Top 10 Hoisin Sauce Substitutes

Hoisin sauce is a delicious addition to a variety of dishes.

And luckily, if you run out, you can easily make your own hoisin sauce substitute in no time. 

What is Hoisin Sauce?

From ramen and stir-fries to dipping sauces for tasty appetizers, Hoisin sauce is the bomb.

It’s a dark, sweet-salty sauce that’s thick and glossy. You can use it as a dipper, a glaze, or in a ton of tasty recipes.

Traditional hoisin is made with fermented beans, five-spice, and soy sauce.

Every recipe varies slightly, but these are key to achieving that sweet, sticky goodness. 

Of course, not too many of us have fermented beans on hand. But if you have kidney beans and molasses, you can quickly mimic the flavor.

Add in some extras to deepen the taste, and these hoisin sauce substitutes might just be better than the original. 

The Best Substitutes for Hoisin Sauce

There are a few ready-made hoisin sauce substitutes out there. They include:

• Soy sauce (1:2 swap)
• Black bean sauce (1:1 swap)
• Oyster sauce (1:1 swap)
• Fish sauce (1:4 swap)
• Teriyaki sauce (1:1 swap)

But you won’t get the same texture or taste out of any of them.

So if you want a really good hoisin sauce alternative, you’ll need to do a little more legwork.

The recipes below may seem complex, but so is hoisin. And the added benefit of making it yourself is that you can play with the flavors.

Note: All of these swaps can be used on a 1-to-1 basis.

Of course, it depends on what you’re cooking and how different the consistency is when you’re done.

1. Garlic Teriyaki + Kidney Beans

Store-bought teriyaki is largely comparable to hoisin sauce and can be used in equal parts when you’re out.

The biggest difference between the two is the soy component.

So while you can use it on a 1-to-1 ratio, you might find you need less teriyaki since it’s saltier.

That said, by pureeing some key ingredients with teriyaki sauce, you can easily make your own hoisin. 

Try this recipe. Just blend everything until smooth (ish):

• 3/4 cup of kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 3 tablespoons of molasses
• 3 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of five-spice powder
• 2 cloves of garlic

Kidney beans and molasses make the sauce thicker, like hoisin. Meanwhile, teriyaki, red wine vinegar, five-spice, and garlic add the umami flavor.

If you want it sweeter, add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar.

How to Substitute: Swap 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce with 1/4 cup of homemade teriyaki and kidney bean sauce.

Note: For a quick teriyaki swap, use 3 tablespoons of teriyaki + 1 tablespoon of soy sauce per 1/4 cup of hoisin.

2. Garlic + Prunes

If you don’t have hoisin, maybe you don’t have teriyaki either. So, let’s look at a recipe with a few pantry staples.

(At least, they’re pantry staples for people who like to cook.)

This is one of the easiest substitutions to make and is so delicious! 

Dried prunes are an excellent way to achieve the sweetness of hoisin. And they’re natural, which I prefer over adding sugar.

Just be sure to boil them first to make sure they’re nice and soft before pureeing. 

Here’s a recipe I find works every time:

• 2 cups of water
• 3/4 cup of pitted prunes (boiled and cooled)
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of dry sherry
• 2 cloves of garlic

Add more water to the food processor as needed until you reach your desired consistency.

How to Substitute: Swap 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce with 1/4 cup of homemade garlic and prune sauce.

3. Bean Paste + Brown Sugar

If you have some on hand, bean paste is a staple in making hoisin sauce.

In fact, bean paste and brown sugar create that perfect thick, sticky sauce to add to noodles and rice.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think:

• 1/3 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons of chinese black bean paste
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of chinese five spice powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil

Each element here really brings out the rich and savory hoisin flavor. 

But again, you can adjust the flavor and consistency by playing with the measurements and even adding other pantry staples.

This might include honey, chili paste, or garlic. 

How to Substitute: Swap 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce with 1/4 cup of homemade bean paste sauce.

4. Sriracha + Molasses

If you’re anything like me, you always have a bottle of sriracha on hand. And it’s an excellent substitution if you don’t have five-spice in your pantry.

Of course, it won’t work well as a substitute for hoisin. Not until you do a bit of kitchen magic!

Try out this recipe:

• 1 tablespoon of sriracha
• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of molasses
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon of five-spice powder

Add an extra tablespoon of Sriracha if you like it spicy.

Heat the hot sauce first. When it starts to bubble, add the molasses, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and peanut butter. 

Heat until well mixed and bubbly, then allow it to cool.

You’ll be blown away by the matching flavor and consistency of this hoisin substitute!

