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Craving Mole Poblano? This easy, shortcut vegan mole sauce recipe is packed with rich, savory flavors but takes way less time and effort than the traditional version!
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What Is Mole?
Mole poblano is a traditional chile-based Mexican sauce originating from Puebla. It’s loved for its rich, sweet, spicy, savory, complex flavor, thanks to a mix of over 20 ingredients. Traditionally, it includes a blend of dried chiles and spices, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and a hint of chocolate, many requiring individual preparation before being added to the mole sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Mole Poblano
Classic Mole Poblano may be a labor of love, but with a list of ingredients longer than a holiday packing list and a process that can take a whole day to complete, it’s not exactly weeknight-friendly (or a good test of my patience).
Enter this shortcut version! It’s not exactly authentic, but with experimentation, I’ve come up with a recipe for a vegan mole sauce that’s fast, easy, uses simple, accessible ingredients, and is still packed with flavor.
It’s perfect over quinoa black bean burritos, vegan chilaquiles, and more.
The Ingredients
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients, substitutes, and quantities.
Recipe Variations
You can add depth to this mole recipe with any of the following ingredients. Simply add them to taste, based on your preferences:
- Seasoning: like bay leaves, dried thyme, or marjoram
- Chocolate: for depth of flavor, like vegan Mexican chocolate (finely chopped to replace the cocoa powder). I like using Ibarra or Tazo.
- Tomatillo: Pan-charred for tart flavor depth.
- Pan-fried nuts/seeds: Peanuts, almonds, and/or pumpkin seeds are traditionally used to thicken the sauce while adding flavor.
- Tortillas: like these tortillas de harina and/or bolillo bread (fried and then used to thicken the sauce).
How to Make Vegan Mole Sauce
These step-by-step photos are here to help you get the best results. Use them as a visual guide to check texture as you go, and be sure to reference the recipe card below for exact measurements.
Step 1: First, peel and chop the onion, then make the garlic paste by peeling the garlic, finely chopping it, then mashing it into a paste with ¾ teaspoon salt. Next, heat the oil in a large, heavy-based skillet/Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, sauté the onion for 1 minute, then add the coriander, aniseed, chile powder, cumin, cinnamon, sugar, and cloves, stir, and sauté for a minute.
Step 2: Next, reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cocoa powder, peanut butter, water/stock, tomatoes, chiles, raisins, garlic paste and salt – to taste.
Step 3: Then, simmer the mole poblano, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Finally, puree until smooth. You can either use an immersion blender directly in the pot OR work in batches, transferring the mole to a blender and pureeing until smooth. Thin the mole sauce with water/stock as desired – then enjoy!
Optionally, strain the sauce for silky smoothness.
FAQs
Yes – cook it on manual high pressure for 8-9 minutes.
Sure – it will add extra time and effort to the recipe, but it also really helps to provide the typical base of an authentic mole poblano recipe. I recommend using a combination of ancho chiles, mulatos, pasillas, and guajillo chiles. I like buying a package like this one.
First, remove the ribs and seeds from the chiles and then fry the chiles in oil until fragrant, with a deep color. Then, transfer them to boiling water to soak and reconstitute for 20-30 minutes.
Traditionally, mole poblano is thickened with pan-fried nuts/seeds and bread (corn tortillas and bolillo) blended into the sauce.
Toni’s Recipe Tips
- Taste and adjust: Add more spices, more sugar, etc. based on your taste.
- Adjust the thickness: By changing how much liquid you add.
- Don’t rush the simmer: Like soup, the longer it simmers, the deeper and more developed the flavors become.
- Smoothest sauce: Press it through a strainer for the silkiest, smooth Mexican-inspired mole sauce.
How To Use Mole Poblano Sauce
Mole poblano is a versatile, rich, and complex sauce or marinade perfect for:
- Poured over proteins (like this grilled tofu steak recipe)
- Over enchiladas (like these sweet potato enchiladas) and emoladas
- With vegan tamales, tostadas, and tacos (like tofu tacos)
- On top of potatoes– like healthy patatas bravas
- With vegan nachos
- To dip vegetables, air-fried tortilla chips, and vegan empanadas in
- To give vegan burgers (like this spicy red bean burger) and wraps (like this vegan black bean lettuce wrap) a Mexican-inspired twist
- For vegan chilaquiles
Storage Instructions
Store: In an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Freeze: Spread flat in a Ziplock/Stasher or in a freezer-safe container for 4-6 months.
Reheat: In a saucepan or in the microwave (in 30-second increments until hot). If it’s overly thickened, add some water/veg broth.
More Vegan Sauces to Consider….
Vegan Dinners
Creamy Vegan Garlic Sauce
Vegan Dinners
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
Vegan Appetizers
Easy Creamy Avocado Sauce
Vegan Breakfasts
Easy Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
If you tried this quick mole poblano recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
If you’re loving my recipes and would like a more comprehensive resource, check out my cookbooks!
Quick Mole Poblano
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 onions chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped and mashed to a paste with ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (canola, vegetable, grapeseed)
- ½ teaspoon of ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon of aniseed ground
- 1 ½ to 3 tablespoons of chile powder
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon of ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (natural is best) or finely chopped peanuts
- 2 cups of water or vegetable stock
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes & chiles
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- Sesame seeds, sliced radishes, and cilantro sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- In a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat, and saute the onion until golden. Add the coriander, aniseed, chile powder, cumin, cinnamon, sugar, and cloves, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and stir in the cocoa powder, peanut butter, water or stock, tomatoes and chiles, raisins, garlic paste, and salt to taste. Let simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- In batches, transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender if you cooked the sauce in a pot or Dutch oven, or you can strain out the solids, puree them in a food processor, and stir them back into the liquid. (If you puree everything in a food processor, it'll probably leak and get messy.) Thin with additional water or stock as desired.
- Use as a sauce for enchiladas, a simmer sauce, a dip, or in pretty much any way your heart desires. Garnish with sesame seeds, radishes, and/or cilantro sprigs.
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Notes
- Taste and adjust: Add more spices, more sugar, etc. to your taste.
- Adjust the thickness: By changing how much liquid you add.
- Don’t rush the simmer: Like soup, the longer it simmers, the deeper and more developed the flavors become.
- Smoothest sauce: Press it through a strainer for the silkiest, smooth Mexican-inspired mole sauce.
Love how easy this mole poblano is to make!
Looks soo good! Excited for the flavour just by looking at the ingredients
Yesssss. Such a great combo of flavors!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. When I ate meat, Chicken Mole was always my first choice at Mexican restaurants. Thank for you sharing!
This one is a great plant-based option! Let us know what you think 🙂