5-Minute Liquid Gold Sauce (Oil-Free, Plant-Based)

I made this and subbed red lentils instead of chickpeas. It is delicious!

I made the sauce without the cayenne pepper, just because I forgot to add it.I wasn’t disappointed, really enjoyed it over rice,beans and veg. This is a definite keeper. Straight into my favourites. Thanks 👍🏻

Wow, this is incredibly good! I made some fresh curry powder in advance to get the most flavour out of this. It held up to its name!! I swapped the tahini for almond butter and omitted the nooch, since I didn’t have any on hand. I do recommend adding the water in increases to get the consistency you like, I used a lot less than the recipe calls for. A dash of homemade chili oil and the sauce absolutely rocked my roasted potatoes and broccoli, thank you. This will be in my weekly routine – I adjusted the recipe so I can use up an entire can of chickpeas.

This sauce is delicious! I didn’t have chick peas so I subbed black beans and probably added a bit too much cumin, but it was awesome!

Absolutely a 10/10 recipe! Would double for more volume because I’ll be using it a lot ☺️ I did decrease the water for a creamier texture. Also thanks for reintroducing me to nutritional yeast; no nut allergies so I can sprinkle it on many foods, popcorn, etc
Quick make and so very yummy!

Made it and loved it!

This recipe is soooo delicious! Thank you!

This might be my most beloved thing I’ve ever made!! It’s freaking delicious! I added more real salt, doubled the recipe, used a whole can of chickpeas and used my homemade chili oil. This is in my regular rotation. It’s an AHMAZING salad dressing and awesome on everything! THANK YOU!!

I doubled the recipe and in order to make 4 2TBS servings.

This was so delicious! My go to sauces usually have lots of tahini or cashews and I’ve been looking for one lower in calorie density. This appears to foot the bill! Can’t wait to make it again because I’m thinking this is going to be my regular thing.

Wow – this is a stand-out sauce. Not sure I have ever tasted quite this flavor combination. Tried it with pretzels, then later served it with veggie fritters. Fantastic!

And it took just 3 minutes, so even better

I did leave out the cayenne, since my kids wouldn’t like it. Also, I used two *tiny* cloves of garlic, and I would not want it to be any more garlicky, so that was perfect.

I have been sitting on this for a while. Finally decided to make it. I drizzled over fresh steamed Broccoli and Jasmine Rice. This is such a simple but delicious meal. The sauce was just wonderful in many ways. I will be using this regularly and will need to triple the recipe.

Thank you so much for your hard work on the site, some wonderful recipes here!

This sauce is out of this world. I can’t imagine a future without this in my fridge. I cut down on the sweetness + garlic and bumped up the spice for personal preference. 10/10 life changing. Such a great sauce for buddha bowls without the heaviness of many dressings / fat heavy sauces.

I made this sauce today. Super easy to make. I should’ve heeded your advice on omitting the Cumin and just use the Curry powder. So I was worried it was too spicy for me. But mixed in with my salad, it was absolutely delicious 😋. Thankyou for the recipe 🙏🙏

I had some chickpeas I wanted to use up (having used the aqua faba in other recipes), so I tried this. I must admit I wasn’t taken by it when I tasted it after blending the ingredients together, but when I put it on my roasted veggies, I understand all the positive comments. Its great to have another option for my buddha bowls given I have them so often. Thanks again Dana, keep the amazing recipes coming, I love them all.

I upped the quantities to use a whole can of chickpeas, didn’t have any curry powder so omitted that, and used whole roasted garlic cloves (prepped from another recipe), and it turned out deliciously. I initially made the sauce for bowls but I didn’t like the flavour combos so I poured it over pasta noodles and I think this is my go-to mac and cheese sauce now. SO good.

This is really good. I did not use cayenne pepper just because I don’t like it. I put it over French fries from the air fryer and they were delicious!!! If you like Indian food this has that flavor.

I have made this many times but I have recently started making an even quicker version using hummus instead of using chickpeas and a blender. Today I used japaleno hummus and it’s fantastic. This is my favorite most utilized recipe. Simple, versatile and delicious.
Five stars.

