Sugar Free Sweet Chilli Sauce Recipe (2024)

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This sugar free sweet chilli sauce recipe is wonderfully spicy, fragrant and tangy! It's a healthy homemade dipping sauce for any Asian favourites from spring rolls to chicken wings and fried calamari. Keto, low carb, gluten free and ready in only 15 minutes.

Sugar Free Sweet Chilli Sauce Recipe (1)

Hands up who else loves sweet chilli sauce? It's one of those condiments in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine that take dishes to the next level. It's great for dipping with various appetisers, but you can also mix it into stir-fries.

Unfortunately, the sweet chilli sauce you can buy in the shops contains HUGE amounts of sugar. Often, people are not even aware that they are consuming more sugar than they would have in a dessert when they use shop-bought condiments and sauces. Read the labels - you might be surprised.

After making this yummy homemade sugar free ketchup, a delicious keto teriyaki sauceand my sugar free BBQ sauce, I decided it was time to create a sugar free sweet chilli sauce recipe.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Substitutions
  • How To Make Sugar Free Sweet Chilli Sauce
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Serve With
  • Storage
  • More Sugar Free Sauce Recipes
  • Recipe

Ingredients

To make an authentic tasting sweet chilli sauce, you only need a few ingredients - red chilli, vinegar, garlic, sweetener, a salty flavouring sauce such as soy, tamari, coconut aminos or fish sauce plus water and a thickening/gelling agent.

I decided to add fresh grated ginger to the recipe, which lends a beautifully aromatic and zesty touch.

Substitutions

If you are a shortcut kind of person, you can substitute the fresh chilli with sambal oelek. This is an Indonesian chilli sauce which is widely available in supermarkets. Sambal contains a small amount of sugar, but 2 tablespoon will not significantly increase the net carb count.

You could also experiment with using sriracha sauce, but you will end up with a smooth sauce.

I have not yet tried the recipe with dried chilli flakes, though it should also work. Be cautious with the amount - I always find them to be very hot. 1 tablespoon should be plenty!

I decided to use coconut aminos in this recipe. This is a super tasty gluten free and vegan flavouring sauce I recently discovered (I LOVE to use it in salad dressings). It's often used in place of either soy sauce or tamari.

But if you're finding it hard to source, feel free to use soy or tamari instead. Tamari is gluten free as well.

Another upgrade option is to add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce to the mix. Fish sauce has a strong, salty and slightly pungent flavour. It is INCREDIBLE!

How To Make Sugar Free Sweet Chilli Sauce

It is really easy to make a homemade healthy sweet chilli sauce recipe.

All you need to do is let the ingredients cook until the flavours start to mingle - and after only 10 minutes you have a healthy, sweet, spicy, tangy sauce that will make you swoon whilst keeping your blood sugar and insulin levels perfectly stable.

Here are the basic steps:

Sugar Free Sweet Chilli Sauce Recipe (2)

STEP 1

Chop the red chilli, ginger and garlic. Add them to a pan together with the apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos and powdered sweetener.

Sugar Free Sweet Chilli Sauce Recipe (3)

STEP 2

Bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat and let the sauce bubble away on low heat for 5 minutes.

STEP 3

Mix the hot water with the xanthan gum. Blend well so there are no lumps. Add to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached.

Be aware that the sauce will thicken further while it cools. Fill into a clean glass jar and let cool.

Expert Tips

I went for a mild red chilli. Mild chilli varieties are generally larger in size. You could use red jalapenos, for example. If in doubt, ask your greengrocer 😉

The rule of thumb is that the smaller the chilli, the hotter it is. If you decide to use Thai red chillies, for example, you should reduce the amount stated in the recipe to 1 ½ tablespoon (not packed) and ensure you remove all seeds.

Tip: Make sure that you wear gloves when chopping chilli. This counts especially for all of you who wear contact lenses like me. The last thing you want is to touch your eyes with remnants of chilli juice on your fingers!

