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    You are here: Home / Appetizer Recipes / Maritime Donair Sauce

    Maritime Donair Sauce

    Published Jun 30, 2021 by Lauren Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Donair sauce is a classic Maritime recipe perfect to pair with East Coast Donairs or Maritime Garlic Fingers. This is a recipe so quick and so easy, it almost feels silly to make a recipe for it. But speaking to readers of the blog, it was HIGHLY requested.

    With only 4 ingredients, making donair sauce at home is even faster than getting take-out from Greco! With a name like Maritime Glutton, you know that you can trust me on that! πŸ˜‰

    A big bowl of homemade donair sauce with garlic fingers that people have started to break in to
    Jump to:
    • What is Donair Sauce?
    • Instructions
    • Substitions and Diet Modifications
    • Important Notes
    • Meal Suggestions
    • Do you love Maritime recipes?
    • Other Recipes You'll Love
    • πŸ“– Recipe

    What is Donair Sauce?

    For those of you who aren't from the Maritimes, you might not know what donair sauce is, or even what a donair is - and that's okay! If this recipe has found you and you're intrigued - listen up!

    Donair sauce is creamy and sweet with a slightly sour taste. If sweet and sour sauce was made creamy, it would be something like this. Donair sauce originally was used to top donairs - which is kind of like a gyro but with donair sauce instead of tzatziki.

    This article from Foods Guy goes into detail about the differences between gyros, donairs, souvlaki and doners. If you're curious about this history and distinctions of all these delicious wrap style meals, he's your guy!

    For people who grew up in the Maritimes but moved, you know the struggle of trying to get a hold of Garlic Fingers and Donair sauce West of Quebec. Worry no longer, donair sauce is incredibly easy to make and is inexpensive and, as always, uncomplicated!

    Instructions

    This is a really simple recipe - one of those "mix all ingredients" and that's it kind of recipes. The reason this is worth a blog post is because there's some controversy about the right way to make donair sauce. This comes from the sweetened condensed milk vs evaporated milk debate. So I tried both.

    Pre-test I thought I was sweetened condensed milk or bust, and I still kind of am, but there is a really nice taste to the evaporated milk. The only downside is that in that recipe, you need to add sugar and it absolutely without exception needs to rest overnight to melt the sugar. It's also highly recommended to use a stand mixer or hand mixer to make donair sauce with evaporated milk. It's hard to get it thick enough - the taste is great though.

    Two bowls filled with condensed milk versus evaporated milk to show the difference in texture.
    Sweetened Condensed Milk on the left, Evaporated Milk on the right.

    Substitions and Diet Modifications

    I know some people make donair sauce with evaporated milk but I'm 100% on the condensed milk side. Here's a great article from the Kitchn about the differences between condensed milk and evaporated milk.

    Essentially, evaporated milk is just unsweetened condensed milk. With that being said, the two ingredients aren't interchangeable even if you add sugar to evaporated milk because the canning process caramelizes the sugar for a nutty taste. In a pinch you can use evaporated milk and add ΒΎ cups of sugar - but keep in mind the final product may be grainy and will be much thinner than condensed milk.

    When it comes to substituting the white vinegar, it really is paramount to the flavour profile of donair sauce. In a pinch, you could use apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar, but I really don't recommend doing so.

    Don't substitute raw garlic or garlic salt for garlic powder. Trust me in that it will completely ruin the flavour profile of the dish by being much too strong or far too salty.

    Important Notes

    Different brands of sweetened condensed milk will yield the same results as long as the sugar content is the same. The brand I used had 11g of sugar per 1 tablespoon. Keep this in mind when you're looking for a brand. If there is more/less, be prepared to adjust the level of vinegar to get to your desired taste.

    If you decide that you want to make this recipe with evaporated milk, know that the portions of the ingredients are different. In order to make this recipe with evaporated milk, use 4 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Note that I do still recommend sweetened condensed milk over evaporated.

    Below are both versions of donair sauce. The left is with condensed milk and the right with evaporated milk.

    Donair sauce made with Sweetened Condensed Milk on the left, donair sauce made with Evaporated Milk on the right.

    Meal Suggestions

    So you've tried this new sauce and love it but have no idea what to pair it with. I've got you covered! If you can restrain yourself from literally drinking it, here's a few suggestions.

    • Dipping sauce for Garlic Fingers (another Maritime favourite)!
      • Any cheesy or garlicky bread will benefit from donair sauce, but the traditional recipe is coming next week!
    • Dipping sauce for pizza
    • A sauce for Donairs
    • A dipping sauce for fries - move over mayochup!
    • Sauce base for a Donair Pizza
    • Donair Salad - top iceberg lettuce with diced onions, diced tomatoes, donair meat and donair sauce. A lighter carb option for donair wraps (the sauce is not keto friendly, only low carb)!
    A garlic finger dipping into the donair sauce

    Do you love Maritime recipes?

    Here's some more recipes that were inspired by the wonderful place I call home!

