Description
Healthy Sweet & Sour Sauce is a lightened-up copycat version of McDonald’s classic dipping sauce. Made with apricot jam, vinegar, soy sauce, and natural sweetener, it delivers the same tangy-sweet flavor with fewer calories. Perfect for dipping nuggets, spring rolls, or drizzling over stir-fries, this quick 10-minute recipe is simple, versatile, and meal-prep friendly.
Ingredients
100 g pure apricot jam
¼ cup water
1–2 tablespoons sweetener (Natvia, Truvia, monk fruit, or preferred)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Dash of garlic powder
Salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine apricot jam, water, sweetener, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Stir well.
- (Optional) Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with a splash of cold water to form a slurry, then stir it into the sauce.
- Simmer for 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Let cool before transferring to a jar or airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Use sugar-free apricot jam for an even lighter version.
- Add pineapple juice for a tropical twist.
- Spice it up with chili flakes or sriracha.
- Swap apricot jam for peach, plum, or orange jam.
- Use tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free option.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 35
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
