These Vegan Dan Dan Noodles are made with a spicy sesame sauce and homemade chili oil for a noodle dish that is jam-packed with flavour! This recipe has lots of options if you’d like to adapt it with different add-ins and variations.

Vegan dan dan noodles topped with green onions and sesame seeds

This recipe is sponsored by Mountain Rose Herbs.

This recipe for Vegan Dan Dan Noodles is made with gluten-free noodles and veggie grounds tossed in a sesame sauce and chili oil topped off with sliced green onions.

These noodles are on the spicier side, so if you’re not a fan of spicy food, I’d recommend trying these 15-minute garlic noodles instead.

For those of you who love a little heat and spice in your noodles, this is the dish for you!

What do Dan Dan Noodles Taste like?

Dan Dan noodles have a distinct sesame taste from the Chinese sesame paste, which is similar to Tahini but with a more bold toasted flavour. These noodles get their spice from the chili oil that is drizzled all over the noodles.

For this recipe, we’re using Mountain Rose Herbs Smoked Chili Flakes, which have a unique smokey flavour that is a bit different than usual Chili flakes.

The smokiness gives this dish an extra level of flavour that is simply delicious!

Dan Dan Noodles also feature another distinct ingredient: Sichuan peppercorns.

Unlike regular peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorns create a slight tingly numbness on the tongue. (Don’t worry, they won’t actually make your mouth go numb, it’s just a pleasant sensation as you eat.)

  • a bowl of dan dan noodles with smoked chili flakes on the side
  • a package of mountain rose herbs smoked chili flakes

Ingredients in homemade chili oil

These Vegan Dan Dan Noodles are made with homemade chili oil. You can also buy chili oil at your local Asian grocery store, but homemade chili oil is delicious! Make a big batch and keep it on hand in your fridge, it’ll stay for months.

Other ingredients in this recipe

  • Rice noodles or spaghetti noodles (regular or gluten-free)
  • Green onions
  • Garlic
  • Chinese sesame paste
  • Soy sauce
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Agave
  • Rice vinegar
  • Sesame seeds
  • Veggie grounds

How to assemble a Dan Dan Noodle bowl

Traditionally, Dan Dan noodles are made by layering sauce and chili oil in the bottom of a bowl, followed by the noodles, followed by the veggie grounds and green onions. Then everything gets tossed together directly in the bowl.

  • a spoon of chili oil
  • spaghetti noodles in a white ceramic bowl
  • A bowl of noodles topped with vegan ground meat and green onions
  • A bowl of vegan dan dan noodles with chopsticks on top

If you prefer, you can simply mix everything together in a pot or pan and toss it all together before serving the noodles in your bowls.

Recipe variations and substitutions

  • You can use crumbled tofu or tempeh in place of the veggie grounds if you prefer, or leave this ingredient out entirely and just made the noodles
  • Add in any vegetables you like. Sautee them in a pan on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until tender. Bok choy, kale and Chinese broccoli are all great options.
  • Traditionally this recipe is made with Chinese egg noodles. You can use these noodles for a non-Vegan version, or any type of noodle you love.

Tips for making this recipe perfectly

  • Prepare the chili oil a day (or several days) in advance. The longer it sits in the fridge with all the spices the more intense flavour it will have!
  • Some brands of soy sauce can be saltier than others, so be aware of that as you make this recipe and add more or less if needed.
  • If you cant find Chinese sesame paste, you can use tahini or peanut butter instead. If using tahini, try adding in 1-2 tsp of sesame oil to get that toasted sesame flavour.
a bowl of vegan dan dan noodles with green onions on top

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A bowl of vegan dan dan noodles with chopsticks on top

Vegan Dan Dan Noodles

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Jessica Hoffman
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: Chinese
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

These Vegan Dan Dan Noodles are made with a homemade spicy chili oil and are packed with flavour!

Ingredients

Scale

Chili oil:

Veggie grounds: 

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil 
  • 1 pack veggie ground round (I use Yves veggie ground round) 
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced 
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (or gluten-free soy sauce) 
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce 

Noodle sauce:

  • 3 tbsp Chinese Sesame Paste (can sub tahini or peanut butter) 
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if needed) 
  • 1 tbsp agave 
  • 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar 
  • 1 garlic clove, minced 
  • 2 tbsp water

Other ingredients: 

  • 400 grams noodles, cooked according to package directions (I use gluten-free spaghetti. Rice noodles work too.) 
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • sesame seeds to garnish 

Instructions

  1. Make the chili oil: Toast the cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, star anis and bay leaf in a small saucepan on medium heat for about 2 minutes until lightly toasted. Add the oil and let cook on medium-high heat until the oil starts to bubble slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the chili flakes and salt and transfer to a mason jar. Store in the fridge. 
  2. Make the veggie ground: Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat then add the veggie ground and garlic mixing together until it starts to brown on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low then add the soy sauce and hoisin sauce, mixing until evenly coated. Remove from heat and set aside 
  3. Make the noodle sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until combined. 
  4. Assemble the bowls: Mix all the ingredients together in a large saucepan, or assemble directly in the bowls by adding the sauce and chili oil on the bottom, followed by the noodles and then the veggie ground. Top with sesame seeds and green onions and mix everything together. 

Notes

Prepare the chili oil a day (or several days) in advance. The longer it sits in the fridge with all the spices the more intense flavour it will have!

Some brands of soy sauce and tamari can be saltier than others, so be aware of that as you make this recipe and add more or less if needed.

If you cant find Chinese sesame paste, you can use tahini or peanut butter instead. If using tahini, try adding in 1-2 tsp of sesame oil to get that toasted sesame flavour.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
  • Calories: 700
  • Sugar: 5g
  • Fat: 35g
  • Carbohydrates: 50g
  • Fiber: 5g
  • Protein: 16g