My new go to sauce! I definitely need to triple the recipe because the above measurements wouldn’t be enough sauce for more thanone dish. Sometimes I like my food to swim. I used organic Indian Coriander powder in place of of curry, which I didn’t have & most curry is to spicy for me.

Yum! I’m going to have the best lunches next week thanks to this sauce. Can’t wait to experiment with it. Just put it on some white rice with baked tofu and chickpeas to try it and even that’s amazing! Thanks for an easy, delicious recipe

This sauce is outstanding. I made it the first time exactly as shown. I almost always make adjustments the second time (usually doubling or tripling the garlic and salt), but this recipe is perfectly balanced and flavorful. I do use the aquafab instead of water as others have suggested, and sometimes I zest the lemon for a bit more of a salad dressing “zing” if I’m using it on cold Budda Bowls. But most times I make it exactly as shown AND take the time to measure so as not to ruin it.

Honestly, maybe I did this wrong, but this was not so tasty! I forgive you though.

Absolutely delicious! My husband (who loathes garbanzos) loves this sauce. I didn’t tell him they were in it until after he finished it. I used the sauce with rotini pasta & it was amazing! Added a tad more maple syrup and tahini. I will use less water next time. Thank you!

I used this as a hollandaise sauce and oh my goodness, so good! I also used the chickpea juice in place of water, and added a bit of vinegar. Mine was a bit watery, I should have not put all the liquid in to start. Will definitely be on high rotation in my house! 😍

I made this but it wasn’t as yellow as the picture but it was darn yummie! I should have doubled/tripled it because I literally cleaned my blender with the finger to mouth method! I though about adding a little yellow mustard to make it prettier but didn’t want to ruin it.

I’ll have this batch gone today guaranteed.

Delicious! A little extra pungent from the garlic but that is not a problem! Thanks for a great recipe.

Thank you! Thank You! I used to live in Portland and miss this sauce so much! I love it so much that I basically made a huge batch using an entire can of garbanzo beans, including the aquafaba (water it sits in), and tripled everything else (except the water). This is going to be a staple in my fridge!

Wow! So yummy. I added some olive oil once I started blending it. Turned out amazing.

I just made this tonight—wow! The only thing I changed was I used the liquid from the chickpeas instead of water. I also skinned the chickpeas before I blended them. I could honestly eat this by the spoonful! Another winner!! Thanks for the recipe!

HOLY. COW. This stuff really is liquid gold. I’m glad I made extra (started in a mini food processor, but it’s quite old and didn’t work correctly, so I transferred to my blender and added the rest of my chickpeas and eyeballed the rest of the ingredients). For once I had everything on hand (just bought organic curry powder a couple weeks ago) and it tastes so fresh! This is going to go on every dish I make this week….if it lasts that long, haha. Thanks, Dana!!

Omitted the maple syrup and it was delicious! Thank you for a great recipe.

This is SO DELICIOUS! I was hoping it would be similar to a local sauce called, Yumm Sauce, and it is! It was also easy to adjust it to make it perfect for me. I can’t imagine not always having some of this in the fridge.

Super yummy! I doubled the recipe and used curry paste instead of poweder (because that’s what I had on hand) and am super happy with the result. Put it on chickpeas and broccoli tonight, but I think it will go with a lot of dishes

Wow! This is delicious. Definitely will make again.

I don’t have a blender, not because I can’t afford one, but because I just moved so I haven’t gotten around to getting one yet. Not that a blender is a minor or forgettable purchase for me. In fact, it’s important enough that I won’t just buy the first blender I see; instead I’ll do a little research first. There’s been some advances in blender technology lately too it seems, making a blender purchase the exact opposite of trivial. But this isn’t about blenders. :)

Anyway, I got around my lack of blender by using the liquid from a can of chick peas instead of water, and I added 1.5 tbsp of chia seeds. It still turned out nice and thick and I only had to stir!

Y’all, I made vegan totchos with this sauce. It was perfection. I may try less maple syrup next time.

