce. In order to save time, half the calories, and produce a fair amount of sauce, we can just instead use a little water + arrowroot powder or cornstarch to thicken the sauce and make it sticky (the sugar helps with that).

How to Make Vegan Sweet and Sour Sauce

  • In a small bowl, mix together the sugars, vinegar, soy sauce/gluten-free tamari, ketchup, and garlic. Add to a small nonstick sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Let boil for 1-2 minutes.
  • Mix the arrowroot powder/cornstarch with the water with a whisk in a small bowl or measuring cup. Pour the mixture into the pot and whisk or stir constantly until the sauce has thickened to your liking. If you want it thicker, you can either add another tablespoon of the powder to another 2 tablespoons of water (the same way you did before, with the whisk as it avoids lumps), or you can just refrigerate it since it will thicken as it chills.
  • I like to use this right away in whatever I’m making. Use it on whatever you like--sticky tofu, vegan meatballs, vegan brisket, seitan chicken nuggets, even my sweet and sour tofu which is why I’m creating this recipe in the first place (hi). Just saying.
  • Refrigerate the sauce for up to 3-4 days.

History and Culture of Sweet and Sour

In researching this recipe, I fell down a bit of a research rabbit hole (reminds me of my graduate school days, so fun!) learning about the origins of sweet and sour sauce.

So the origins are somewhat debated since most cultures have their version of a sweet yet sour sauce. The combination is very pleasing to the palate and fun to play with.

However it is commonly agreed that sweet and sour did originate in China, more specifically in the Canton region, making it a Cantonese originated dish.

It of course starts out with a non-vegan item--pork in this case, which is understandable since I realize that meat has traditionally been a staple in many culture’s culinary traditions.

This dish also has roots in other Chinese regions including Henan and Jiangsu.

The dish traveled to the US with Chinese immigrants, and around the time of WWII it had become a popular dish in Western culture as well.

Some of the ingredients I use may not be entirely traditional, but I like to think my recipe is inspired by the original Chinese dish, and definitely not better--just different.

Remember that this recipe is just for the sauce, and I have a recipe for sweet and sour tofu (instead of pork) as well.

More Vegan Sauces

Sauce is the vegan’s answer to everything. Sauce can make anything exciting and delicious. Here are some of my favorite vegan sauce recipes:

  • Vegan Teriyaki Sauce
  • Vegan Honey
  • Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce
  • Easy Vegan Chocolate Sauce
  • Vegan Ranch Dressing
  • Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Sauce
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Vegan Honey Mustard
  • Vegan Tzatziki Sauce
  • Mushroom Gravy
  • Quick Vegan Gravy

Anything Else?

As always, I hope you love this recipe–I know I do and so does Mr. Zardyplants.

This vegan sweet and sour sauce is:

  • Sweet
  • Tangy
  • Sticky
  • Thick
  • Lush
  • Versatile
  • And the perfect base for sweet and sour tofu, or a great sauce for any bowl of vegan goodness.

Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)
Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!

<3 Liz

Save this for later on Pinterest!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
A spoon full of vegan sweet and sour sauce suspended over a jar of it

Vegan Sweet and Sour Sauce


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Liz Madsen
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 ¾ cups 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Tangy yet sweet and addictive, this Vegan Sweet and Sour Sauce is made in just 5 minutes and is the perfect sauce for dinners and appetizers.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons coconut sugar (see note 2)
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar (see note 3)
  • 3 tablespoons gluten-free reduced sodium tamari (or soy sauce if not GF) (see note 4)
  • ⅓ cup organic ketchup or tomato puree
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or grated (or garlic powder to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch (see note 5)

Instructions

  1. Mix ingredients and bring to a boil: In a small bowl, mix together the sugars, vinegar, soy sauce/gluten-free tamari, ketchup, and garlic. Add to a small nonstick sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Let boil for 1-2 minutes.
  2. Thicken: Mix the arrowroot powder/cornstarch with the water with a whisk in a small bowl or measuring cup. Pour the mixture into the pot and whisk or stir constantly until the sauce has thickened to your liking. If you want it thicker, you can either add another tablespoon of the powder to another 2 tablespoons of water (the same way you did before, with the whisk as it avoids lumps), or you can just refrigerate it since it will thicken as it chills.
  3. Use: I like to use this right away in whatever I’m making. Use it on whatever you like--sticky tofu, vegan meatballs, vegan brisket, seitan chicken nuggets, or even my sweet and sour tofu which is why I’m creating this recipe in the first place (hi). Just saying.
  4. Store: Refrigerate the sauce for up to 3-4 days.

