This Bitchin’ Sauce Copycat recipe is just as zesty, salty, tangy, nutty, and perfect as its store-bought muse. This recipe is for the Original version, but feel free to adjust the spices and add-ins.
Have you tried Bitchin’ Sauce yet? If not, you need to—and soon (not at all sponsored, just obsessed)! I’ve noticed it popping up in more grocery stores lately, but it’s not everywhere yet. Hence the reason I’m bringing you this homemade copycat recipe.
You need this sauce in your life.
The first time I tried Bitchin’ Sauce was while visiting friends in Kauai last summer. My friend surprised me with a container of the delicious almond-based sauce and some amazing super seedy crackers, too. It was love at first taste for both, but most especially the sauce.
My goodness. This sauce. It’s nutty, zesty, tangy, salty, and perfect. It has the ability to up-level even the most boring of bread, vegetables, etc. And it’s good enough to be consumed straight from a spoon (or a finger) all on its own.
Sloane eats this stuff by the spoonful, and I do too. Which is why I’ve spent the last several months slowly chipping away on a homemade recipe. It took many trials and side-by-side tastings to get the texture and flavor right, but I think I’ve nailed it.
You can, of course, feel free to up and adjust the spices, but this recipe serves as an amazing knockoff of the Original flavor Bitchin’ Sauce.
This sauce is simple to make, but it’s important to follow the ingredient list as written to achieve the right flavor.
I’m calling this out specifically because while most of the ingredients are easy to find, one—Bragg’s Aminos—can be a tiny bit trickier to hunt down. Having said that, most grocery stores do carry it. It’s similar to soy sauce but has a richer, deeper umami flavor that lends a characteristic taste to Bitchin’ Sauce.
Now that we’ve covered the ingredient pep talk, let’s get to the details of this recipe.
First thing’s first: Soak your nuts.
Seriously though. You’ll need to soak a cup of raw almonds for at least two hours. If you find it easier to prepare ahead of time and soak overnight, there’s no harm in that either. Soaking the almonds softens and plumps them, making them easier to breakdown and blend. See ↓ how plump?
Once your almonds are plump and juicy and good to go, add them to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients, including:
Filtered water.
Grapeseed oil.
Fresh lemon juice.
Nutritional yeast flakes.
Garlic.
Bragg’s Aminos.
Sea salt.
Garlic powder.
Cumin.
A dash of cayenne.
Bitchin’ Sauce has a naturally inconsistent texture, and a food processor is great for achieving this.
If you prefer a thicker, smoother sauce with a more consistent texture, use a high-speed blender instead.
In all honesty, I alternate between the two depending on how I plan to use the sauce.
I use the food processor when I went a thinner sauce to drizzle on burgers and sandwiches, and I use the blender when I want a thicker, smoother sauce for dipping and spreading.
Both options work well, just a matter of personal preference.
Once you’ve processed/blended, transfer the sauce to a jar or container and refrigerate it. I recommend chilling it for several hours before enjoying to 1) thicken it and 2) allow the flavors to meld. Having said that, you can absolutely enjoy it straight away in a pinch.
That’s about all there is to this homemade bitchin’ sauce tutorial. Super simple, right?
Slather this awesome sauce on bread, sandwiches, and veggie burgers. Dip your vegetables into it. Dip your fingers into it. Dip your spoons (big and small) into it. Just be sure to make it.
Can you tell I’m obsessed? Hope you love this recipe!
Bitchin' Sauce Copycat
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds, soaked for at least two hours and drained*
- 3/4 cup filtered water
- 1/4 cup expeller-pressed grapeseed oil
- 1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1 tablespoon Bragg's Aminos
- 3/4 to 1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Dash or two cayenne
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor (see note for blender option**), and process for 2 to 3 minutes, or until nearly smooth (you won't be able to get it completely smooth and that's okay because bitchin' sauce isn't supposed to be smooth), stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Transfer to an airtight container or jar and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. I recommend chilling it for several hours before serving to give the sauce a chance to thicken and allow the flavors to meld.
Your toast looks amazing! I love “all purpose'” sauces like this that so easily take a meal from average to impressive. Thanks for sharing =) Oh, and I have your banana upside down oatmeal bake in the fridge waiting to be baked tomorrow morning – YUM!
I LOVE the Bitchin’ sauce and can’t wait to try your copycat. Before I saw your post, I was going to try to make my own copycat, but now I don’t have to.
I would put this sauce on everything!! Also I love the way you styled these photos, they came out absolutely beautiful :)
Well thank you, Sarah! That means so much coming from you—such a talented photo-snapper yourself. :)
I don’t think Bitchin’ Sauce is sold in Canada (at least I had never heard of it until now!), but your copycat version sounds amazing! I love how you styled the toast, too- it looks so cheery!
Thanks for the kind words, Allison! I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not sold in Canada—I swear, it’s tricky to find in the US too! I’m always surprised by which stores carry it vs. which ones don’t (tends to be smaller markets that carry it).
Ashley–can you substitute olive or avocado oil for the grapeseed oil? I don’t have grapeseed oil and prefer to use what I already have. Which one (olive or avocado) do you think would be better out of the two?
Hi, Eva! I’d recommend using whichever one is the LEAST flavorful (depends on the type and brand of both oils). Grapeseed oil works well here because it doesn’t impart much flavor, so you’ll want to get as close to that as possible. Hope this helps and enjoy!
Thank you!
Bitchin sauce look great. i will try this and share my feedback with you. Thanks for sharing.
Hope you enjoy it, Jack!
‘This such a fun & tasty change up from hummus. A new favorite ❤️😉
So happy to hear you like it!
I have made your original recipe and love it. I would like some guidance for making the the other varieties such as pesto, cilantro, and heat. Thank you for coming to the rescue for my addiction to the Costco variety. Fortunately, there is no place to buy it here which is good because now I am forced to make it myself.
So glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Evan! For the Cilantro-Chili one, I’d add a small to medium handful of fresh cilantro leaves and a bit (maybe a 1/2 teaspoon) of chili powder. You could also consider adding a few slices of seeded serrano pepper or jalapeño pepper, too. For the pesto, I’d add a generous handful of fresh basil leaves. And for the chipotle, I’d add a tablespoon or more of minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (be sure to seed the chipotle peppers if you prefer a milder kick). Hope this helps and enjoy!
Hi! I’ve made this sauce today and it’s awesome! This natural home-made product is definitely better than the ones full of chemical. Thank you for this post!
Happy to hear you’re enjoying it, Joshua! :)
This turned out great!! It tastes just like the real thing!
So happy to hear you’re enjoying it, Lisa! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know—means so much. :)
i made itwithout nutritional yeast and used slivered almonds it tastes really good buyt its really runny any ideas on thickining it
Hi, Rachel! Omitting the nutritional yeast will definitely make it a bit runnier. Slivered almonds could result in a thinner sauce too depending on how they were measured. I’d recommend using a high-speed blender and also adding in more almonds (starting with 1/4 cup and work up from there). You’ll want to adjust the seasonings to your liking as you add more almonds, too. Hope this helps and enjoy!