Easy Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce (2024)

Jul 23, 2020 by Monica - 58 Comments

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This easy homemade sweet and sour sauce is vegan, gluten-free, and can be whipped up in about 5 minutes.You'll never buy sweet and sour sauce again when you see how easy it is to make your own.

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There's no need to go to the grocery store when you can make this homemade sweet and sour sauce in minutes with a few simple ingredients. Plus it's vegan, gluten-free, and easily made refined sugar-free too!

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🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
🥄 How to make sweet and sour sauce
🥣 How to thicken sweet and sour sauce
🥡 Storage
🔴 Why is sweet and sour sauce red?
🍽️ Serving suggestions
📋 Sweet and sour sauce recipe

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

Apple cider vinegar- for the sourness and acidity. You can also use rice vinegar or white vinegar if you choose.
Brown Sugar- for the sweet.You can sub for any type of sugar that you would like. White sugar, coconut sugar, agave nectar, and maple syrup also work well.
Ketchup -for flavor and that nice red color. (You can swap this out for tomato paste, but your sauce will not be as sweet.)
Soy Sauce- for flavor (Use Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Tamari for gluten-free.) You can use low-sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce, I don't recommend dark soy sauce, since it has a stronger flavor.
Water or Fresh Pineapple Juice- If you have pineapple juice on hand, it tastes great in this sauce, but if not, water works well too.
Garlic- for flavor.You can use fresh or garlic powder. You can also use some chopped green onions at the end of cooking for more flavor.
Fresh Ginger - (optional) for extra flavor.
Corn Starch- to thicken the sauce. You can use potato starch or arrowroot instead of corn starch if you want.

Note - for an extra red sweet and sour sauce you can add a drop of vegan red food coloring, but I don't think that it's necessary.

🥄 How to make sweet and sour sauce

Step 1 - Add apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice (or cold water), garlic, and cornstarch to a small saucepan.

Step 2 - Give it all a good stir until the cornstarch dissolves. (This way you don't have to make a separate cornstarch slurry.)

Step 3 - Turn on the heat to medium and stir frequently until it starts to boil. (At this point the sauce will thicken and be shiny.)

🥣 How to thicken sweet and sour sauce

When made with 1 tbsp of cornstarch, this sauce will be thick enough to stick to your food, but not so thick that it's gloppy when cool. If you want a thick sauce use 2 tbsp of cornstarch. If you want a thinner sauce use 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch.

🥡 Storage

Since it doesn't have preservatives in it, you will need to store it in the fridge, where it will keep well for about a week. You can freeze it if you want in an air-tight storage container for up to 3 months.

🔴 Why is sweet and sour sauce red?

The sweet and sour sauce that you get at a restaurant usually has added red food coloring. If you don't mind yours not being as red, the ketchup in the sauce will color it nicely. If you want yours to look like store-bought sweet and sour sauce, then add a few drops of red food dye.

🍽️ Serving suggestions

You can use this sauce to make any of your favorite sweet and sour dishes likesweet and sour tofuor use it as a dipping sauce for vegan chicken nuggets, tofu spring rolls, fried cauliflower,fried tofu, orvegan meatballs. Drizzle this tasty sauce over a vegetable stir fry or vegan shrimp for a mock sweet and sour shrimp.

📌 Be sure tofollow me on Pinterestfor new vegan recipes!

📋 Sweet and sour sauce recipe

5 from 32 votes

Print Recipe

Sweet and Sour Sauce

A classic tasting sweet and sour sauce that is vegan and gluten-free.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: condiment

Cuisine: Chinese, vegan

Keyword: gluten-free sweet and sour sauce, sweet and sour sauce, vegan sweet and sour sauce

Servings: 8

Calories: 72kcal

Author: Monica Davis

Equipment

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce or Tamari
1/4 cup water or pineapple juice
1 clove garlic minced (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, cold water (or pineapple juice ), garlic, and cornstarch to a small saucepan.
Give it all a good stir until the cornstarch dissolves.
Turn on the heat to medium and stir frequently until it starts to boil. Allow it to boil for about 30 seconds. (At this point the sauce will thicken and be shiny.) Remove from heat and use as a sauce or dip.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Nikki says
January 02, 2024 at 7:45 pm
What can you substitute vinegar for?
Reply
- Monica says
  January 03, 2024 at 2:42 pm
  vinegar is a key ingredient in making it taste authentic. You may be able to swap it out with lemon juice, but I have not tested it that way.
  Reply
Patricia says
November 20, 2023 at 9:25 pm
I have never tried to make a sweet and sour sauce, but this 1st attempt was a home run with my husband and my son they always prefer take out but this was perfect for sweet and sour chicken with streamed rice. Thanks .
Reply
- Monica says
  November 21, 2023 at 10:52 am
  I'm so happy that you liked it! 🙂
  Reply
Alli says
October 18, 2023 at 9:55 am
Best sweet and sour recipe I’ve had to date!!! I keep returning to it and crave it when I want sweet and sour. Thank you for the share. My family and I just loooove it mmm 😋 mmm mmm.
Reply
- Monica says
  October 18, 2023 at 2:48 pm
  See Also
  Sweet and Sour Chicken | Marion's Kitchen Beet Soup Recipe - Ukrainian Borscht Sweet and Sour Shrimp Sugar Free Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe
  Thanks for leaving a comment! I'm so happy that you guys love this sauce as much as we do. 🙂
  Reply
Cheryl says
September 23, 2023 at 7:52 pm
I made this today, I used keto brown sugar instead and after cooking down I strained out the ginger and garlic to make it smooth. It's delish!! My favorite.
I like it so much I think I'll add it to my pineapple chicken n rice!
Reply
- Monica says
  September 24, 2023 at 11:04 am
  I'm so happy that you liked it, Cheryl!
  Reply
Annette says
September 12, 2023 at 4:44 pm
Very good sweet and sour sauce. Have never used apple cider vinegar in a S&S sauce before, it was very good. Will continue to use apple cider vinegar when making this sauce. Thanks for this recipe.
Reply
- Monica says
  September 13, 2023 at 11:34 am
  You're welcome. I'm so happy that you liked the recipe! 🙂
  Reply
Kellie says
August 22, 2023 at 6:58 pm
I made this on the fly one night and could not believe how good it was! I am making it again tonight and will never go back to the "Chinese" sweet and sour sauce! Amazing
Reply
- Monica says
  August 25, 2023 at 9:07 am
  I'm so happy that you liked it, Kellie! 🙂
  Reply
Carol says
August 14, 2023 at 5:22 pm
I would like to can this sauce. would it be safe if pressure canned at 10# for 15 minutes?
Reply
- Monica says
  August 16, 2023 at 10:25 am
  I think that it would work, but I've never tested it and I'm not an expert in canning, so I can't give you advice on this.
  Reply
Tracy says
June 26, 2023 at 12:33 pm
Really tasty Sweet & sour sauce recipe. It’s tastier than getting takeaway .I’m a Chef & will b using this & many more of your scrumptious recipes..thanks so much xx
Reply
- Monica says
  June 27, 2023 at 9:34 am
  Thanks Tracy, that's such a huge complement! 🙂
  Reply
Lindsay says
June 17, 2023 at 12:19 pm
So yummy! Great over homemade chicken nuggets (used Monica’s recipe for that, too) Also great over air fried chickpeas and rice. Super quick to make. My 7 year-old who doesn’t like most sauces gobbled this up!
Reply
Elaine says
June 14, 2023 at 9:04 pm
First home made s&s sauce I’ve really like. In a huge hurry, i cooked my cubed chicken in the sauce along by with a little leftover cooked chicken. Turned out really well!
Reply
- Monica says
  June 15, 2023 at 3:48 pm
  Glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
  Reply
Joy M says
March 22, 2023 at 10:32 am
Hi, can I keep this in the fridge and if so how long for please, thanks, I'm
Reply
- Monica says
  March 22, 2023 at 3:17 pm
  Yes, store it in the fridge it will keep well for at least 5 days.
  Reply
Jamie says
March 15, 2023 at 2:08 pm
There is a somewhat strong vinegar flavor, but that may be due to me not having pineapple juice. Overall, it is very good!
Reply
Chonny says
January 06, 2023 at 11:47 am
Do you think I could substitute maple syrup for brown sugar?
See Also
Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken
Reply
- Monica says
  January 06, 2023 at 5:44 pm
  Yes, definitely. Enjoy!
  Reply
Catherine says
December 17, 2022 at 11:25 pm
This is my go-to sweet and sour sauce. Delicious!
Reply
- Monica says
  December 18, 2022 at 9:58 am
  I'm so happy that you like it! 🙂
  Reply
Cindy says
October 18, 2022 at 9:59 pm
I really enjoyed this sauce. We made vegan chickpeas and the sauce which served over rice and a side of broccoli and peas absolutely loved it. I don’t agree it was too vinegar tasting as one comment placed. I felt it had perfect balance between sweet and sour and we didn’t have pineapple juice so even that sweet mellow flavor was not present and it was still fabulous! Thanks , always looking for good quick vegan dinners !
Reply
- Monica says
  October 19, 2022 at 9:38 am
  I'm so happy that you liked the sauce, Cindy! 🙂
  Reply
Christian says
September 15, 2022 at 8:48 pm
My wife is allergic to pineapple, so I'm always looking for new recipes without it. This was perfect for us and the kids!
Reply
- Monica says
  September 16, 2022 at 2:46 pm
  I'm so happy that the recipe worked well for you and your fammily! 🙂
  Reply
Vanda says
September 08, 2022 at 7:41 pm
Made this, today. My husband doesn’t like anything to vinegary. I added more pineapple juice. It is an excellent sauce! Thank you!
Reply
- Monica says
  September 09, 2022 at 1:53 pm
  I'm so glad that the recipe worked well for you, Vanda.
  Reply
Annette says
July 26, 2022 at 8:20 pm
My sauce turned out very sharp with vinegar taste. I went through the recipe over and over to make sure ingredients were right! Is there a way to balance it out with other ingredients! I like it other than vinegar too strong!
Reply
- Monica says
  August 03, 2022 at 12:06 pm
  I'm not sure, I've never had anyone say that the vinegar flavor was too strong. It usually mellows out a lot as it cooks and the sweetness counteracts it as well. Maybe be sure that it comes to a slow boil.
  Reply
Tracy says
March 17, 2022 at 1:12 pm
Best sweet & sour sauce!! I added some Everything Bagel seasoning to it for the sesame seed flavor. Turned out great!
Reply
- Monica says
  March 17, 2022 at 7:47 pm
  I'm so happy that you liked the recipe, Tracy! 🙂
  Reply
  - Luda says
    June 08, 2022 at 4:07 pm
    Will i be able to use it for pulled pork in the crock pot
    Reply
    - Monica says
      June 08, 2022 at 4:56 pm
      If that's what you want to do with it. It will work like any other sweet and sour sauce.
      Reply
Cindy Smith says
February 23, 2022 at 7:04 pm
Perfect!
Reply
- Monica says
  February 23, 2022 at 9:22 pm
  I'm so happy that you liked it! 🙂
  Reply
Tracey Cornell says
January 29, 2022 at 7:41 pm
Made this tonight and it was a hit! So good.
Reply
- Monica says
  January 29, 2022 at 10:45 pm
  I'm so happy that you liked it, Tracy!
  Reply
- Judie says
  January 06, 2023 at 3:29 pm
  This sweet & sour sauce is top notch. I will be continuing to use this recipe. Thank you😀
  Reply
  - Monica says
    January 06, 2023 at 5:45 pm
    I'm so happy that you like the recipe, Judie! 🙂
    Reply
Kimberly Wallace says
December 22, 2021 at 4:30 pm
I seriously just made this and "WOWEE" that's good.
Reply
- Monica says
  December 23, 2021 at 8:59 am
  I'm so happy that you like it!
  Reply
Nita says
April 22, 2021 at 8:47 pm
Made the sauce today, and it started off very tart. Only pineapple I had was crushed, and tossed in 3 very heaping soup spoons of the crushed pineapple. It’s hands down the best sweet and sour I have not only made, but eaten 😄! Hubby said it’s a good thing you made a lot or I would be licking the plates😂
Reply
- Monica says
  April 23, 2021 at 8:54 am
  I'm happy that you and your husband enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
  Reply
Cheryl says
February 23, 2021 at 9:11 pm
I've tried this one and really enjoy it. It's proven to be very versatile
Reply
- Monica says
  February 24, 2021 at 11:06 am
  I'm happy that you like it, Cheryl! 🙂
  Reply
Jan Bowersox says
January 03, 2021 at 5:17 pm
Made this as a sauce for roasted cauliflower and carrots and it is delicious!!
Reply
- Monica says
  January 04, 2021 at 9:46 am
  I'm so happy that you like it, Jan! 🙂
  Reply
Erin says
November 23, 2020 at 3:58 pm
Is there any other vinegar besides Apple Cider that will work?
Reply
- Monica says
  November 23, 2020 at 4:42 pm
  Hi Erin, you can use just regular white vinegar too. Enjoy! 🙂
  Reply
Katie says
November 19, 2020 at 11:28 pm
Just delicious. Easy to make and soooo good!
Reply
- Monica says
  November 19, 2020 at 11:55 pm
  I'm so happy that you liked it! 🙂
  Reply
Lynn says
September 04, 2020 at 9:31 am
I put this sauce over your fried cauliflower to make sweet and sour cauliflower and it was delicious! Some sweet and sour recipes that I've tried in the past have been too sweet, but this was perfect!
Reply
- Monica says
  September 04, 2020 at 3:49 pm
  I'm so happy that you liked it, Lynn. I don't like it overly sweet either! 🙂
  Reply