    • Brewbaker's Maple Curry Penne (Fredericton, NB)
    • Gusto's Tuscan Harvest Salad (Moncton, NB)
    • Number One Noodle's Sweet Yellow Thai Curry (Fredericton, NB)
    • The Dave Matthews Cocktail (Fredericton, NB)
    • 540 Kitchen's Butternut Squash Soup (Fredericton, NB)

    Other Recipes You'll Love

    • Air Fryer Arancini (Arancini Al Forno)
    • Maple Curry Chicken Penne
    • Authentic Arroz Caldo - The Best Filipino Comfort Food
    • Roy Choi's French Onion Soup Recipe

    Have you tried this recipe? Leave me a 5 ⭐️ rating in the recipe card! I love to hear from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter!

    πŸ“– Recipe

    Maritime Donair Sauce

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    The easiest recipe for homemade Maritime donair sauce - just like Greco! With only 4 ingredients and almost no hands on work, this is about as easy as it gets.
    4.85 from 39 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Canadian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Author: Lauren

    Ingredients

    • 1 can Sweened Condensed Milk Eagle Brand *SEE NOTES
    • β…“ cup White Vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder not garlic salt
    • β…› teaspoon Salt or to taste

    Instructions

    • Combine all ingredients with a hand whisk or stand mixer until the sauce has thickened to your desired texture.
    • Although it can be served immediately, it's best after sitting overnight for the flavours to combine fully.

    Notes

    • Sweetened Condensed Milk Brand: I used the Compliments brand of sweetened condensed milk. The Eagle Brand is a good substitution. They both have 11g of sugar per tablespoon. Keep in mind different brands of sweetened condensed milk may have different sugar contents - making them sweeter or less sweet than this one. Adjust with more vinegar/sugar to get the sauce to your desired sweetness.
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @MaritimeGlutton or tag #maritimeglutton!
    « Tuscan Harvest Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emma

      June 30, 2021 at 12:59 am

      I love u

      Reply
      • Maritime Glutton

        June 30, 2021 at 1:05 am

        I love you!!!

        Reply
    2. Katherine

      June 30, 2021 at 11:18 am

      5 stars
      What a blast from the past! Love this sauce!

      Reply
      • Maritime Glutton

        June 30, 2021 at 11:27 am

        So glad you liked it, Katherine!

        Reply
    3. Sue

      June 30, 2021 at 12:02 pm

      5 stars
      I love this post ~ I've never heard of this sauce and now I neeeeed it for my fries!

      Reply
      • Maritime Glutton

        June 30, 2021 at 2:00 pm

        You'll love it! Can't wait to hear how it goes, Sue πŸ™‚

        Reply
      • Christine

        September 20, 2021 at 5:26 pm

        5 stars
        I had zero idea the sauce was so simple! We just returned from NS and had forgotten to buy some donair sauce to bring home..... then I found this recipe! We love it! Thank you.

        Reply
        • Lauren

          September 20, 2021 at 9:09 pm

          I'm so glad you liked it, Christine πŸ™‚

          Reply
        • Noah

          October 23, 2022 at 11:02 pm

          I’m born and raised in Nova Scotia and this donair sauce is top tier. I’ve been to Jesse’s, Billy Bobs, Picasso’s, Natalinos, Pizzadelic, Fred’s Pizza, Sicilian, Magic Pizza, and L&W Wineries. As a person whose eaten a lot of Nova Scotian pizza I’m here to say this donair spice is authentic. This recipe is gold

          Reply
          • Lauren

            November 07, 2022 at 10:41 pm

            Thanks so much for the recommendation, Noah πŸ™‚

            Reply
    4. Kate

      June 30, 2021 at 12:06 pm

      5 stars
      I'm one of those people who have never heard of Donair Sauce - it sounds so good and I'm definitely going to give it a go now!

      Reply
      • Maritime Glutton

        June 30, 2021 at 2:01 pm

        That's awesome Kate! Let me know how it turns out πŸ™‚

        Reply
        • Christian

          May 18, 2022 at 1:30 am

          5 stars
          This recipe reminds me of back home eating this with some garlic fingers, it's soooooo good.

          Reply
          • Lauren

            May 20, 2022 at 5:47 pm

            I'm so glad you liked it Christian!

            Reply
    5. Dannii

      June 30, 2021 at 12:27 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds amazing. I love anything with garlic.

      Reply
      • Maritime Glutton

        June 30, 2021 at 2:01 pm

        I agree, Dannii! Garlic makes everything better

        Reply
    6. Beth

      June 30, 2021 at 1:29 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness! We just love garlic and this looks amazing! My family is going to love this tasty recipe. Excited to give this a try!

      Reply
      • Maritime Glutton

        June 30, 2021 at 2:01 pm

        Thanks so much, Beth!

        Reply
    7. Beth

      July 11, 2021 at 2:46 pm

      5 stars
      What a great and easy recipe! We love the garlic fingers and this sauce, so tasty and very addicting! I never had heard of this sauce until I saw this and we loved it! I'll definitely make this again!