I LOVE this recipe! So easy and delicious! Will definitely become a regular in my buddha bowls going forward.
I used Cholula instead of cayenne and it was delish.

Oh woman that is good! I want to put it on everything! I will double or triple the recipe next time. So easy and so good!

Amazeballs. I want to drink this stuff!! So easy to make and good on everything!

This sauce is amazing. I put it on top of tofu the first time I made this. The next time I made it, I used it as a dipping sauce for falafel. That was my favorite. My sauce was not as yellow, but this is my new go to sauce. I used nutritional yeast in mine and thought that gave the sauce a great texture. I also shared with friends and it was a hit.

This is delicious! I didn’t have curry or cumin (had “cleaned house” on a lot of old spices recently, replacing slowly) so used a few dashes of cinnamon and smoked paprika to try to comp for (as opposed to recreate) these spices. Adjusted flavors to my liking (a bit more garlic and nute). Wonderful balance, plan is to use as a seafood dip/spread on Christmas day, but would be likewise awesome on a veg sammie, w/naan dippers, etc.

I liked this sauce way better then I thought I would. I stayed pretty close to the recipe – left out the cumin and curry powder, and used lite salt, and included a little more cayenne – but it was fantastic. I had it over roasted veggies. So good.

I have so much left over; am going to try it on everything – next up: will substitute for cheese on a tuna melt.

This is so amazing! And suprisingly cheesy and mustardy! I had it on some roasted potatoes and onion but cant wait to put it on everything else :) thank you so much!

This is the best sauce ever. thank you for sharing your recipe. I have made it again and again and it is so delicious – my favourite.

I drizzled it on a broccoli-stuffed baked potato. Love the flavor, and the texture. Had to double the recipe to get my blender — which is huge — to do its thing. No regrets; I’ll use the rest on something else. This is a new staple in our house!

Wow! This sauce was amazing! I roasted Brussels sprouts, carrots, red onion, mushrooms served it over quinoa and drizzled the sauce on top. So much flavor!

Just whipped this up for a roasted potato + greens salad and O.M.G.

Wow, the sauce is amazing! Just the right balance of spices which marry beautifully! luckily I had some cooked chickpeas so I could try it right way. A keeper! Thanks!

This is delicious! I used store bought curry powder which was slightly overpowering so I added a bit more salt and an extra teaspoon of maple syrup. Works perfectly as a salad dressing, am just about to roast some chickpeas with it now.

I whipped up a batch of this and served it on baked potatoes (plus a little vegan butter) with broccoli. Yum! I think next time I’d skip the turmeric – it made the color beautiful, but the flavor of it didn’t quite jive with the rest of the flavors, in my opinion. But I’d definitely make this again – very creamy and delicious.

Tastes delicious! But mine was more a dull yellow. ?

I made this and it was simple. The garlic made it a bit spicy for my 2 year old grandson, even though I left out the cayenne. He warmed up to it though. I’ll adjust to less next time. I would recommend. Great on macaroni.

Great! Made no changes and served it over some roasted delicata. Wonderful!
Then I dipped some chips in it,
Then had put some on pork tenderloin.
So, it’s good on everything!

Boy oh boy you named this sauce just right! It is definitely liquid gold, it is so yummy, I’m eating right out of the blender with a spoon, haha! I can’t wait to put it on dinner tonight…and so many other things I’ve already thought of! I feel like the possibilities are endless! I doubled the recipe (because I like a lot of sauce!) and I used lime juice instead of lemon, because that’s what I had on hand, 1 Tbs of tahini & 1 Tbs of cashew butter, just for fun, and the flavor and consistency were perfect, didn’t need to adjust anything. Thank you so much for this delicious nutritious oil-free recipe!

I made this last night and drizzled it over right rice with roasted veggies and tofu and it was delicious. So simple to prepare.

Thank you!

OK so I make hummus All. The. Time. I live on the stuff, and I am good at making it. When I read this chickpea recipe on Flipboard, it literally elevated me off of the couch to make it. It sounded sooo good. Alas, I was missing two ingredients: lemons and cayenne pepper. I couldn’t resist the urge to make this so I substituted: Mandarin orange and Carolina Reaper salt.

