Easy Mole Sauce

Rich, chocolatey, and full of spicy pepper flavor, this Homemade Mole Sauce is secretly so simple to make!  Unlike other authentic mole recipes, this one is made with easy-to-find ingredients such as nut butter, cocoa powder, chili powder, and other common Mexican spices.  Use it up on your favorite chicken enchiladas, tacos, and roasted chicken, or make a double batch and store it for later!

Easy Mole Sauce Recipe

There is a perfect balance that must be struck between chocolatey cocoa flavors and earthy pepper spices in a classic mole suace.

Too much chocolate and it becomes overly sweet.  A heavy hand on the peppers and you lose the cacao flavor.

When I approached this tricky Mexican classic at home I first turned to the more authentic recipes.

The first few ingredients looked familiar… and then as I continued reading the list never seemed to end!!  Many of the authentic mole sauces call for 20+ ingredients – and at least 3 hours of cook time!

That simply would not do.  If I didn’t have the time or the patience to slave away over a bubbling pot of mole sauce, I had a feeling you wouldn’t want to either.

So I began picking these classic recipes apart.

Dried ancho, chipotle, and guajillo peppers?  Hmmm… why not replace that with some chili powder and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce?!

Three different kinds of nuts and seeds…  Let’s just use a little nut butter!

Mexican chocolate… regular cocoa powder will do.

And three HOURS of simmering…  No way Jose!  How about we reduce that liquid and cut down the cook time significantly.

To say it was perfect the first time around would be a bold-faced lie.  Because the hubby and I are massive connoisseurs of this classic Mexican chocolate sauce.

But after a few rounds, this mole sauce recipe was born.  And it is indeed the BEST because it is also the EASIEST and the CLOSEST to an authentic sauce as you can get without wearing yourself out.

What is Mole Sauce?

Mole is a classic Mexican recipe that is either used as a sauce or a marinade.  It is typically served as a sauce over chicken, with enchiladas, or in tacos.

The more popular, Mole Poblano Sauce, is deep brown-red in color and has deep, earthy tones, spicy peppers, and cacao flavors.  This complex flavor profile is made possible by the combination of numerous dried peppers, nuts, seeds, fruit, and rich spices such as cumin and cinnamon.

Ingredients

While the ingredient list has been shortened significantly, there are still quite a few ingredients needed for this easy mole sauce recipe.  Luckily, they are all incredibly easy to find at just about any grocery store.

Onion – A sweet or white onion is recommended.  Do not use yellow as these have a very strong flavor.

Chili Powder – Instead of using multiple dried peppers, a good bit of chili powder will be used.  If you have the option try to mix up the types of chili powders you use for a more complex flavor.  Some grocery stores will have guajillo chili powder, ancho chili powder, and even pasilla chili powder.

Cocoa Powder – A regular cocoa powder was used but cacao powder may also be used.  Do not use a dark cocoa powder.  It will result in a very different flavor.

Chipotle Peppers – A shortcut we’re taking is to use chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.  These have an incredible smoky flavor that is very unique to this sauce.  If you don’t like your mole sauce too spicy, only use 1 pepper.  If you prefer a very spicy mole sauce, use 2-3 peppers.

Nut Butter – Either almond butter or peanut butter can be used.  Look for one that has no sugar added.  If you’re allergic to nuts, you can also try using a sunflower butter or even tahini paste.

Raisins – A little bit of fruit gives the sauce a subtle sweetness.  Purple or golden raisins may both be used.

Spices – A combination of cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and cloves combine to give the sauce an incredible earthy tone.  Be careful when adding in the cloves because a little bit really does go a long way!  If you have someone that doesn’t care for cloves, try substituting it with nutmeg instead.

Starch – Cornstarch helps to thicken up the sauce.  You can also use arrowroot starch or tapioca starch instead.

Broth – Regular sodium chicken broth was used when testing this recipe.  However, vegetable broth can be used if you’re vegan or vegetarian.

How to Make

These are the steps to follow to make a homemade mole sauce recipe:

1. Place a medium-sized saucepan or skillet over medium heat.  A saucepan is preferred since it’s deeper, but a shallower skillet may be used.

2. Add oil and diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes.  Add crushed garlic and continue sautéing for another minute. (step 2 above)

3. In a small bowl whisk together the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, salt, and black pepper.

4. Reduce heat to low and stir in the mixed seasoning ingredients along with the cornstarch.  Stir for 1 minute.  Pay very close attention here.  If you stop stirring the bottom may burn! (step 2 above)

5. Pour in ½ cup of broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any bits or pieces.  And scrape it really good!  You want to make sure and get all of the flavorful ingredients blended together in the next step. (step 3 above)

6. Add the onion and seasoning mixture to a large food processor or a high-speed blender along with the chipotle peppers, almond butter, raisins, cocoa powder, and remaining broth. (step 4 above)

7. Process for 1-2 minutes or until it is completely smooth.  And double-check that it’s smooth.  The last thing you want is to get a big bite of a chipotle pepper in your sauce!

8. Pour the sauce back into the saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  The key here is UNCOVERED.  If you cover the sauce while cooking there will be no way for the extra liquid to evaporate off and you’ll end up with a very runny mole sauce. (step 5 above)

You should end up with ~2 ¼ cups of mole sauce.  If you get more than this you’ll want to add it back to the saucepan and continue simmering it until it has reduced to this amount.

