No matter whether you are looking for a sweet creamy peanut sauce for your rice, noodles, or meat or a tangy Italian dressing for your salad, you do not have to settle for store-bought sauces that are full of preservatives.
Why not make your own?
It is so easy to do and typically only uses a handful of ingredients.
In fact, some of my favorite sauce recipes only use two or three ingredients so they are extremely fast and easy to prepare.
When it is that easy to do, it makes you wonder why you have been spending all that money to buy the prepared sauces from the grocery store.
Making it yourself is so much more satisfying.
5 delicious sauces that are incredibly easy to make
From thick and creamy caramel sauce to spicy and tangy peanut sauce, these recipes are sure to become your favorites like they are for my family.
We do not buy any bottled sauces anymore because making it fresh is so easy and much healthier.
Here are our five favorite easy sauce recipes:
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
This homemade alfredo sauce is packed with flavors like cream, butter, and cream cheese as well as garlic and parmesan cheese.
Blending all that with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to bring out the hidden spices makes this sauce perfect for any dish like chicken alfredo or just to dip your pizza in.
The secret ingredient here is nutmeg.
Although it is not a necessity, nutmeg gives the creamy sauce a warm and slightly sweet taste making it stand out from even the most expensive brands you can buy at the store.
For a spicy kick, add some Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper.
Balsamic Glaze
This is one of the simplest recipes there is with only two ingredients.
You just cannot go wrong with only two ingredients! However, these two elements need to be high quality to make your balsamic glaze taste amazing.
The main item is balsamic vinegar, and you want to get the best kind you can find.
Test out different kinds of vinegar until you find what you like best. It should be rich and slightly sweet with a dark overtone.
The other ingredient is the brown sugar, which is just as important so do not skimp on this either. But you could substitute the sugar with maple syrup or honey if you want.
Drizzle it on veggies, meats, bread, or desserts.
Caramel Sauce
Another super easy recipe is this caramel sauce with only four ingredients including sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt.
It only takes 10 minutes to make, you only need one pot, and you do not even need a thermometer like you do with some other sweet sauces and candies.
This decadent sauce is perfect for dipping fruit or drizzled over ice cream.
Just melt the butter with the sugar until it is brown and bubbly and then add the heavy cream.
Stir until it boils and then let it boil for one minute without stirring so it will get thick.
Add the salt last and pour it into a mason jar for storing, if there is any left after you and your family use it on everything you can think of.
Italian Dressing
This Italian dressing recipe is healthy, tangy, and fast, ready in just five minutes. It is perfect for salads, meat, veggies, and in other recipes.
Sprinkle a bit of this on any dish for a burst of flavor like you cannot get in any supermarket dressing.
All you need for this easy recipe is olive oil, vinegar, honey, lemon juice, herbs, and parmesan.
Put it all in a mason jar or glass bottle, put the lid on, and shake it until it is well blended or just mix it with a whisk.
Then, chill for 30 minutes or overnight for the best flavor.
Creamy Peanut Sauce
Peanut sauce is a favorite for Asian foods like rice, noodles, and sushi but you could also add it to other dishes like baked salmon, vegetables, or use it as a dip.
This is also great with spring rolls or on top of chicken.
The simple recipe includes peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.
The easy way to prepare this sauce is to use a blender or a food processer.
Put all the ingredients into the blender with a bit of water and add a few flakes of red pepper, mix, and serve with your favorite Asian dish.
For a sweeter sauce, add some maple syrup or honey.
Also, if you happen to be allergic to peanuts, try almond butter instead.