My most recent kitchen project has been experimenting with mole (mo-lay) sauce. Mole is a Mexican staple that can be made in a huge variety of ways, and is usually very labor intensive. This recipe for easy homemade mole sauce is blended first, so it is fast and easy.
Mole sauce is one of those recipes that can be made in so many different ways, no two recipes are the same. You do tend to see similar ingredients, however.
I chose most of the ingredients in my recipe because I keep them stocked in the pantry. This means I can whip up this easy sauce at a moments notice!
What’s in the Easy Homemade Mole Sauce?
Chilies add spice and body to the sauce, and most recipes use more than one for a more elaborate sauce. I used dried ancho and canned chipotles.
Next, add something to sweeten the sauce and balance out the chilies. Dried fruits are a common source of sweetness, and I used raisins.
To add savoriness and acidity, I used tomatoes. Specifically, canned tomatoes which are always in my pantry.
Mole sauce should be thick. Nuts or bread are common choices to thicken the sauce, so I used almonds.
Finally, chocolate! This adds richness to the sauce, as well as complexity. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, again, because I keep them in the pantry. I did try this recipe with dark chocolate, and it was too bitter for me. The additional sweetness of the chocolate chips was essential for me to balance flavors.
Other ingredients:
Cumin & Cinnamon – these additional spices pair well with the other ingredients in the sauce. Cumin adds a smokey flavor complimenting the chilies, and cinnamon adds a warming flavor, complimenting the chocolate.
Onions & Garlic – these aromatics add to the savoriness of the sauce, and boost the overall flavor profile.
Broth is used to thin the sauce just enough to blend. Mole sauce should be thick, so, after blending simmer the sauce with your favorite protein or vegetable to allow the flavors to mingle, and it will thicken right up!
- 1 dried ancho chile
- ¼ cup almonds
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup onion, diced
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 TBS raisins
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 chipotle chili (from a can with adobo)
- 1 TBS adobo sauce (from the chili can)
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- Place dried ancho chile in a bowl of water for 10 minutes to soften.
- Meanwhile toast the almonds until fragrant in a skillet. Process them in a food processor until fine.
- Remove ancho from water and remove the stem and seeds. Place in the food processor with the almonds and pulse to combine. Place remaining mole ingredients into the food processor and run until smooth.
- Simmer with your favorite protein or vegetables for 10 minutes.
Recipe inspired by Cooking Light.
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