I try to stay away from processed foods whenever I can, but there are some items that I’ve cheated with, either because I was lazy or because I didn’t know how I could make it myself, and the ingredients didn’t look “so bad”.
Thai sweet chili sauce was one of those items. Not too expensive, not such a long list of ingredients and especially not too many scary sounding ingredients… and it wasn’t too expensive, so I would use it here and there.
I love sweet chili sauce as a dipping sauce for egg rolls, on chicken, on rice, on mashed potatoes, in chicken salad, as well as for many other things.
And finally I decided to see if I could make my own recipe that would be healthier and/or cheaper than the store bought stuff.
The recipes I found online all used white sugar and white vinegar, but I made mine with honey and apple cider vinegar, which is healthier. But if you’re vegan or just trying to keep this as cheap as possible, you can use the alternatives listed in parenthesis.
This isn’t the spiciest or sweetest sauce, and I prefer it that way, but feel free to add more hot pepper flakes, or sweetener or vinegar if you prefer it that way.
I’ve included a few thickeners that I know will work, but if you don’t use those thickeners, try playing around with thickeners that you do use, like ground flax seeds, ground chia seeds, pectin, xanthan gum, agar, etc…

Healthy Homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe- Sugar Free Options, Gluten Free, Vegan Option

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey (or sugar or agave)
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
1 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup potato starch (or corn starch, tapioca starch, arrowroot powder, or any other thickener)

Instructions:
1. Mix the honey/sugar, vinegar, and most of the water. Bring to a boil and stir until dissolved.

2. Add the hot pepper flakes, salt, and garlic powder. Mix and simmer for 2-3 more minutes.

3. Mix the starch with the rest of the water, then add to the pot.

4. Heat, stirring until thickened.

5. Adjust flavorings to taste.

Are you a fan of sweet chili sauce? How do you use it? Do you usually buy it or make it? If you make it, how do you make it?
Do you generally make your own condiments or buy them? If you make some condiments, which ones do you make?
Does this look like a recipe you’d try?