Donair Sauce

This is the tried and tested original Halifax Donair Sauce, originally created in Halifax by Peter Gamoulakos. I can taste no difference from what I remember growing up in Halifax, NS. The addition of Onion Powder is solely my own and I like the flavor of that as the onion flavor works really well with items the sauce is used for.

There is some debate about whether evaporated or sweetened condensed milk should be used. A 1978 article from the Chronicle Herald states that sweetened condensed milk is the main ingredient, whereas Halifax Magazine, in an interview with Leo Gamoulakos, reports that the original sauce had 5 ingredients: evaporated milk, sugar, vinegar, garlic powder, and parsley. I gather that most shops nowadays use evaporated milk, but there are shops that use condensed or a mix of both.

Below is the store-bought version ingredient listing. I am not crazy about these and you will taste a difference between homemade and store-bought for sure. I forget which one now. But one of them was really bad. Tasted chemical like.

Donair Sauce Ingredients

The original sauce had 5 ingredients: evaporated milk, sugar, vinegar, garlic powder, and parsley. Commercial kinds, has added water and Starch to increase volume and stability.

Mr. Donair INGREDIENTS

WATER, SUGAR, EVAPORATED MILK, POWDERED MILK, VINEGAR, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, GARLIC POWDER, SODIUM BENZOATE.

Bonte INGREDIENTS

Water, sugar, whey powder, modified corn starch, canola oil, garlic powder, citric acid, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate, polysorbate 60, titanium dioxide. Contains: Milk

In any event, I suspect that the original sauce was tzatziki. But it wasn’t well accepted at the time. So this was created to appeal to the taste buds of the people of Halifax. This became the famous Halifax Donair Sauce we love and recognize today. You can make this at home easily and it’s the real thing.

How Long does Donair Sauce Keep

I have kept this for over a month. In general, you will see it go to a yellow color before it goes bad, sort of smelling off. It Lasts a very long time. Keep it covered and refrigerated. I’ve always used it up eventually so use your best judgment, however it does last unusually long.

A Clear Liquid will accumulate at the bottom. You can move the sauce to the side and drain this clear liquid and give it another mix. It’s Still Good.

Donair Sauce Uses

There are plenty of other uses, some of which are listed below.

Donairs

Softened Lebanese Pita Bread with Halifax Donair Meat & Sauce. Topped off with Diced Onions & Tomatoes.

Garlic Fingers

Pizza Dough Brushed with Garlic Butter and topped with a Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese Blend. Often with bacon Bits on top.

Donair Platter / Poutine

Fries with Donair Meat & Sauce, topped with a Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese Blend. Optionally with Diced Onions & Tomatoes.

Donair Oven Sub

Oven Sub stuffed with Donair Meat & Sauce, topped with a Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese blend with Diced Onions & Tomatoes.

Donair Pizza

Pizza Dough sauced with Donair Sauce and topped with Donair meat, Diced Onions & Tomatoes with a Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese blend. Add more donair sauce on top.

Twisty Breadsticks

Served as a dipping sauce for Twisty Bread.

Donair Chip Dip

Hot Dip fresh out the oven for dipping your Chips.

Donair Salad

Donair Salad with a Dressing made with some Donair Sauce.

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Halifax Donair Sauce

Halifax Donair Sauce served with Donairs, Garlic Fingers and more.

Prep Time5 mins

Rest Time1 hr

Course: DIP, Sauce

Cuisine: Halifax, Halifax Nova Scotia

Keyword: Authentic Donair Sauce, Donair, Donair Sauce, Halifax, Original Donair Sauce, White Sauce

Servings: 1 portions

Author: JAH

Equipment

• Mixer or Whisk
• Bowl with Lid

Ingredients

• 1 can Evaporated Milk
• 3/4 – 1 can Sugar - – or about 1 Cup of Sugar
• 2 Tbl Vinegar
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder

Instructions

• Empty the milk into a bowl and using the same can fill 3/4 with sugar and place that into the bowl. Add Garlic & Onion Powder
• With a mixer whisk the bowl until the milk turns a whiter color and all sugar is dissolved.
• For about 12 turns with the whisk, slowly add 2 Tbl Vinegar.
• Cover and refrigerate at least for 1 hour, overnight is best.

Notes

The bottom of the bowl will collect a small amount of clear liquid, you can push the donair sauce aside and drain this out and then mix again.

Sugar – I usually add just a little over 3/4 of a can.

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