Blending Options

There are a few different ways you can blend up the mole sauce before simmering:

• Smaller High-Speed Blender – The Nutribullet performed the best for me and resulted in the smoothest sauce in the least amount of time.  You do have to make sure you have a relatively large cup in order to fit all of the ingredients into here without going over the max fill line.
• Larger High-Speed Blender – A Vitamix is another great option.  It’s has a large capacity so you don’t have to worry about overfilling it while it also ensures that everything is blended up evenly.
• Large Food Processor – This one also does a pretty good job but does require you to stop and scrape down the sides a few times while processing.
• Immersion Blender – Another great option, but it can get a little messy.  Pay careful attention if using this so you do not lift the blender out of the pot too far and end up splattering sauce all over your shirt.

Meal Prep and Storage

To Prep-Ahead: Mole sauce can be prepared up to 2-3 days in advance of using.  The longer it sits in the refrigerator the longer the ingredients have to meld together, so it actually gets better with time!

To Store:  Homemade mole sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To Freeze:  Mole sauce freezes exceptionally well.  Place it in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 4-6 months.  You can also freeze it in smaller batches and pull it out when you need a flavorful marinade or small amount of sauce to drizzle.

To Reheat: It’s best if you reheat mole sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes.  You can also microwave it if you’re pressed for time.

Dietary Modifications

This recipe is already gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, soy-free, and low-carb.   Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help it fit your other dietary requirements:

Vegan – Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Paleo – Make sure to use a sugar-free almond butter and cocoa powder.

Whole30 – Use dates with no added sugar instead of raisins.

Nut-free – Substitute sunflower butter or tahini paste for the almond butter.

Keto – Leave out the dried raisins and substitute with a few drops of stevia liquid extract.

FAQs

What’s mole sauce made of?

A typical mole sauce is made from dried chilis or chili powders, nuts and/or seeds, fruit, cocoa or chocolate, and either broth or water.

Is mole sauce healthy?

Mole sauce can be a calorically dense food but it is made with healthy, real food ingredients such as nuts, seeds, fruits, and chilis.

Does all mole have chocolate?

Not all mole sauces have to have chocolate in them.  The darker red-brown mole sauce is the most common type found in the US and is made with either Mexican chocolate or cocoa powder.

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Use a mix of chili powders.  The various types of chili makes the flavor profile of the sauce more complex.
• Simmer the sauce uncovered.  Leaving the saucepan exposed to the air allows any extra liquid to evaporate off and leads to a thicker sauce.
• A high-speed blender works the best.  A Nutribullet or Vitamix will be your best friend when it comes to pureeing this sauce.
• Process until super smooth.  You don’t want any lumps of clumps in the sauce, so make sure you blend until smooth.
• Double the batch.  Mole sauce freeze exceptionally well, so double the batch and store some for later!

How to Use Mole Sauce

Once you’ve got your homemade mole sauce ready to eat, you can use it up with these other dishes:

• Chicken Mole Enchiladas
• Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
• Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos
• Chicken Tostadas (Sub the tinga sauce for mole sauce!)

5 from 2 votes

Easy Mole Sauce Recipe

Rich, chocolatey, and full of spicy pepper flavor, this Homemade Mole Sauce is secretly so simple to make!  Unlike other authentic mole recipes, this one is made with easy-to-find ingredients such as nut butter, cocoa powder, chili powder, and other common Mexican spices.  Use it up on your favorite chicken enchiladas, tacos, and roasted chicken, or make a double batch and store it for later!

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Course sauce

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword authentic, easy, homemade, Mexican

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 89 kcal

London Brazil

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. oil avocado or olive
• 1 cup sweet onion finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder mild or mixed
• 1 tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. coriander
• ⅛ tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 2 ½ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce with sauce
• 3 Tbsp. almond butter or peanut butter
• ¼ cup raisins or dates
• 2 ½ Tbsp. cocoa powder regular

Instructions

1. Place a medium-sized saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
2. Add oil and diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add crushed garlic and continue sautéing for another minute.
4. In a small bowl whisk together the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, salt, and black pepper.
5. Reduce heat to low and stir in the mixed seasoning ingredients along with the cornstarch. Stir for 1 minute.
6. Pour in ½ cup of broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any bits or pieces.
7. Add the onion and seasoning mixture to a large food processor or a high-speed blender along with the chipotle peppers, almond butter, raisins, cocoa powder, and remaining broth.
8. Process for 1-2 minutes or until it is completely smooth.
9. Pour the sauce back into the saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

10. You should end up with ~2 ¼ cups of mole sauce. Use immediately to make these Chicken Mole Enchiladas or store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

Recipe Notes

Meal Prep and Storage

• To Prep-Ahead: Mole sauce can be prepared up to 2-3 days in advance of using.  The longer it sits in the refrigerator the longer the ingredients have to meld together, so it actually gets better with time!
• To Store:  Homemade mole sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• To Freeze:  Mole sauce freezes exceptionally well.  Place it in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 4-6 months.  You can also freeze it in smaller batches and pull it out when you need a flavorful marinade or small amount of sauce to drizzle.
• To Reheat: It's best if you reheat mole sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes.  You can also microwave it if you're pressed for time.

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Use a mix of chili powders.  The various types of chili makes the flavor profile of the sauce more complex.
• Simmer the sauce uncovered.  Leaving the saucepan exposed to the air allows any extra liquid to evaporate off and leads to a thicker sauce.
• A high-speed blender works the best.  A Nutribullet or Vitamix will be your best friend when it comes to pureeing this sauce.
• Process until super smooth.  You don't want any lumps of clumps in the sauce, so make sure you blend until smooth.
• Double the batch.  Mole sauce freeze exceptionally well, so double the batch and store some for later!

Nutrition Facts

Easy Mole Sauce Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 89 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 1g

Sodium 484mg21%

Potassium 280mg8%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 926IU19%

Vitamin C 7mg8%

Calcium 52mg5%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.