These spicy Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles are easy to make gluten-free and are dressed in a sumptuous creamy tahini peanut butter sauce. You can have this delicious takeout-inspired meal on the table in 15 minutes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Nothing says “comfort” like a big bowl of noodles. Just take my Vegan Mac and Cheese and Thai Basil Noodles for example! Both recipes are loaded with noodles full of flavor to warm you inside and out.

Add my Garlic Sesame Noodles to the list of healthy vegan comfort foods because they’re so delicious!

These spicy garlic noodles are:

• Easy. Boil noodles. Whisk sauce. Toss. That’s literally the entire recipe. You’ll have dinner ready in less than 20 minutes!
• Budget-Friendly. Pasta dishes are consistently listed in all the roundups about budget cooking because noodles are CHEAP! Even if you splurge for artisan or non-traditional brands, this easy recipe will consistently come in at under $2 a serving.
• Super Versatile. Add some marinated tofu or tempeh crumbles to add a hit of protein, or any extra veggies to round out your cravings. For even more ideas on how to customize this recipe, jump down to the “Optional Variations” section.
• Light and bright. Now that the weather has begun to warm, I’m craving all the cool, refreshing dishes I’ve been missing all winter long. This recipe is perfect for serving warm or room temp, and plays nicely with basically all the veggies you can get your hands on.

PRO TIP: Keep some extra peanut dressing for easy and flavorful weekday lunches; it’s delicious on salad bowls, zoodles, grain bowls, and more!

Ingredients & Substitutions

These vegan sesame garlic noodles can be made with just a handful of pantry ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to gather:

• Noodles – Any long pasta will work in this spicy garlic noodle recipe. I used gluten-free spaghetti, but ramen, linguine, rice noodles, soba noodles, and vegetable noodles also work very well.
• Spicy Garlic Sauce – This isn’t your average peanut sauce! This salty, savory, and creamy spicy sauce is made with garlic, tamari, peanut butter, tahini, broth, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Here are some suggestions if you need to sub some items:
  • Tamari – This gluten-free sauce gives it little extra flavor and saltiness. You can use soy sauce if you don’t need the dish to be gluten-free. If soy is off the table, try using Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (not GF) or coconut aminos (GF).
  • Peanut Butter – If nuts are a no-no, feel free to sub in more tahini, another seed butter, or some almond butter.
  • Rice Vinegar – Sub apple cider vinegar or Chinese black vinegar.
  • Sriracha – Sub chili garlic sauce, gochujang, or sambal oelek.
• Sesame seeds – Not only do white or black sesame seeds act as a great garnish and give each bite a slight crunch, but they’re also surprisingly healthy! They can help with iron absorption, lower blood pressure, maintain bone health, and decrease inflammation. Who could ask for a better garnish?
• Other Toppings – This is totally optional, but a great place to have fun. I like adding sliced green onions or scallions, roasted peanuts, and maybe even a little more sriracha or chili sauce.

How To Make Spicy Garlic Sesame Ramen

It’s super easy to put these spicy vegan garlic noodles together. Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1: Cook the noodles. Boil the noodles of your choice according to the package directions.

Step 2: Make the spicy garlic sauce. Whisk all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl until you have a smooth mixture.

Step 3: Mix everything together. Place the cooked noodles in a bowl, pour the sauce over top, and add the sauteed tofu. Mix everything until it’s well combined. Serve the garlic sesame ramen noodles in individual bowls with sesame seeds and scallions, then serve!

Serving Suggestions

While these spicy garlic sesame ramen noodles are a delight all on their own, there are plenty of ways to zhuzh up your meal. Here are a few ideas:

• Add veggies such as shredded carrots, cucumber, cabbage, celery, and/or peppers. You could also add some steamed/sauted broccoli, mushrooms, bok choy or spinach.
• Add protein – I love added sauteed marinated tofu to the sauce-covered noodles for extra protein and texture. Feel free to replace this with any plant protein you love, such tempeh crumbles, soy curls, teriyaki tempeh, seitan, or grilled tofu steaks.
• Topping options – Toasted sesame seeds (white or black), sliced green onions, chopped roasted peanuts, garlic chili sauce, or red pepper flakes.

Optional Variations

It’s quite easy to customize these garlic sesame ramen noodles to your preferences and taste buds. If you’re having some trouble, check these tips out:

• Don’t want it too garlicky? Cut down to 1 or 2 cloves of garlic (or ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder).
• Worried about the spice level? If you think the sauce might be too spicy, you can omit the sriracha/chili sauce or use my peanut sauce instead.
• Adjust the flavor You can experiment with the flavors by adding more garlic, chili spice, or red pepper flakes.
• Is the sauce too thick? Feel free to thin it out with a little hot water until you reach the desired texture.
• Too thin? Add a little more tahini or peanut butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are sesame ramen noodles vegan?

Often traditional Chinese egg noodles are used, but my recipe for sesame noodles is made vegan by swapping in any long vegan noodle of your choice.

What’s the best kind of noodles to use?

To make this dish vegan-friendly you can use noodles such as spaghetti, linguine, vermicelli, udon, or ramen.

To make them both gluten-free AND vegan, use rice noodles, buckwheat soba, chickpea or another bean-based spaghetti, brown rice ramen, or even yuba noodles.

Want to add a little extra nutrition? The peanut sauce is delicious when paired with zucchini or sweet potato noodles.

Do garlic sesame noodles need to be refrigerated? 

Any leftovers will need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze sesame noodles?

Yes, you can for up to 2 months but I don’t recommend it. They can get soggy once defrosted.

Is Chinese sesame paste the same as tahini? 

Tahini is slightly different as it’s made with raw sesame seeds. Sesame paste, on the other hand, is made from roasted or toasted sesame seeds.

Are garlic sesame ramen noodles supposed to be served hot or cold?

Having cold sesame noodles with cucumbers is a more traditional way of serving but I’ve seen them prepared anywhere from cold to room temp to warm.

I actually prefer them served warm because they’re much more comforting for me that way, but you do you!