Three classic spring roll dipping sauces that are sweet, tangy & flavorful! All ready in under 5 minutes. Serve your spring rolls with this peanut sauce, Vietnamese fish sauce & hoisin sauce!
My favorite part of eating spring rolls or summer rolls is having a variety of dipping sauces I can dip them into. I love the sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors that go along with the crunchy vegetables in the spring roll.
The three classic spring roll dipping sauces are: peanut dipping sauce, Vietnamese nuoc cham (fish sauce), and hoisin sauce. Serve them with these Vegetarian fresh spring rolls.
Why you'll love these sauces
Peanut dipping sauce (my favorite spring roll dipping sauce):
- creamy, sweet, and nutty
- adds a delicious richness to the spring roll
- the perfect contrast to crunchy, fresh vegetable spring rolls
Vietnamese fish sauce dipping sauce (nuoc cham):
- sweet and tangy with bright citrus flavors
- ubiquitous in Vietnamese cuisine
- can double as a vermicelli bowl sauce
- made with fish sauce (vegan option in the recipe notes)
Hoisin dipping sauce:
- sweet, savory with a bit of tang
- similar to a soy dipping sauce but better!
- lots of umami from the soybeans
- adds a depth of flavor to the spring roll sauce with a hint of spice
- very popular in Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine
Ingredients you'll need
Peanut Dipping Sauce:
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (nuoc cham):
Hoisin Dipping Sauce:
Instructions
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved.
Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Ingredient substitutions & variations
- Fish sauce - Depending on the brand, the saltiness and intensity of the fish sauce will vary. See the recipe card below for which brand I recommend using in a dipping sauce.
- Substitutions: For vegans, you can substitute with half water and half soy sauce and then season with sea salt.
- Hoisin sauce - similar to fish sauce, hoisin sauce can vary depending on which brand you buy. See the recipe card for which brand I use. It's not overly sweet and has good viscosity. I would not recommend substituting this in the spring roll sauce as it's a main ingredient.
- Peanut butter - I used all natural, unsweetened peanut butter so have written the recipe according to this. If your peanut butter has added sugar, I would taste it first before adding sugar.
- Substitutions: feel free to use any other nut butters such as, almond butter, cashew butter, macadamia nut butter, etc.
Serve with:
More sauce recipes:
Recipe
3 Classic Spring Roll Dipping Sauces
Three classic spring roll dipping sauces that are sweet, tangy & flavorful! Ready in under 5 minutes! Included are a creamy peanut sauce, tangy Vietnamese fish sauce & sweet hoisin sauce.
Ingredients
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce - Nuoc Cham
- ¼ cup fish sauce - vegetarian option in Note 1
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice - freshly squeezed, about half a lime
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic - finely diced
- 1 small Thai chili pepper - finely diced
- 1 Tablespoon shredded carrot
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce - (optional)
Hoisin Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons water
- 4 teaspoons lime juice – freshly squeezed
- 1 Tablespoon chopped peanuts – for garnish
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter – I used all natural, unsweetened peanut butter
- ¼ cup lite coconut milk – can substitute with water
- 1 ½ Tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 ½ Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon chopped peanuts – for garnish
- 1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce – (optional)
Instructions
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce - Nuoc Cham:
- Set the carrots aside. Add the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix it together until the sugar completely dissolves. Add the shredded carrots right before serving. Makes about 1 cup of sauce.
Hoisin Dipping Sauce:
- Set the water aside and mix the remaining ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Depending on how thick your hoisin sauce is, you may need to add more or less water.
- Add the water a teaspoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Adjust for seasoning if needed. Makes ¾ cup of sauce.
Peanut Dipping Sauce:
- Combine all the ingredients (except for the chopped peanuts) in a medium size bowl and mix it together until the peanut sauce is smooth and creamy. Depending on how thick your peanut butter is, you may need to add more coconut milk or water to get the desired consistency. If your peanut butter has added sugar, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar added.
- Garnish with chopped peanuts and chili garlic sauce if desired. Makes about ¾ cup of sauce.
Notes
- For a vegetarian option to fish sauce: you can replace the amount with 2 Tablespoons of water and 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce. Adding too much soy sauce can overwhelm the flavor of the sauce so adjust for seasoning using sea salt.
- Storing leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Serve with Vegetarian Summer Rolls.
Nutrition
Calories: 94kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 717mgPotassium: 66mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 209IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Kim
The only three dipping sauces I will ever need!! Delicious with spring rolls, but we also love using them in lettuce wraps and rice bowls.
Really good - all three!
Kath
Hi Jamie!
Thank you so much for this great guide to dipping sauces. I had only ever bought store brands before, and it was my first time making some sauces at home. I am a complete convert now!
These three are equally delicious and have so many uses.
Thank you so much. Kind regards, Kath
traci
Yum yummm! All three of these sauces were perfect for dipping spring rolls into!!! They're healthy, delicious, and exactly what I was looking for.
Anita
I couldn't decide which one I love best, so now I must prepare all three when I make more spring rolls. 🙂
Tawnie
I made all 3 and had everyone vote on their favorite - we couldn't decide because they were all so good! Thank you!
Kristin
These are so easy and tasty! We had a party and I served spring rolls with these dipping sauces and they were a huge hit. Thanks for the great recipes!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
I made these three sauces for a gathering the other day where I was serving spring rolls and everyone kept asking for the recipe. It was totally a hit!