Almond butter is such a deliciously creamy + healthy alternative to peanut butter, and totally works in this sauce. I really fell in love with almond butter while recipe testing for my Plant-Based Cleanse, and hope that this sauce can become a staple in your house too. Let’s talk about almond butter benefits, and what makes this sauce a win.
I love a sauce with complex flavors and a slight kick, and this one really ticks off all the boxes.
Table of Contents
Almond butter sauce recipe
Full-fat coconut milk is recommended, to give it the creaminess + healthy fat. Tamari is a gluten-free soy sauce. If soy isn’t your thing, then swap with coconut aminos for a similar flavor. While you can swap in ground ginger for fresh, the fresh ginger has more health benefits… and just tastes better (so don’t swap if you can find fresh!).
Pro tip: Don’t feel like you have to buy the giant ginger claw from the produce section. The grocery store should let you break off a smaller piece. That cuts down on the price and on the amount of ginger you have find recipes for.
I usually add in a healthy amount of chili paste and fresh ginger because, like I said, I like the kick. Yet if you don’t do spice, then omit the chili sauce altogether and add in a little extra almond butter.
Sunbutter is a good swap for those that can’t have almond butter. Make sure to really mix up whatever nut or seed butter you use before adding so that all the oil gets mixed in properly. You can even use an immersion blender right in that nut butter to fluff it up and ensure every bit is mixed together.
Almond butter benefits
Why do I love almond butter? I’m SO glad you asked! First, as someone who likes to eat a lot of plants, I’m always looking for good sources of healthy fat. Our bodies need fat in order to properly break down the food we consume, but not all fat is created equal. This lovely nut butter contains 9.5 grams of fat per 1 tablespoon. Almond butter helps keep cholesterol down (hello healthy heart), and helps control blood sugar.
Since almonds are a nut, when turned into butter they hold onto that great fiber content as well. Fiber is our friend, and something many Americans don’t consume enough of on the daily. I strategically add plants to recipes, just like I did with this almond butter sauce, to easily boost the health benefits I get. And bonus, it tastes great!
How to choose the right brand
As with many packaged condiments, read the ingredients before you buy that fancy new almond butter. I like Barney’s Bare Smooth because it’s just almonds and palm oil. Costco also has a great option that’s solely roasted almonds (and is a great price!). Both work great in this almond butter sauce since they are super creamy.
Thankfully there are dozens of brands and flavors of almond butter on the market today, so find the one that fits your needs. Do you have a current fav? Let me know in the comments. I love trying new kinds!
Easy recipes with nut butter
- Almond butter smoothie– Adding healthy fat to smoothies is a great way to help your body break down the natural fruit sugar. This recipe really does taste like a PB&J!
- Chocolate covered banana bites– The perfect snack for a nutty + sweet treat! Super easy to make, and so good you won’t stop at eating just one.
- Peanut butter chocolate smoothie– Breakfast or dessert? I’ll let you decide, yet which ever you choose, know that this is a great choice!
- Apple ‘donuts’– A fun yet healthy snack that the whole family will love. Turn into a great playdate snack with a fun toppings bar and a few nut/seed butter choices.
- Chocolate protein shake– This smoothie is a great pre-workout shake that will fuel you up right.
- Overnight oats– level up breakfast with these super simple oat recipes. Nut butter adds an extra dose of healthy fat + protein.
FAQs
Yes! Any place you would use a peanut butter spread, you can swap with almond butter. Use it on toast, in a sandwich, sauce, dressing, or as a dip for fruits + veggies.
Yes! The high fat content in almond butter makes it a good swap with butter in many recipes.
Honestly, they are both good options depending on what brand you buy. Always read the ingredient list to ensure your nut butter uses real food. Almond butter is slightly more nutritious, yet has similar amounts of fat and calories. Peanut butter is a bit higher in protein.
Don’t forget to try this quick and easy zoodle recipe with almond butter sauce, then leave a rating + review on how it turned out! It’s a meal straight from my Plant-Based Cleanse, and can fit any vegetarian night in, or be used as a side dish for anyone wanting to eat more plants.
Veggies & Almond Butter Sauce
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp ginger root finely grated
- 1 tsp sweet chili sauce
- 1 clove garlic cloves finely minced
Sauce Mix Ins
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp green onions sliced diagonally into ½” pieces
- ½ cup broccoli cut into small florets
- ¼ cup red bell pepper sliced
- ½ cup carrot thinly sliced
Serve with
- 1 zucchini spiralized
- red pepper flakes for sprinkling
- sesame seeds for sprinkling
Instructions
- Whisk sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Heat oil in large pan. Add the green onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes, then add broccoli, carrots, and red bell pepper. Lower heat, if needed. Cook until vegetables are bright in color, and just barely tender.
- Toss gently to coat the veggies with the sauce. Let simmer to thicken the sauce.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately on top of the spiralized zucchini. Garnish with red pepper flakes and sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
- The sauce and veggies can be made ahead, and the zucchini can be spiralized ahead. But don’t combine with the “zoodles” until right before serving. Otherwise, the liquid from the zucchini will seep out and make the sauce watery.
As a vegetarian, I am not “creative” with my own recipes, but I can follow one. The struggle of coming up with “new” ideas for dishes has existed for years for me. I am SO glad that I came across the almond zoodles recipe! By far one of my favorite dishes, and my husband who eats meat loved it too! Thanks SGS for expanding my mind and introducing an amazing recipe to me!
This is one of my favorites from the Thrive recipes. I make it quite frequently. So easy to prepare and at times I add whatever vegetables I have on hand. The sauce is so amazing that I always end of licking the plate (husband laughs at me). Love this one!
This is seriously one of my favorite SGS recipes! Simple, super tasty and quick to make I will definitely be making it as part of my regular meals from now on!
