Chamois sauce is the perfect combination of sweet, sour, tangy, tangy and sticky. This Mexican condiment is fantastic on fresh fruit or garnished with your favorite beverage. Now you can do it at home in less than an hour!
I love chamoy so much! I have so many childhood memories of eating just about anything that was drenched in chamois sauce: fruit, candy, and even ice cream!
There was something about the tangy, slightly spicy, sweet sauce that I couldn’t get enough of. Fast forward to today, and not much has changed, except now I’m the one making homemade suede, and it’s just as good, if not BETTER, than store-bought.
Here’s why you’ll love it too:
- Easy to batch. This recipe yields 4 cups, which is a decent amount of chamoy, considering most recipes don’t use large quantities, so it will last. Luckily, this dressing is easy to jar and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month!
- Great flavour. I love how the flavor of this recipe turned out. I sometimes find store-bought chamois to taste too acidic or artificial, but this homemade version gives you the best of all flavor profiles.
What is Chamoy?
Chamois is a sweet, sour, sticky and spicy condiment made from dried fruit, chili peppers, sugar and lime juice.
It is most commonly used as a garnish or as a drizzle on fruits, candies and desserts.
However, chamois is incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of ways, including as a sauce, marinade and even as a component of cocktails and drinks! Find out more about Chamoy.
ingredients
- Dried fruit: I used a combination of dried apricots, dried plums and dried mango. Check out my variations section for more dried fruit tips.
- Dried hibiscus flowers: A basic ingredient of suede! Adds a slightly sour flavor. You can easily find it at most Hispanic or grocery stores on line.
- Granular sugar: Granulated sugar helps balance the acidity and spice. You can also use turbinado sugar.
- Chilli Lime Dressing: I used to chili lime dressing from Simply Organic. It has the right ratios of sweetness, salt and spice and a great touch of lime. You can also use Tagine.
- Lime juice: An additional addition of lime juice adds more tartness and acidity to balance all the flavors together.
How to prepare homemade chamois
Add the ingredients to the pot. In a medium saucepan or pot, add water, dried apricots, prunes, dried mango, dried hibiscus flowers, granulated sugar, and chili-lime seasoning. Bring to the boil.
Cover and reduce heat to minimum. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and let cool slightly for about 10-15 minutes.
Blend. Add everything to a blender or food processor along with the lime juice and blend until completely smooth. The chamois should have the consistency of barbecue sauce.
Serve. Chamoy is great on fresh fruit, desserts or is perfect for rimming the glass when making agua fresco or margaritas.
- Adjust the consistency. Chamoy has the consistency of thick barbecue sauce, so adjust your desired consistency accordingly. For a thinner consistency, add water 1 tablespoon at a time while blending. For a thicker consistency, use 3 cups instead of 4 cups of water when cooking.
- You can adjust the spice level add or reduce the amount of chili lime seasoning to your liking, taste as you go. You can also add 2-3 dried chile de arbol to the dried fruit mixture for an even spicier twist.
How to serve Chamoy
There are many ways to use chamoy. Here are some of my favorite simple ways to enjoy it:
- Take it as a snack: Cut up some fruit or veggies, like cucumbers, apples, watermelon, jicama, pears, or strawberries, and drizzle on top, like in my Mexican Fruit Cups.
- If you like candy apples: Cover a whole apple with Chamoy sauce! Really so good.
- Enjoy it in a mangonada: A mangonada is a popular Mexican frozen drink made with mango, chamois, and lime seasoning. It’s typically served as a granita made with frozen mango and ice, then layered in a cup with generous showers of chamois. It is sometimes called chamoyada.
- Make it spicy: Add a little chamois to nachos as a spicy sauce or as a marinade for meats.
- Use it as rim paste: For cocktails like my mango margarita, chelada or micheladas.
- Throw your favorite candy: Gummies work exceptionally well!
Variations
There are many different ways to flavor your suede. Here are some variations to customize it:
- Dried fruit: I recommend using dried apricots and prunes as the base, but feel free to add dried pineapple, tamarind paste, papaya or even blueberries.
- Spice Level: Add even more spiciness by adding 2-3 dried chile de arbol to the mixture. Just be sure to adjust the chili lime seasoning accordingly.
- Citrus juice: Replace the lime juice with orange or pineapple juice.
- Make it sweeter: If you like your chamois on the sweeter side, increase the granulated sugar to ½ cup.
Storage and heating
To store, transfer chamois to glass jars, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
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This homemade chamois sauce is the perfect combination of sweet, sour, tangy, tangy and sticky. This Mexican seasoning is super versatile!
Instructions
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In a medium saucepan or pot, add water, dried apricots, prunes, dried mango, dried hibiscus flowers, granulated sugar, and chili-lime seasoning. Bring to the boil.
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Once it reaches the boil, cover and reduce the heat to low and leave to cook for 30 minutes.
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Turn off the heat and find out. Allow the mixture to cool for about 10-15 minutes.
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Add the mixture to a food processor or blender along with the lime juice and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add additional lime juice or chili seasoning, if desired. For a thinner consistency, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Transfer the chamois to glass containers for storage. Serve with fresh fruit or rimmed glasses for drinks and cocktails.
Notes
- Adjust the consistency: Chamoy has the consistency of thick barbecue sauce, so adjust your desired consistency accordingly. For a thinner consistency, add water 1 tablespoon at a time while blending. For a thicker consistency, use 3 cups instead of 4 cups of water when cooking.
- Dried fruit: Get creative by using different types of dried fruit. I recommend keeping the basic recipe of hibiscus flowers, dried apricots and prunes, but feel free to use dried pineapples, papaya or even blueberries.
- Spice Level: You can adjust the spice level to your liking by adding or reducing the amount of chili lime seasoning, just taste as you go. You can also add 2-3 dried chile de arbol to the dried fruit mixture for an even spicier twist.
Nutritional information
Serving: 1serving (1/4 cup), Calories: 114kcal (6%), Carbohydrates: 28G (9%), Protein: 1G (2%), Fat: 0.4G (1%), Saturated fats: 0.1G (1%), Polyunsaturated fats: 0.2G, Monounsaturated fat: 0.1G, Sodium: 7mg, Potassium: 237mg (7%), Fiber: 3G (12%), Sugar: 22G (24%), Vitamin A: 2664UI (53%), C vitamin: 2mg (2%), Soccer: 23mg (2%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