Notes

  • Note 1: This recipe was written for my sweet and sour tofu, but it would also be great on sticky tofu,  vegan meatballs, vegan brisket, seitan chicken nuggets, or on your favorite bowl of assorted vegetables, starch, and vegan protein.
  • Note 2: I like the warmth and flavor coconut sugar provides, I just didn’t want to use too much because, hey, color. I have to make my food look appetizing, right? Brown sugar will also work here, or you can skip it.
  • Note 3: I liked the sweet sour thing apple cider vinegar has going on, but you could use rice vinegar or white vinegar instead if you’d like.
  • Note 4: If you’re gluten-free, use gluten-free tamari. If you’re soy-free, try No Soy or Coconut Aminos. Alternatively, you can just use salt to taste.
  • Note 5: So technically, because of the sugar, you can boil this sauce until it reduces and thickens, but then you’ll also have less sauce. In order to save time, half the calories, and produce a fair amount of sauce, we can just instead use a little water + arrowroot powder or cornstarch to thicken the sauce and make it sticky (the sugar helps with that).
  • Prep Time: 1 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 minutes
  • Category: Ingredient
  • Method: Stove top
  • Cuisine: American, Chinese

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us @zardyplants — we can't wait to see what you've made!


Click Here to Sign Up for my Newsletter and Never Miss a Recipe!

« Sweet and Sour Tofu
Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce »

Share with friends!

Filed Under: Dips & Sauces, Vegan and Oil-free Recipes

Follow us on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

You May Also Like:

Vegan mac and cheese in a bowl with a spoon nearby.

The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe Ever (Fast and Easy)

Delicious Protein Coffee Shake Recipe for the Morning

Delicious Vanilla Vegan Cold Foam Recipe (Dairy-Free)

See More Recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Priscilla A

    July 21, 2024 at 3:58 am

    Delicious and easy!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Primary Sidebar

Paul and Liz Madsen holding their dog Luna standing in front of a lake

Hi, we're Liz & Paul!

We develop plant-based comfort food recipes that are delicious, easy, and budget-friendly. We created Zardyplants to share our fun, delicious food with the world. But what does the name Zardyplants even mean?

More about us →

Trending

  • Vegan Garlic Noodles in a bowl
    Vegan Garlic Noodles
  • Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • Green matcha pound cake on a gray stone slab
    Vegan Matcha Pound Cake
  • Hand holding a vegan philly cheesesteak
    Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

Seasonal

  • Watermelon tuna poke bowl with veggies and fruits
    Watermelon Tuna
  • Vegan Macaroni Salad in a dish
    Vegan Macaroni Salad
  • Horizontal photo of two vegan chicken salad sandwiches stacked up
    Vegan Chicken Salad
  • A cut ice cream cake with chocolate and vanilla layers
    Vegan Ice Cream Cake

Want a free e-cookbook? Download our Everyday Plant-Based Recipes.

Green graduate badge stating "T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate Program nutritionstudies.org"
Paul and Liz Madsen holding their dog Luna standing in front of a lake

Hi, we're Liz & Paul!

We develop plant-based comfort food recipes that are delicious, easy, and budget-friendly. We created Zardyplants to share our fun, delicious food with the world. But what does the name Zardyplants even mean?

More about us →

Trending

  • Vegan Garlic Noodles in a bowl
    Vegan Garlic Noodles
  • Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • Green matcha pound cake on a gray stone slab
    Vegan Matcha Pound Cake
  • Hand holding a vegan philly cheesesteak
    Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

Seasonal

  • Watermelon tuna poke bowl with veggies and fruits
    Watermelon Tuna
  • Vegan Macaroni Salad in a dish
    Vegan Macaroni Salad
  • Horizontal photo of two vegan chicken salad sandwiches stacked up
    Vegan Chicken Salad
  • A cut ice cream cake with chocolate and vanilla layers
    Vegan Ice Cream Cake

Want a free e-cookbook? Download our Everyday Plant-Based Recipes.

Green graduate badge stating "T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate Program nutritionstudies.org"

Copyright © 2025 ZardyPlants on the Foodie Pro Theme

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Disclaimer - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy