Whoa, guys. Like whoa.
Chipotle aioli with 5 ingredients?
This calls for a french fry and veggie burger party.
Origins of Aioli
Aioli is a popular condiment in many regions of the Mediterranean including France, Italy, and Spain. But the origins of a sauce resembling aioli date as far back as the Roman Empire (source)!
It’s traditionally made with a combination of garlic, egg yolk, oil, and lemon juice. Our plant-based version is not traditional but resembles the flavor and rich, thick texture of aioli with the addition of heat from chipotle peppers. Learn more about chipotle peppers in adobo and their origin here.
How to Make Chipotle Aioli
This dip has been a long time in the making.
Any time we go to a restaurant, my eyes always go to the sauce section. I’m a sauce freak and always hope they have some dairy-free options.
My favorite dip – besides ketchup, obviously – is chipotle aioli. It’s creamy, it’s salty, it’s spicy – it’s everything.
This is my 5-ingredient, vegan, gluten-free restaurant-inspired version.
I tried using chickpea brine as a base to whip up a “mayo-” like texture, but it failed miserably. Trusty cashews never let me down.
The rest is simple: lemon juice, salt, water (or almond milk), and a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.
The result is an intensely creamy, savory, spicy “aioli” perfect for:
Grillable Veggie Burgers
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
Mexican Green Chili Burgers
Sun-dried Tomato Chickpea Burgers
Chickpea + Sunflower Seed Sandwich
Cajun Sweet Potato Fries
Crispy Matchstick Oven Baked Fries
& more!
If you try this recipe, let us know! We love seeing your comments, ratings, and your photos tagged #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
5-Ingredient Chipotle Aioli
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup water (or unsweetened plain almond milk for creamier sauce)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 tsp maple syrup or agave nectar (or sub organic cane sugar or stevia to taste)
- 2-3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (plus 1 tsp adobo sauce as original recipe is written // more or less to taste)
- 1-2 Tbsp avocado, grape seed, canola or other neutral oil (optional // for creaminess)
- 1 pinch smoked paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Add raw cashews to a mixing bowl (or a high-speed blender) and cover with boiling hot water. Let rest for 1 hour (uncovered). Then drain thoroughly.
- Add soaked, drained cashews to a high-speed blender with the water (or almond milk), lemon juice, sea salt, maple syrup, pepper + adobo sauce.
- Blend on high until creamy and smooth, adding more water or almond milk as needed to encourage blending. Scrape down sides as needed.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste, lemon for acidity, maple syrup for sweetness, or adobo sauce for heat. I added more salt and another 2 chipotle peppers (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Adding a little oil is optional and adds extra creaminess. Smoked paprika is also optional and adds a sweet smokiness to the sauce.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate. Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days. This sauce is perfect for veggie burgers, sweet potatoes fries, french fries, onion rings, and more!
Notes
*Recipe makes ~1 cup aioli.
Alejandra Quintero says
I make something really similar to this but instead of using water, I use aquafaba and add cumin, and it comes out really fluffy.
That sounds amazing!
Scout says
I love this recipe
I use an easy short cut that doesn’t compromise flavor or texture. Instead of soaking cashews and grinding them I use cashew powder and reconstitute it with water.
This sauce is great on tacos burgers or as a dipping sauce for fries
Thanks for sharing this recipe
Nice! Thanks for the review and for sharing your modifications, Scout!
Donna says
By the way, I freeze the leftover chipotles on parchment paper on a plate or sheet pan, then I put them in a container and pull them out as I need them. It saves money and works great!
Great tip! Thanks Donna!
Donna says
I’ve made this countless times. It’s especially good with juice from a lemon fresh from the tree or a Meyer lemon.
My go-to use is a scrambled egg and spinach bowl over brown rice drizzled liberally with this sauce.
That said, I use it anywhere I want a chipotle flavor, including by the spoonful standing at the kitchen counter.
As an added bonus, the cashews are a great source of resistant starch!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Donna. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! xo