Homemade Mole Sauce

This intense, rich, and deeply flavorful homemade mole sauce is made with dried chiles, prunes, chocolate, aromatics, peanut butter, and warm spices. Delicious served over chicken, enchiladas, or tamales.

I fell in love with Mexican mole sauces a few years ago after my dear friend ordered chicken mole enchiladas while out for lunch. I was so intrigued by the sauce’s rich, complex, smoky, sweet, spicy, chocolatey, and peanutty flavors! Mexican mole sauces are known for their rich deep color, depth of intense flavors, and velvety smooth texture. I have been intimidated to try making a homemade mole sauce until I recently found this authentic Mexican mole sauce recipe (also known as mole negro or black mole sauce) on Feasting at Home, that looked delicious and used ingredients I knew I could find at my grocery store. This recipe was a labor of love and took some time, but it was totally worth it!

Homemade Mole Sauce

Ingredients:

• 6 dried chilies (2 varieties, medium-heat, dark in color), I used chilies negros and ancho,  *See Notes
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup seedless prunes, (or dark raisins)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 6-10 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1-2 canned chipotle peppers, (seeds removed), plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce (the “juice” from the chipotle can), optional
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (or substitute almond butter, tahini paste, or cashew butter)
• 1 1/2-2 oz dark chocolate (bittersweet or semi-sweet)

Serving:

• Toasted sesame seeds
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Fresh lime wedges

How to Make Homemade Mole Sauce

Prepare the chilies by cutting or tearing the dried chilies apart, discarding the seeds and stems.

Toast the chilies by placing them in a dry large cast iron skillet over medium heat until they have a light sheen and begin to release their oils, about 3-4 minutes.

Soak the chilies by removing them from the cast iron skillet and into a large pot over medium-high heat.

Add the broth and bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

Add the prunes, stir, cover, and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, cook the aromatics while the chilies/prunes are simmering, by heating the olive oil in the large cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Add the onions and smashed garlic cloves and cook, stirring often for 10-15 minutes, until deeply golden brown.

Toast the spices by adding the chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the cast iron skillet and cook with the onions and garlic, for 2 more minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Blend the mixture by placing the cooled chilies, prunes, and their cooking liquid into a blender along with the onion and spice mixture. Add the chipotle peppers and the adobo juice if you are using.

Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides. Side Note: Add more broth if you need to loosen the mixture to blend it better. 

Once silky smooth, pour the sauce back into the large cast iron skillet and heat it over low heat.

Finish the sauce by adding the chocolate and peanut butter to the mole sauce.

Once the chocolate is fully melted, taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.  Adjust seasoning to your liking. Side Note: If you want a thinner sauce (for enchiladas, etc.), add more broth or water to desired constancy; whisk well. 

Serve mole sauce with toasted sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, and lots of lime wedges. Enjoy.

Storing: Mole Sauce can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Homemade Mole Sauce

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 4 cups

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

• Large cast iron skillet
• Large pot

Ingredients

• 6 dried chilies 2 varieties, medium-heat, dark in color, I used chilies negros and ancho, *See Notes
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup seedless prunes (or dark raisins)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 6-10 cloves of garlic smashed
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1-2 canned chipotle peppers (seeds removed), plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce (the "juice" from the chipotle can), optional
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
• ¼ cup peanut butter or substitute almond butter, tahini paste, or cashew butter
• 1 1/2-2 oz dark chocolate bittersweet or semi-sweet (I used semi-sweet)

Serving:

• Toasted sesame seeds
• Fresh cilantro chopped
• Fresh lime wedges

Instructions

• Prepare the chilies by cutting or tearing the dried chilies apart, discarding the seeds and stems.
• Toast the chilies by placing them in a dry large cast iron skillet over medium heat until they have a light sheen and begin to release their oils, about 3-4 minutes.
• Soak the chilies by removing them from the cast iron skillet and into a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add the broth and bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
• Add the prunes, stir, cover, and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, cook the aromatics while the chilies/prunes are simmering, by heating the olive oil in the large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and smashed garlic cloves and cook, stirring often for 10-15 minutes, until deeply golden brown.
• Toast the spices by adding the chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the cast iron skillet and cook with the onions and garlic, for 2 more minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Blend the mixture by placing the cooled chilies, prunes, and their cooking liquid into a blender along with the onion and spice mixture. Add the chipotle peppers and the adobo juice if you are using.
• Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides. Side Note: Add more broth if you need to loosen the mixture to blend it better.
• Once silky smooth, pour the sauce back into the large cast iron skillet and heat it over low heat.
• Finish the sauce by adding the chocolate and peanut butter to the mole sauce. Once the chocolate is fully melted, taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.  Adjust seasoning to your liking! Side Note: If you want a thinner sauce (for enchiladas, etc.), add more broth or water to desired constancy; whisk well.
• Serve mole sauce with toasted sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, and lots of lime wedges. Enjoy.
• Storing: Mole Sauce can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

Notes

*Types of Dried Chilies: Chilies Negros, Ancho, Mulato, Guajillo, Morita, Pasilla, cascabel, or Chipotle.

Using a variety of chilies will give the sauce a deeper flavor and complexity

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