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This ultra-creamy vegan sauce is easy to make and ready in minutes. Using my background in food science, I’ve created a copycat chipotle Bitchin’ sauce recipe that rivals the store-bought version. Pair it with crackers and veggies, or spread it on your favorite sandwich!
save this recipe!“Bitchin’ Sauce” got its start at farmers’ markets in San Diego, where it was sold as a vegan creamy condiment. This almond-based dip started with three flavors: original, chipotle, and pesto. It’s now sold nationwide but can be difficult to find in some areas.
But the thing is, I think everyone should try it, so I’ve deconstructed the ingredient label to create a chipotle sauce that’s as close to the real thing as possible! It’s also far cheaper to make your own vegan sauce because, as we all know, store-bought sauces are not cheap.
this sauce is Straight Up addicting
- Great for large batches. Rather than buying multiple containers of the sauce, just whip up one large batch at home for meal prep or guests.
- Save money by making this at home with some basic pantry staple ingredients.
- It tastes just like the real thing! By reverse-engineering the label, I’ve been able to almost completely duplicate the sauce in the comfort of your own kitchen.
here’s what you’ll need
To make this almond-based dip, I turned to the ingredients label! The ingredients listed here are also in the store-bought version.
- Water: Acts as the base liquid to achieve the right consistency for our sauce. It helps blend the ingredients smoothly and makes the sauce creamy without overpowering the flavors.
- Neutral Oil (Vegetable or Canola): Provides a rich, smooth texture and helps to emulsify the sauce. The neutral flavor ensures it won’t compete with the other ingredients but will add a necessary fattiness for a creamy consistency.
- Almonds: Adds a delightful nutty flavor and contributes to the creamy texture of the sauce. Almonds are also a great source of healthy fats, which help make the sauce rich and satisfying.
- Lemon Juice: Adds a bright, tangy kick that balances the richness of the sauce.
- Nutritional Yeast: Provides a cheesy, umami flavor without using dairy. It’s essential for that savory depth and complexity that makes the sauce irresistible!
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: Delivers smoky heat and a hint of sweetness, giving the sauce its signature spicy kick.
- Soy Sauce: Introduces a salty, umami flavor that enhances the depth of the sauce.
- Garlic: Adds an aromatic kick!
- Spices (Salt, Paprika, Cumin, Ground Coriander): This blend of spices brings a well-rounded depth to the sauce.
To Soak Or Not To Soak
Some almond sauce recipes require soaking raw almonds for a smoother texture, but it’s not required for this recipe (as long as you have a high-speed blender). Bitchin sauce naturally has an inconsistent texture anyways, and shouldn’t be ultra-smooth when finished.
Recipe Tip
This sauce will thicken as it sits in the fridge, so don’t be too concerned if it seems runny at first!
ways to use your sauce
Obviously, it’s delicious with vegetables and chips, but here are some more tasty ideas!
- Naan Bread is delicious dipped in this spicy sauce.
- 15-Minute Avocado Sandwich turns spicy with chipotle sauce.
- Cheesy Egg Breakfast Sandwiches, my personal favorite!
Copycat Chipotle Bitchin’ Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 2 Tbsp water, 150 mL
- ½ cup neutral oil, like vegetable or canola, 120 mL
- ½ cup almonds, 70 g
- ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 75 mL
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 15 mL
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ tsp each salt, paprika, cumin
- ⅛ tsp ground coriander
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a powerful blender until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Serve with crackers or sliced veggies, or use as a spread on sandwiches.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
This was better than the original sauce. It had more flavor and a better texture.
Yay! So happy to hear it was a hit 🙂
Tastes great! But came out very thin. I wanted to use it as a dressing anyway! Wondering why it was so thin though.
Hi Marina! I just tested the recipe again to be extra sure I didn’t write a measurement down wrong, and it came out thick as expected. Are you using a high speed blender for this? I’ve found that you do really need to blend it at a high speed for a few minutes to thoroughly break up the almonds, which creates the thickness. So happy to hear the taste was a hit, and hope we can help you nail down the texture for next time! 🙂
Mine came out thin in a food processor as well, transferred it to a Vitamix blender and now it’s much thicker. Getting the almonds chopped fine enough is key.
Spot on! I shorted it by a little water because of the comment below but definitely thicker that way. Only real difference is it’s creamier if you blend for a minute but that’s just fine. Will follow to the millilitre next time!
It thickens a bit as it sits, it can be a little deceiving! Enjoy!
Hi
What might I use instead of the cottage cheese to make it plant based?
I am wondering if this recipe would work with ground almonds instead of whole almonds?
Yep it should! 😀
I’ve made this three times now, and I just keep it in the fridge for all my salads, lunches, dips dinners. I love it so much. It’s also very versatile. I’ve added a little bit of barbecue sauce, a little bit of honey to get kind of a Chick-fil-A feel. Overall, I just love that this is completely vegan and so very easy to make. Thank you so much.
I’m thrilled to hear how much you loved it, Robyn! Happy eating! 😀
I made this recipe and loved it. However, none of my machines could grind up the almonds into a smooth paste. There were chunks of almonds. I did try soaking them overnight, but it didn’t help. Someone suggested I use almond butter. I bought some, but now I’m not sure how to adjust the recipe. Would I just use 1/2 cup almond butter in place of the 1/2 cup of raw almonds in the recipe? Thanks! (by the way, I loved the recipe, chunks or no chunks).
So glad you loved the recipe—even with the chunky almonds! And yes, you can absolutely swap in 1/2 cup of almond butter for the 1/2 cup of raw almonds. Since almond butter is already blended, it should give you that smooth texture without the extra work. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi- I love store bought bitchin sauce- but I can’t eat the chipotle one without heartburn- do you have a copy cat recipe for the pesto one?
I don’t have a recipe for that one, but I’ll add it to my list!
Great recipe. Really good. I added more chipotles to taste. I also used coconut oil which was not the best choice. Next time I will try avocado.
Thanks for the sweet review, happy cooking!
tried with avocado oil and it turned out great!! thanks for posting this recipe
OhMyGosh. This is magical. Thank you SO much for taking the time to create the recipe*!
I only got 1/3 cup of lemon juice from my last available lemon, so I added the juice of 1 lime. I was also generous with the chipotle peppers, and it is the nicest level of “spicy”. The texture was perfect (Blendtec blender), and the flavors, too. This will always be in my house now.
*Sarah, do you think it could be canned or frozen?
Thanks so much Jodie! I’ve not tried freezing it yet, only storing it a fridge (for a week in an airtight container). 😊
Turned out Divine! I substituted aquafaba for the oil and it turned out great!
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Dawn! Happy eating!