Upgrade your homemade burgers and sandwiches with the most delicious healthy big mac sauce! This vegan version uses the naturally creamy texture of cashews to make it totally plant-based and dairy-free. It has a delightfully tangy flavor, just like the real deal, but is made with better-for-you ingredients!
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The Most Delicious Sauce Ever!
Although we don’t tend to eat a lot of fast food, there is one special ingredient I crave every now and again: the secret sauce! McDonald’s Big Mac sauce is something else. It’s like a cross between Thousand Island dressing and tartar sauce, and is seriously good!
This healthy Big Mac sauce tastes just like the real thing, but it’s made without mayo to make it totally vegan! It’s a must for your Big Mac tacos, salad bowls, veggie burgers, French fries, tater tots, and anything else you’d like to serve it on!
What is Big Mac Sauce?
McDonald’s special sauce is a pickle-heavy condiment that’s been gracing burger buns since the 1960s. It’s made with a mayo base and has sweet pickle relish, sugar, and a bunch of spices (as well as preservatives, flavors, and stabilizers). There’s a subtle smokiness from the paprika and savory spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and more.
This healthy burger sauce without mayo has a very similar flavor, except it’s naturally dairy-free, vegan, and made with no added sugar!
Why this Recipe is Dietitian-Approved
- Completely homemade: The original version is heavily processed, but this DIY recipe is completely from scratch (minus the pickles). This means you can totally control the quality of the ingredients and make sure it suits your dietary needs. It also means you can whip up a batch any time to drizzle over your French fries, onion rings, burgers, and more!
- Naturally plant-based: There are zero animal products in this recipe! Unlike other versions that use Greek yogurt or mayo, this homemade Big Mac sauce recipe uses cashews for a creamy dip without dairy or eggs so it works well for a variety of dietary needs.
- Healthier alternative: Beyond being highly processed, the McDonald’s sauce is also high in calories. This comes from the mayo, which is essentially just oil, egg yolks, and vinegar. One serving has 140 calories with 2g of fat, 2g of sugar, and 6% of the recommended amount of sodium per day. By making it at home, you’ll be able to reduce the oil, increase the fiber, ditch the sugar, and adjust the sodium to taste.
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted cashews: Raw, unsalted cashews are best for this as they’ll have a creamier texture and milder flavor.
- Water: Helps to thin out the sauce.
- Tomato paste: This adds a tangy, concentrated umami flavor and an orange color.
- Diced pickles: I usually dice my own pickles.
- Pickle juice: Add a splash of juice from the pickle jar for extra tanginess.
- Dijon mustard: For a tangy bite.
- Lemon juice: You can use fresh or bottled lemon juice. White vinegar is a good alternative.
- Seasonings: Use a mixture of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 2 hours.
- Add all of the ingredients for the big mac sauce to a mini blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a glass jar storage container, such as a mason jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- If you don’t have time to soak the cashews, you can sub in mayo or a combination of mayo and Greek yogurt in a pinch. Just be sure to eliminate the 1/3 cup of water to prevent the sauce from becoming too runny.
Recipe FAQs
Big Mac sauce is like a blend of several different popular sauces all rolled into one. It’s like tartar sauce, but not quite as tangy. It often reminds me of Thousand Island, but it’s brighter and not as sweet. It’s also lightly sweetened, adding a nice contrast to the savory flavor of grilled meats. It’s the perfect tangy topping for any burger (vegan or not) and makes a great dipping sauce, too!
Yes! The McDonald’s website must list any allergens, and their Big Mac Sauce has eggs, soy, and wheat, but no dairy.
The traditional Big Mac sauce has a bunch of different ingredients. It’s basically a mixture of mayo (soybean oil, egg yolks, vinegar) and sweet pickle relish with sugar, spices, additives, and more.
Storage Guidelines
Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Serving Suggestions
This copycat Big Mac sauce recipe can be used in so many ways! Of course, it’s best on your favorite burgers, just like the original, but it’s such a versatile condiment. I like to serve it on burger bowls and it makes a great dipping sauce for homemade chicken nuggets, fries, and more.
Try it with these diner-style entrees and sides:
- Burger Salad Bowl
- Worcestershire Sauce Burger Recipe
- Curly Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Chicken Bites
- Spicy Vegan Black Bean Burger Recipe
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Recipe Variations
- Make it smoky: Use smoked paprika or add a dash of liquid smoke. You could also replace the tomato paste with barbecue sauce to make it more like campfire sauce.
- Use storebought relish: I prefer to use dill pickles to ditch the high fructose corn syrup and sugar, but you can definitely use dill pickle relish if you prefer.
- Add some heat: The original formula is definitely not spicy, but yours can be! For a spicy kick, add a very small dash (or two) of cayenne pepper.
More Healthy Sauce Recipes
- Healthy Chick-Fil-A Sauce
- Healthy BBQ Sauce
- Healthy Stir Fry Sauce
- Healthy Tzatziki Sauce
- Avocado Creme
- Roasted Garlic Mayo
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Healthy Big Mac Sauce {No Mayo}
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted cashews, soaked
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons diced pickles
- 2 teaspoons pickle juice (from the pickle jar)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice (or sub in white vinegar)
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 2 hours.
- Add all of the ingredients for the big mac sauce to a mini blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a glass jar storage container, such as a mason jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- If you don’t have time to soak the cashews, you can sub in mayo or a combination of mayo and Greek yogurt in a pinch. Just be sure to eliminate the 1/3 cup of water to prevent the sauce from becoming too runny.
- The nutritional information is based on about 2 tablespoons of sauce.
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