Shortcut Mole Sauce Recipe

There really is no one specific type of mole sauce – there are countless varieties, though most tend to include chiles, nuts, and chocolate among its many ingredients. Recipe developer Miriam Hahn has concocted a version that combines elements from various different types of mole so it doesn't represent any one specific style. This is also a bit of a shortcut version, she explains, as her mole is made with ground spices, pantry staples, and a canned chile pepper in place of the dried peppers. "Working with the dry peppers involves cooking them and then blending them along with similar steps for cooking tomatillos, so, lots of pans get dirty," she explains. Not an issue here!

One (perhaps unexpected) ingredient you will find in Hahn's mole is raisins. "I like using them," Hahn explains, "because, along with the sweetness, [they] add a nice texture when blended." Blended being the operative word here for those who are not raisin fans; you won't even know they're there, especially with all the other ingredients in the dish. Hahn tells us that this mole sauce has "a combination of sweet and spicy flavors" as well as a consistency that is "smooth, but thick."

As mole is a pretty complex sauce, you will need a number of ingredients — even for this simplified version. Dry seasonings used in this recipe include chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and salt. You'll also need fresh garlic, an onion, canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and some raisins. Other necessary ingredients include broth (Hahn uses veggie broth, but chicken broth works great here as well), cocoa powder, a neutral oil, flour, and almond butter. Hahn also notes that you can use peanut butter instead — or sunflower seed butter if you're allergic to nut butters.

Before you start cooking, you'll need to chop the onion and garlic. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high, then sauté the aromatics for about 8 minutes until they are soft.

Stir the broth into the onions and garlic, then add the rest of the ingredients (yes, all of them!). Turn the heat down, then cover the pan and simmer the mole sauce for 10 minutes. At that point, turn the heat off and allow the sauce to cool.

Once the mole is cool, put it in a blender and purée everything until you're left with a smooth sauce. Hahn advises storing the mole in a lidded jar, adding that "it will last great for up to a week." As to how you can use it up within that time frame? Mole goes well with chicken, fish, or pork. It will also complement Mexican dishes such as enchiladas. "I have even used it [as a dressing] on taco salad," Hahn says.