Buffalo sauce is a popular spicy sauce that is often paired with chicken wings or used as a dipping sauce. It’s known for its tangy, vinegar-based flavor and ability to add heat and zing to dishes. But with its creamy texture, many people wonder whether traditional buffalo sauce contains dairy products like milk, cream or butter that would make it unsuitable for those with dairy restrictions or allergies.
The Main Ingredients in Traditional Buffalo Sauce
The original buffalo wing sauce was created in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. It was made by combining hot sauce and butter. Specifically, the main ingredients in traditional buffalo sauce are:
- Hot sauce: Usually cayenne pepper hot sauce like Frank’s RedHot sauce, which provides the signature spicy flavor.
- Butter: Often unsalted butter, which gives buffalo sauce its rich, creamy texture.
- Vinegar: White vinegar is commonly used to provide acidity and tanginess.
- Garlic powder: For additional garlic flavor.
- Onion powder: For a touch of onion flavor.
- Salt and pepper: To season.
So the two key ingredients in authentic, classic buffalo sauce recipes are hot sauce and butter. The butter is what gives it the thick, creamy texture that it’s known for. But it also means traditional buffalo wing sauce contains a dairy ingredient and is not vegan or dairy-free.
Making Dairy-Free Buffalo Sauce
The good news is that dairy-free, vegan buffalo sauce is easy to make at home. There are a few simple ingredient swaps and adjustments you can make:
- Use oil instead of butter: Replace the butter with the same amount of vegetable oil, olive oil or melted coconut oil.
- Use non-dairy milk: For a thicker consistency similar to using butter, substitute the same amount of plain unsweetened non-dairy milk like soy, almond or oat milk.
- Add starch: Adding a small amount of starch like arrowroot powder or cornstarch will help thicken the sauce.
- Adjust viscosity: Water or broth can thin the sauce out, while reducing on the stovetop will help thicken and concentrate flavors.
- Boost creaminess: Ingredients like soaked cashews, blended silken tofu or mashed avocado can provide a rich, creamy texture.
Here is a simple recipe for how to make dairy-free vegan buffalo sauce at home:
Dairy-Free Buffalo Sauce Recipe
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp soy milk, almond milk or oat milk
- 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- In a small bowl, whisk together the hot sauce, oil, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder and non-dairy milk.
- Add the arrowroot powder and whisk vigorously until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened more. Remove from heat.
- Let cool slightly before using. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This recipe produces a dairy-free homemade buffalo sauce that gets its creamy richness from heart-healthy oils and non-dairy milk. The arrowroot powder helps thicken it without requiring butter. Add more or less milk and arrowroot to get the exact consistency you prefer.
Purchasing Vegan Buffalo Sauce
If you want the convenience of a ready-made vegan buffalo sauce, more brands are offering dairy-free options:
- Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce – Their original sauce contains butter, but they now offer a vegan Buffalo sauce.
- Tessemae’s Creamy Buffalo Sauce – Made with olive oil and almond milk instead of butter.
- Pritech Foods Vegan Buffalo Sauce – Uses sunflower oil as the vegan butter replacement.
- Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce – Does not contain butter or cream.
- Cholula Hot Sauce – Most of their hot sauce varieties are vegan.
Always check the ingredient label for milk, cream or butter if buying from the grocery store. Many small batch brands of vegan/dairy-free buffalo sauces can also be found online or at specialty health food stores.
Uses for Dairy-Free Buffalo Sauce
Dairy-free buffalo sauce can be used any way you’d use the traditional versions. Some popular uses include:
- Tossed with baked, fried or air-fried chicken wings or cauliflower wings
- Served alongside chicken tenders or veggie nuggets
- As a dip for fresh cut vegetables
- Drizzled over a plant-based buffalo chicken pizza
- Added to burgers or sandwiches
- Stirred into bean chili or vegan soup recipes
- Used to make buffalo style wraps or lettuce wraps
- Added spice and flavor to casseroles or grain bowls
- Used as a marinade or sauce for grilled meats, tofu or tempeh
Continue reading for answers to some frequently asked questions about buffalo sauce and dairy-free diets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do people want buffalo sauce without dairy?
There are a few main reasons why people want to use or make dairy-free buffalo sauce:
- Dairy allergies – Some people have an allergy or intolerance to milk proteins and need to avoid butter, cream and other dairy products.
- Vegan diet – Vegans do not consume any animal products, including dairy from cows, and require plant-based sauce options.
- Health reasons – Some people avoid dairy for potential health benefits, especially related to inflammation or digestive issues.
- Paleo or Whole30 diets – Butter and cream are not allowed on very low carb, high protein diets like the Paleo diet or Whole30 programs.
Using dairy-free substitutions allows those with dietary restrictions to still enjoy the spicy bold flavors of buffalo sauce.
Is buffalo sauce keto?
Authentic buffalo sauce made with butter is not keto diet friendly. Butter does contain traces of lactose carbs. And many hot sauces have added sugars or thickeners like cornstarch that make them higher in carbs.
However, it’s possible to make a keto buffalo sauce by using low carb ingredients:
- Replace butter with olive oil or avocado oil
- Use a low carb hot sauce like Tabasco
- Thicken with xanthan gum instead of starch
- Add more vinegar for tanginess instead of sugar
Searching for “keto buffalo sauce” will yield many recipes tailored to keeping carbs very low.
Is buffalo sauce acidic?
Yes, buffalo wing sauce has an acidic pH level due to two of its main ingredients: hot sauce and vinegar. The vinegar content makes it very acidic with a pH around 2.8 – 3.2.
Such an acidic sauce helps balance out the rich flavor of fried chicken wings or fatty proteins like beef. But the high acidity can cause issues for some with reflux disease or acid sensitivity.
Is buffalo sauce spicy?
Buffalo sauce definitely has some spice kick from the hot sauce used in the recipe. But it’s not an overly spicy sauce in most cases. On a spice scale, it usually ranks around a 4 out of 10.
The spiciness can vary based on the amount and type of hot sauce used. Tabasco and Frank’s RedHot are medium heat sauces often used. For very mild buffalo flavor, you can use a hot sauce alternative like sriracha.
Does buffalo sauce need to be refrigerated?
Yes, it’s important to refrigerate leftover buffalo sauce, especially any containing dairy ingredients like butter. The dairy can allow dangerous bacteria to grow if left unrefrigerated.
Even dairy-free buffalo sauces should be kept refrigerated after opening for optimal freshness and food safety. Most prepared buffalo sauces will be marked “refrigerate after opening.”
Properly stored, buffalo sauce will keep for 3 – 4 weeks in the refrigerator. Look for any mold growth before using leftover sauce.
The Bottom Line
Classic buffalo sauce contains two core ingredients that make it not dairy-free – hot sauce and butter. But with some simple ingredient swaps like using oil instead of butter and non-dairy milk for creaminess, you can easily make or buy dairy-free, vegan friendly buffalo sauce.
Look for buffalo sauce without butter, cream or milk on the ingredient list if you need to avoid dairy. Or whip up a homemade batch using vegan butter alternatives and seasonings for the perfect dairy-free dipping sauce.