Recipe FAQs

What can I use instead of xanthan gum?

Instead of the xanthan gum you could use 1 teaspoon of finely ground (!!!) chia seeds to thicken the sauce. I have not tried chia seeds as a thickener in this recipe, but use them frequently to thicken sauces and jams.

Does any vinegar work in the sauce?

I like apple cider vinegar because of all its health benefits and mild taste. It is possible to substitute it with white wine vinegar or rice vinegar although these are sharper in flavour and you may need to use less. Also, make sure the rice vinegar is not flavoured - this often means added sugar.

How long can I store sugar free sweet chili sauce?

You can store your healthy sweet chilli sauce in the fridge for at least 2-3 weeks.

What sweetener can I use?

Allulose is great because it does not re-crystallise as it cools. However, most of the time I make the sauce with powdered erythritol.

Sugar Free Sweet Chilli Sauce Recipe (4)

Serve With

This sweet chili sauce is perfect as a dip for keto tortilla chips or keto chicken nuggets.

It is also wonderful over Vietnamese scrambled eggs and keto fried rice.

Storage

Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. The vinegar in the recipe preserves it, making it stay fresh for several weeks.

If you store the sauce in the fridge, the erythritol might crystallise a little bit over time. I had a few crystals collecting on the edges of my jar after a few days, which did not bother me. But to get rid of the crystals, you can re-heat the sauce and let it cool back down to room temperature.

More Sugar Free Sauce Recipes

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    5 Minutes

  • Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce (Keto)

    10 Minutes

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Recipe

Sugar Free Sweet Chilli Sauce Recipe (9)

Sugar Free Sweet Chilli Sauce Recipe

Katrin Nürnberger

from Sugar Free Londoner

Ditch the sugary sweet chilli sauce you can buy in the shops and make your own healthy low carb version! Thick, spicy, sweet and absolutely delicious. A family favourite.

5 from 42 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Condiment

Cuisine Asian, Thai

Servings 5

Calories 8 kcal

Note: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Chop the red chilli, ginger and garlic. Add them to a pan together with the apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos and powdered sweetener.

  • Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and let the mix bubble away on a low heat for 5 minutes.

  • Mix the hot water with the xanthan gum. Blend well so there are no lumps. Add to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached.

    Be aware that the sauce will thicken further while it cools.

  • Fill into a clean glass jar and let cool.

Notes

I calculated 1 portion = 2 tablespoon of sauce. I think this is a fairly generous calculation - you could probably use this as a dip for up to 8 people.

This recipe made 170g (¾ cup) of sauce.

*** Use allulose if you want no re-crystallisation. Most of the time I use powdered erythritol, which re-crystallises a little around the rim of the jar.

Nutrition

Serving: 35gCalories: 8kcalTotal Carbohydrates: 0.9gProtein: 0.1gFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.3g

Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Mention @sugarfreelondon or tag #sugarfreelondon!

Sugar Free Sweet Chilli Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can diabetics have sweet chili sauce? ›

But if you have diabetes or want to reduce your added sugar intake, sweet chilli sauce is worth flagging. Or, if you are reducing foods like potato and pasta but adding sugar-laden sauces, perhaps consider the overall carbohydrate content of the meal and how sustaining it is, not whether or not you've ditched the spud.

Is there much sugar in sweet chili sauce? ›

As its name implies, sweet chilli sauce is packed with sugar – around two teaspoons per tablespoon of sauce. Make your own by blending together a deseeded red chilli, two chopped red peppers, 1cm fresh grated ginger, four dates (stones removed), the juice of one lime and a generous pinch of black pepper.

What to replace sweet chili sauce with? ›

A good substitute for ½ cup of sweet chili sauce can be made by combining ¼ cup hot sauce with ¼ cup honey. This mixture provides the desired balance of spiciness and sweetness, closely mimicking the flavor profile of sweet chili sauce.