      Reply
    8. Heidy

      July 11, 2021 at 2:48 pm

      5 stars
      I loved trying this Maritime Donair Sauce with the family! We had a blast helping and loved Maritime Donair Sauce. I will be keeping this recipe handy! Have a great day!

      Reply
      • Maritime Glutton

        July 11, 2021 at 2:55 pm

        So glad you all liked it, Heidy!

        Reply
    9. Heather Johnson

      July 11, 2021 at 3:04 pm

      5 stars
      made this last night with my garlic bread - so good! easy too

      Reply
      • Maritime Glutton

        July 11, 2021 at 3:07 pm

        Thank you so much, Heather!

        Reply
    10. Lauren Michael Harris

      July 11, 2021 at 3:09 pm

      5 stars
      I have never heard of Donair sauce, but your explanation of it being a creamy sweet and sour sauce makes perfect sense. Sounds like a must try to me!

      Reply
      • Maritime Glutton

        July 15, 2021 at 5:18 pm

        Thank you so much, Lauren!

        Reply
    11. Catherine

      July 11, 2021 at 3:44 pm

      5 stars
      I've never heard of Donair sauce before but I am intrigued! I love sweet and sour so this is one I will definitely have to try soon!

      Reply
      • Maritime Glutton

        July 15, 2021 at 5:18 pm

        Thank you, Catherine! I hope you love it!

        Reply
    12. Bill Moffatt

      September 24, 2021 at 8:33 pm

      5 stars
      Delish and so easy to make. How long will it keep in the fridge ?

      Reply
      • Lauren

        September 24, 2021 at 11:14 pm

        So glad you liked it, Bill! I always go by the smell, see, taste rule but a good estimate is about 2-3 weeks. Depending on your fridge in may last much longer or much shorter. I usually eat through it before I can let it go bad πŸ™‚

        Reply
    13. Evelyn

      October 28, 2021 at 11:16 pm

      5 stars
      Great advice, and great sauce!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        November 03, 2021 at 3:33 pm

        Thank you so much, Evelyn! So glad you liked it πŸ™‚

        Reply
    14. LORETTA KENT-FIELD

      November 13, 2021 at 1:08 pm

      5 stars
      Added a touch more garlic, just like Greco Donair!!!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        November 13, 2021 at 7:16 pm

        So glad you liked it, Loretta πŸ™‚

        Reply
    15. Prisca

      February 10, 2022 at 7:59 pm

      5 stars
      Best donair sauce ever! I'm picky when it comes to donair sauce and how thick it is and this recipe is fantastic! I will be adding it to my recipe box! 10/10 would recommend it.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        February 18, 2022 at 3:31 am

        I’m so happy to hear you loved it! Thank you for the kind review <3

        Reply
    16. Cliff Covey

      June 30, 2022 at 10:51 pm

      1 can full fat condensed milk
      1 can full fat evaporated milk
      1 tbsp garlic powder
      1 tsp onion powder
      1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
      Up to 1/3 cup or to taste white vinegar
      In a shaker cup, add first 5 ingredients and shake until frothy
      Add vinegar and shake 2 or 3 times then refrigerate, will continue to thicken as vinegar acts on milk.

      Reply
    17. Mary

      August 24, 2022 at 9:33 pm

      5 stars
      Hello, Just wondering how long the Maritime Donair Sauce can be stored in the fridge? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        August 26, 2022 at 4:54 pm

        It's pretty long lasting - I'd say about a month but trust your eyes/nose πŸ™‚

        Reply
    18. Zoe

      September 21, 2022 at 11:57 pm

      5 stars
      Omg !! Its too yummy ! I just moved to Ontario from New-Brunswick . And we all know you cannot find The real Donair sauce like in the maritimes !! My cravings are finally satisfied !

      Reply
      • Lauren

        November 07, 2022 at 10:36 pm

        I'm so glad to hear this fills the craving for you, Zoe!

        Reply
    19. Vicki Lendorf

      October 01, 2022 at 5:15 pm

      First attempt. Thought I'd failed when I could still smell the vinegar, but, OMG!!
      I dont know why I havent tried it before.
      And I live in the maritimes!!
      Loved it!!

      Reply
      • Lauren

        November 07, 2022 at 10:37 pm

        So glad to heat Vicki! It's a hit at our house πŸ™‚

        Reply
    20. KN

      November 11, 2022 at 10:38 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is amazing!! We used the sweetened condensed milk and could not believe how much it’s like restaurant donair sauce. Very easy recipe and delicious! Highly recommend it.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        December 06, 2022 at 6:15 pm

        Thank you so much for the feedback - I'm so glad you liked it!

        Reply

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    Welcome to Maritime Glutton, I'm Lauren and I'm the face creating recipes around here. I'm passionate about supporting local, eating great food and finding new ways to cut back on food waste and save money. Learn more about me here.

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