How to Substitute: Swap 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce with 1/4 cup of homemade sriracha and molasses sauce.

5. Soy Sauce + Peanut Butter 

Peanut butter is a surprisingly excellent addition to achieve complex flavors. It’s salty, savory, and the perfect balancing agent for homemade hoisin.

For this substitution, you’ll prepare a tasty addition to stir-fries or BBQ meats.

Make this in a bowl and mix until combined, or heat before serving. Here’s the recipe:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons of hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons of white vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of honey
• 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder

The bulk of the sauce is made with peanut butter and soy sauce. And if you like it extra nutty, feel free to add an extra tablespoon of peanut butter.

Then, add the hot sauce, brown sugar, honey, and white vinegar and heat until the sugar has dissolved.

It’s amazing how well it duplicates that signature hoisin flavor. 

How to Substitute: Swap 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce with 1/4 cup of homemade soy and peanut butter sauce.

6. Barbecue Sauce + Molasses

This is by far the easiest and quickest way to make hoisin sauce at home. 

Simply combine BBQ sauce, molasses, soy sauce, and five-spice. No food processor or heat is needed for this recipe! 

If you don’t have five-spice on hand, use allspice or a masala blend instead.

I don’t have an exact recipe, it’s more of a “taste and adjust” kind of thing. But here’s what I usually start with:

• 3/4 cup of barbecue sauce
• 3 tablespoons of molasses
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of five-spice powder

There isn’t much to making this easy hoisin sauce substitute!

How to Substitute: Swap 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce with 1/4 cup of homemade BBQ and molasses sauce.

7. Ginger + Plum Jam

If you happen to have a jar of plum jam in your fridge, it’s time to bring it out! This sweet spread is an excellent ingredient for homemade hoisin. 

Simply mix the jam with soy sauce, garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger. How easy is that?

Here’s the recipe:

• 2 tablespoons of plum jam
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger (peeled and grated)
• 1 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red peppers

This substitute is best with freshly grated ginger, but ginger paste can be used instead. 

And if you don’t have plum jam, try it with grape.

How to Substitute: Swap 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce with 1/4 cup of homemade ginger and plum jam sauce.

8. Black Beans + Plums 

Cooked black beans are an amazing way to achieve the thickness of hoisin sauce.

But if you have a jar of black bean sauce on hand, that’s even better!

And when you mix it with plums, you get such a delightfully umami-rich yet sweet sauce.

Try out this recipe:

• 2 large plums (chopped)
• 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 3 tablespoons of black bean and garlic sauce
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of five-spice powder

You’ll start by making jam with the plums, brown sugar, and water. Once it’s soft and thick, add the black bean sauce.

Leave that to cool, then blend it with the soy sauce, vinegar, oil, and five-spice powder.

I like to add a touch of Sriracha to the mixture. But that’s totally optional. And this is yummy as is!

How to Substitute: Swap 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce with 1/4 cup of homemade black bean and plum sauce.

9. Miso Paste, Mustard, and Raisins

Traditional hoisin sauce is made with miso paste to thicken and deepen the flavors.

It’s also the reason it’s so umami-rich and flavorful.

So, if you combine miso with a few pantry staples, you’ll have yourself a tasty homemade hoisin!

This recipe calls for raisins for chewy sweetness, which I find super helpful since we all have raisins on hand, right?

• 1 cup of raisins (soaked in water for 1 hour to soften)
• 1 1/4 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon of miso paste
• 1 teaspoon of mustard
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red peppers

Soak the raisins in warm water to rehydrate. Then, blend them with water, miso paste, mustard, garlic, and sesame oil in a food processor.

Add in some Asian hot sauce like Sriracha or chili paste for even more flavor.

You’ll need about a cup of raisins for every cup of water, depending on how much you want to make.

The miso, mustard, sesame oil, and garlic can easily be adjusted for flavor and consistency. 

How to Substitute: Swap 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce with 1/4 cup of homemade miso, mustard, and raisin sauce.

10. Oyster Sauce

Oyster sauce is probably the closest to a 1-to-1 substitute for hoisin sauce.

You can find this fishy sauce in most supermarkets, your closest Asian market, or online. 

It isn’t a perfect substitution, but the flavors are similar enough for stir-fries or noodles.

Oyster sauce is missing the sweetness of hoisin, so consider adding honey or brown sugar. 

It’s all about balancing the sweet, salty, and savory flavors with hoisin, so feel free to mix it up!

How to Substitute: Swap 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce with 1/4 cup of oyster sauce.