Description
This easy mole sauce recipe combines a rich blend of spices, chipotle peppers, peanut butter, and cocoa powder to create a smooth and flavorful Mexican classic. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s perfect for drizzling over chicken enchiladas or as a versatile sauce for various dishes.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced sweet onion
- 4 garlic cloves (finely minced)
Spices and Seasonings
- 2 tablespoons chili powder (mild or mixed)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- â…› teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Liquids and Add-ins
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (with sauce)
- 3 tablespoons almond or peanut butter
- ¼ cup raisins
- 2½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: Add olive oil and diced sweet onion to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and continue cooking for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Mix Spices: In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, salt, and black pepper thoroughly.
- Cook Spice Mixture: Reduce heat to low and stir in the mixed spices and cornstarch into the saucepan. Stir constantly for 1 minute to release aromas. Immediately pour in ½ cup chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve any browned bits.
- Blend Ingredients: Transfer the onion and spice mixture to a food processor or high-speed blender. Add chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, almond or peanut butter, raisins, cocoa powder, and the remaining chicken broth. Blend for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth.
- Simmer Sauce: Pour the blended sauce back into the saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reduced by almost half, yielding approximately 2¼ cups of mole sauce.
- Serve or Store: Use the mole sauce immediately with Chicken Mole Enchiladas or refrigerate in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Notes
- Adjust chipotle peppers according to desired heat level.
- Almond butter can be substituted with peanut butter depending on preference or allergies.
- For a vegan version, substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- Use a high-speed blender for the smoothest sauce texture.
- Mole sauce thickens as it cools, reheat gently before serving.