How many calories are in sugar free sweet chili sauce? ›

There are 5 calories in 2 tbsp (30 g) of G Hughes Sugar Free Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce. * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.

What can diabetics dip in salsa? ›

A Combo of Baked Potato Chips and Salsa

As a bonus, the tomatoes and other veggies found in salsa are low in carbs (the salsa contains just 4 grams per ¼ cup), making them another good choice for people with diabetes.

What sauces are best for diabetics? ›

Instead of a sweet barbeque sauce, try a chimichurri sauce with a base of olive oil, fresh herbs, and a bit of pepper. An herb-and-nut pesto can be used in place of sugary tomato sauce from a jar. Olive oil, with or without herbs, can take the place of dairy butter and bring a healthy unsaturated fat to the plate.

What is the healthiest sauce? ›

What is the healthiest condiment?
  • Guacamole.
  • Mustard.
  • Balsamic Vinegar.
  • Salsa.
  • Hot sauce.
  • Tzatziki.
  • Hummus.
  • Pesto.
Mar 17, 2024

Why is sweet chilli sauce good for you? ›

It is a great source of iron, calcium, selenium, fibre, vitamins B, C, minerals, and more. The antioxidant properties promote gut health, support healthy vision, and may have cancer-fighting properties. It enhances brain function and builds a healthy immune system.

What is sweet chili sauce made of? ›

It is commonly made with red chili peppers (often Fresno chile, Thai or red jalapeños), rice wine vinegar, sometimes garlic, sometimes fish sauce, and a sweetening ingredient such as fruit or a refined sugar or honey.

What is another name for sweet chili sauce? ›

In Thailand, the sauce was commonly called Nam Chim Kai. Nam Chim translates to sauce while Kai refers to chicken in the Thai language. From this translation, we can gather that Thai sweet chili sauce was primarily used for chicken, but it has since been adapted for a variety of applications.

Is there a difference between chili sauce and sweet chili sauce? ›

What is the Difference between Sweet Chili Sauce and Chili Sauce? There is a difference between this sauce and chili sauce. Sweet Chili Sauce is made with chili peppers and sugar, which gives it a sweet flavor. Chili sauce, on the other hand, is more tomato-based, almost like ketchup.

What cancels out sweetness in chili? ›

The lemon juice's acidic and sour elements cut the sweetness, bringing the flavor back in line and rounding out the savory and sweet elements. Lemons are known for adding brightness to a recipe as well, so you may find your chili has an added tang to it that complements the spicy and sweet nature of this dish.

Can diabetics eat sweet chili sauce? ›

Many Indian or Chinese dishes contain added sugar. There's the obvious ones to avoid such as sweet & sour, plum, hoisin, sweet chilli & BBQ sauce etc. But also be wary of dishes you perhaps didn't expect having added sugar, like korma and butter chicken, crispy seaweed.

Is Frank's hot sauce sugar free? ›

Frank's Hot Sauce (Aged Red Cayenne Peppers, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Salt, Garlic Powder), Water, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Garlic, Paprika & Sodium Benzoate (to Protect Quality).

Does sweet chili sauce have a lot of sodium? ›

Most Asian sauces contain high amounts of sodium, that goes for most store bought sweet chili sauces as well. You can expect anywhere from 200 – 400mg of sodium per 2 tbsp serving in the stuff you find at the store.

Is chili OK to eat if you are diabetic? ›

Some studies have indicated that the consumption of chilli-containing foods can influence iron absorption and affect serum insulin and glucose concentrations, which may help to alleviate diabetes or prediabetes.

What seasonings should diabetics avoid? ›

Avoid mixed seasonings and spice blends that include salt, such as garlic salt.

How many net carbs are in sweet chili sauce? ›

Nutritional Snapshot of Sweet Chili Sauce

In a 100g sample, it contains 17.39g of net carbs and 2.5g of protein, making it a source of quick energy. The sauce is also relatively low in fats with just 0.3g total fats, including a balanced mix of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

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