Vegan Oyster Sauce (Gluten Free)
Homemade vegan oyster sauce looks, tastes, and smells like oyster sauce, but is completely free of shellfish. This vegan version has a dark brown color and rich umami flavor with a similar consistency and taste to traditional oyster sauce. This allergy friendly recipe is gluten free with a soy free option.
Looking for more homemade Asian sauces? Try my soy free teriyaki sauce, gluten free sweet soy sauce, gluten free hoisin sauce, or Japanese spicy mayo.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this mushroom oyster sauce:
- Dried shiitake mushrooms – the key ingredient in this mushroom-based oyster sauce. They have a similar umami taste to regular oyster sauce.
- Boiling water – rehydrates the dried mushrooms so they can become softer and easier to blend while also creating a flavorful mushroom broth.
- Brown sugar or coconut sugar – gives it a natural caramelized color and adds a little sweetness.
- Reduced sodium gluten free soy sauce or tamari – adds saltiness and more umami flavor.
- Kosher salt – to taste.
- Tapioca starch – gives it a thick consistency.
How to Make Vegan Oyster Sauce: Step By Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!
1. Soften the mushrooms. Soak the shiitake mushrooms in boiling water to soften them. Add both the mushrooms and the brothy water to a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
2. Mix the sauce. Pour the blended mushroom mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat along with the brown sugar, reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari, and kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
3. Make the slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together the starch and cold water until the starch has completely dissolved then pour it into the saucepan.
4. Let it thicken. Continuously whisk until the sugar has dissolved, then reduce the heat to medium-low and keep stirring until the sauce has thickened and reached your desired consistency.
Helpful Tips
- Using coconut aminos? Coconut aminos brands have varying levels of sodium. This recipe was tested using the Coconut Secret brand, which has 270mg of sodium. If using a different brand, adjust the added salt accordingly.
- The sauce should only take a few minutes to thicken on the heat and will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Let the sauce cool completely before you put the lid on and store.
Quick Tip:Â Use reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari to prevent the sauce from being overly salty. Each brand has varying levels of sodium, so add salt, to taste. If you only have full sodium soy sauce, omit the added salt.
Storage
Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Freezer: Pour the sauce into silicone ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop them out, and store them in a freezer-safe bag for 3-4 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before using. Make it even easier by adding a specific amount (such as a tablespoon) to each cube, so you know exactly how much to thaw.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this vegan oyster sauce recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No dried mushrooms? – if you can’t find dried mushrooms, use shiitake mushroom powder (1-2 teaspoons).
- Soy-free? – use coconut aminos, but decrease the amount of sugar to 1/2 cup and increase the amount of salt since it’s nowhere near as salty as soy sauce to 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
- No brown sugar? – coconut sugar works as well.
- No tapioca starch/flour? – use corn starch or arrowroot powder instead.
How To Use
Use this vegan oyster sauce substitute in place of oyster sauce in various Asian recipes such as stir-fries, pineapple fried rice, or garlic umami noodles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dried mushrooms can be found at Asian grocery stores, in the International aisle at your local grocery store, or online.
No, traditional oyster sauce is made by slowly simmering oysters in water until the liquid caramelizes into a dark brown sauce and therefore isn’t vegan. This thick, savory condiment is common in Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Malay, and Khmer cuisines.
Oyster sauce has a sweet, umami, salty flavor. To balance out the sweetness of the sugar, you need additional salt. I recommend using kosher salt so it doesn’t taste overly salty, but if using another type, reduce the amount that the recipe calls for by half and season to taste. Check out my salt guide to learn more.
I haven’t tried it, but if you’re up for playing around with it, I’d suggest sauteing 1 cup of fresh shiitake mushrooms to release their water content and concentrate their flavor. Skip the soaking and blend them with 1 cup of hot water until smooth, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
More Homemade Asian Sauces
I hope you love this Vegan Oyster Sauce! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment & a star rating so I know how you liked it!
Vegan Oyster Sauce (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 5 large dried shiitake mushrooms or 7 smaller mushrooms, about 10 grams
- 1 cup boiling water
- â…” cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos for soy free, see notes below
- 1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt, to taste see notes below
Slurry
- 1 tablespoons tapioca starch/flour or substitute, see notes below
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Soak the shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup of boiling water to soften them for about 10-15 minutes. Add both the mushrooms and the brothy water to a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
- Pour the blended mushroom mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat along with the brown sugar, reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari, and kosher salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the starch and cold water until the starch has completely dissolved then pour it into the saucepan.
- Continuously whisk until the sugar has dissolved, then reduce the heat to medium-low and keep stirring until the sauce has thickened and reached your desired consistency. Let cool completely before storing.
Ive made this several times now. It is excellent! I do use coconut sugar and reduce to about 6 T., increase salt to about 1 3/4 t., and use coconut aminos. Very quick and easy and tastes incredibly close to the real thing. Im sure it’s healthier too.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Dana! I love hearing that it’s become a staple for you, too.
I have a premade bag of mushroom seasoning. Do you think that I could use that in place of the mushroom powder and just omit the salt from the recipe?
I haven’t tried using something like that but if the ingredients in the mushroom seasoning are just mushrooms and salt, I don’t see why you couldn’t. I think it’s worth experimenting!
It was incredible!! Very easy to make. Thank you
Thanks for your review, Dalia!