The substituted ingredients worked, and this stuff is to die for! My hubby even gladly detoured from the hardware store to pick up more chickpeas. That says something. I can’t wait to try it with lemons and cayenne pepper. One word: LOVE! (PS I never write reviews)

This is fantastic! So cheap and easy to make and soooooo versatile! We try to be as plant based as possible but have been letting too much dairy back in our diet for convenience. I have since watched my cholesterol levels rising again since they’ve been down after we went completely plant based. This little sauce will be such a life saver-literally! Highly recommend.

I have made this twice since you posted it! So yummy. I use a splash of coconut cream instead of tahini. And I don’t eat nutritional yeast so I just leave it out. One of my favorite new sauces! Thank you

Easy and delicious! It was tangier than I expected, in a good way — brighter. I was torn between making this or a “cheese” sauce I love and opted for this one to try something new. I’m so glad I did! Eating it with lentil pasta + green peas for lunch. Yum :)

So easy to make, and so flavorful! Really quick to make!

Liquid gold is right! I made this sauce with roasted sweet potatoes for dinner and it was a hit. It is so easy, you don’t even have to chop the garlic! Just blend it up and wow your friends.

Dana, you have done it again. Thanks for always making plant-based meals exciting and delicious. RUN, don’t walk, and make this sauce ASAP!

So glad I doubled this recipe! Added a bit more lemon juice, and sriracha, and served over quinoa and a rainbow of roasted veg. I love how this is both a sauce, and a source of protein. Great job again Dana!

So delicious!! Thank you again for another tasty & satisfying recipe.
This stuff is gold for sure! I’m a sucker for sauces.
I used a food processor and as you mentioned it was a teeny bit gritty but I didn’t mind one bit.
I’ve been eating this stuff all night over roasted potatoes and carrots. I’m in heaven ?

This recipe has a few of my fave ingredients so I gave it a whirl! Seemed a bit bland until I added a splash of low sodium Tamari. Wow! It Was awesome. I really like the versatility of this sauce and I’m going to try it with Tofu instrad of Chickpeas next. Yum

Tried this recipe today and only modified it with a little extra turmeric and some black pepper. That quantity was fine for 2 of us over sweet potatoes and stir fried veggies for a meal. A suggestion would be that 2 tablespoons for a serving would not be enough. I would say this was enough for 2, maximum 3 as a sauce. Nice flavour, we used the cumin and cayenne.

Doubled the recipe and it was great! Added a bit more spice and it was perfect! So easy and delicious.

TBH I made this just because it was so pretty, but it’s also delicious. I drizzled over broccoli to much while cleaning and my 4 yr old devoured it. The 2nd time around I used homeade almond butter instead of tahini (I ran out) and it was still killer. Thank you, my kid thinks its cheese…

Dana! So excited! This is incredible and I think you cracked the Whole Bowl and Yum Bowl code!?
The only thing is that I found this to make a very small amount, so I added in the entire can of chickpeas with additional amount of spices and liquids. It ended up being about 2 cups.
I did add a tiny amount of almond milk to mellow a bit.
Enjoying on a roast veggie bowl tonight. Thank you! ?

I just made this sauce and am now dipping oven-fried sweet potatoes into it and trying not to drip onto my keyboard it’s so delicious I’m getting sloppy. Didn’t change anything.

I knew I had to make this as soon as I saw this recipe—especially because all the ingredients are things I always have on hand. I drizzled it over a bed of couscous with sautéed broccoli and chickpeas (I know a little redundant on the chickpeas since they’re in the sauce, but I had part of a can left over since the recipe only calls for 1/2 a cup). It did not disappoint! So quick, creamy, and honestly I guess indescribable. I will definitely be making this a lot in the future. I think it would be an awesome dip to bring to a potluck with some cut veggies or chips. Thanks for another winning recipe!

I just made this to add to a broccoli and rice bowl! It was like home comfort of broccoli and cheese casserole I grew up on ✨