This was our favorite Thrive recipe! It was so easy to prepare but so tasty!!! When we finished, my husband and I both said we would want it in the regular dinner rotation. I raved about it to my daughter; she came home from college tonight for her birthday dinner and requested that I make the Zoodles. She loved it!
This looks yummy! what spiralizer would you recommend for the noodles?
Hi Nicki,
Here’s one of our favorites!
This was by far my favorite recipe in the Plant-Based Cleanse. I thought I would eat just half of it but it was so yummy that it was all gone before I realized it! Will make it again and again and again. Thanks for such a rawkstar recipe!!
Hi Louise!
Thanks so much for reaching out + for sharing! This is one of our favorites, too :). So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Thanks for being a part of our community!
GOOD MORNING!!I AM READY TO START MY 30 DAY CHALLENGE!!! I HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR CHEERY E-MAILS FOR JUNE 1ST!!! COULD YOU RESEND–TO SEE IF THEY COME THRU??THANK YOU SO MUCH!!—SHIRLEY
Hi Shirley,
Thank you so much for reaching out. We host of 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge four times a year, with our next challenge kicking off on July 1st. Can’t wait that long? Check out our 30-Day Challenge E-Guide available in our shop and complete an entire challenge on your time!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/challenge
Cheers!
Hi, i want to make this for dinner tonight for me and my 2 teenagers. would you triple all the ingredients, even the sauce?
Thanks, Jen
Hi Jen,
You’re right! Our recipe is for 1, so triple the ingredients to feed your family. Reach back out + let us know what your teenagers think of this delicious veggie packed recipe!
Cheers!
Thanks for the recipe, sounds delicious, tomatoes are not my friend, soy is iffy, so I love recipes without those ingredients or ones that I can just omit the soy. Started 21 day challenge late, into first week and lost 5 lbs! You two really RAWK!
Hi Susan,
Our recipes are here to inspire you, so please don’t feel like you need to follow them to a T. We’re all about making healthy living work for you!
Cheers to rawkin’ Plant-Based Cleanse!
I made this for dinner tonight for 2 and , WOW, that was good! Doubled the veggies and the zucchini and there was plenty of sauce. My husband said he could eat it every night! Also love the smoothies and you have officially gotten me to try beyond spinach in them! Thank you for your recipes!
Hi Laura,
Wohoo! Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out + share your recipe love! Can you believe this recipe is part of a detox!?!?
Learn more about Thrive: A Plant-Based Cleanse here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/cleanse
Cheers!
Thank you for all the responses about the spiral tools. Very helpful!
Can I substitute peanut butter for the almond butter??
Hi Kat,
Of course! Feel free to swap in another nut butter you enjoy!
This may sound like a silly question…but is there any alternative for those of us who don’t yet own a machine to create spirals of zucchini?
I use a julienne adapter on my mandolin. You can also try a peeler and peel long strips of it.
Hi Janae, The tools are really easy to find. I bought mine at Bed Bath and Beyond for $15 I think. But you can also get a handheld spiral tool on Amazon for less than $10 most of the time. I’ve since upgraded to a larger machine because it’s easier to do potatoes and other hard vegetables.
Hi Janae,
I just use a standard hand held vegetable peeler to make my noodles. It takes a little bit longer than a spiralizer, but I didn’t have to buy something new for my kitchen this way.
You can’t really get the tiny noodles that you see in the pictures above, but you can get thin, broad noodles, almost like linguini with the peeler. Just adjust the pressure to get the size and thickness you want.
Hi Janae,
You received some great tips from our community! I personally love using a vegetable peeler in place of a spiralizer. It’s super simple and while the zucchini may not be as pretty…it sure is tasty!!
Cheers,
Amanda F.
Community Happiness Specialist
Hi Janae,
I found a handheld veggie spiralizer at Dollarama last year and it is the perfect size for zucchini, carrots and long, narrow sweet potatoes. The length and circumference is about the size of a standard drinking glass so it is easy to hold and doesn’t take up a lot of space when not in use. Because of the price, I thought it wouldn’t last very long, but it is a year old now, very durable and gets used several times a week. There are similar ones on Amazon.
Some of my absolute Favorites (almond butter, coconut milk and zucchini) combined into one dish, can’t wait to try it!
I have a question: do you cook your spiralized zucchini? I’ve always thrown them into some boiling water for a minute so far…
Hi Lea,
We love our zucchini raw, but feel free to toss it in boiling water for a few minutes before enjoying. It’s all about finding what works for you + your taste buds!
Hey there! I was wondering where you buy Tamari. Or where anyone buys it. I haven’t quite found it yet. I’m sure it’s on Amazon, but before I go that route, I was just wondering if anyone would share where they normally get it. 🙂 Thank you! I have never had Zoodles, but if there ever was a recipe to get me to try them, this is it!
I found mine at sprouts its in the soy sauce section! I’m sure every whole foods store carries them!
San J makes a wonderful tamari that’s easily found in a lot of stores, although you may have to look in the natural foods section too. You can try the product finder at San J’s website to see if it’s available near you.
Tamari is an aged soy sauce. Maybe in the international or Asian aisle in most US grocery stores.
Hi Meggan,
Great question. Having trouble finding Tamari? Take a peek at your grocery’s asian food aisle. You can often right it right next to soy sauce!
Cheers!
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try the recipe. 🙂
Quick question… Are the recipes in Thrive different from the Plant-Based Cleanse?
Hi Karyn,
YES! We’re sharing all NEW delicious cleansing whole food-vegan recipes in Thrive! We’re so excited to share them with you!
Yay! I was hoping they were all new recipes. 🙂 I’ll be placing my order in a few minutes. Thank you so much!
Thanks for your support, Karyn! We hope you love Thrive as much as we do! 🙂