Vegan Buffalo Sauce Recipe

This vegan buffalo sauce recipe is incredibly simple to make using only two ingredients. It comes together in minutes and is the ultimate way to add flavor to any vegan meal!

Get the Veg Out newsletter for vegan recipes + nutrition content!

This post contains affiliate links (including Amazon Associates) and I earn from qualifying purchases.

Is Buffalo Sauce Vegan?

Buffalo sauce can easily be made vegan, but most traditional recipes or store-bought buffalo sauces are not vegan.

Most buffalo sauce recipes use butter which is not vegan-friendly. However, you can easily make your own vegan buffalo sauce at home with 2 ingredients, hot sauce and vegan butter (or margarine).

Based on discussions I’ve seen online, Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce is vegan friendly as the “natural butter type flavor” ingredient isn’t derived from dairy (or any other animal product).

Vegan Buffalo Sauce Recipe

You only need 2 ingredients to make vegan buffalo sauce: hot sauce and vegan butter or margarine. The most commonly used/ popular hot sauce to use for making buffalo sauce is Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce which is what I use in the recipe.

Use whatever hot sauce you like, but keep in mind how spicy it is and adjust the ratio of hot sauce to vegan butter as needed.

Mild Vegan Buffalo Sauce

The recipe provided below creates a medium heat buffalo sauce. If you prefer a mild buffalo sauce, there are a few options.

First, adjust the ratio of vegan butter to hot sauce. Instead of 1:1 like the recipe below, try using 2 tablespoons of hot sauce with ⅓ cup of vegan butter.

Another option, if you want a combination of medium-spicy and mild buffalo tofu nuggets, is to make the sauce as-is in the recipe. Start by tossing only half the nuggets in it, then add an extra 2-3 tablespoons of melted vegan butter before tossing the other half. This way, your vegan buffalo wings can easily have 2 different levels of heat!

Medium Vegan Buffalo Sauce

The recipe below creates a medium-heat buffalo sauce. This is my own spice preference, but everyone’s tastes are different.

I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to heat, so if you like things spicy, you may find the recipe below mild. If you’re not a fan of spicy heat like me, you’ll likely find it to be a medium heat.

I define medium heat as enjoying the food but finding it to be spicy. Using a creamy dip helps to cut through the heat and makes for a more enjoyable eating experience!

Hot Vegan Buffalo Sauce

If you like wings and nuggets spicy hot, I recommend using hot sauce that packs more heat compared to the fairly mild hot sauce I’ve used. If you start with the recipe below and continue adding hot sauce, you may never achieve the spice level you like and will dilute the delicious buttery flavor too much.

If you’re just looking for a bit of added kick, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of a spicy/ extra hot sauce to boost up the heat. I don’t recommend much more than that to avoid diluting the buttery flavor as mentioned above.

Either way, it’s easier to add heat to a buffalo sauce than take it out. Taste as you go so you don’t end up with buffalo tofu nuggets that are too hot to enjoy (although, I suppose some people would enjoy that!).

Serve your tasty sauce on some cauliflower wings or breaded tofu nuggets!

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

More Vegan Dip and Sauce Recipes

Like this recipe? You should also try:

---