Name: Healthy BBQ Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 white onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 Tablespoons Organic Tomato Paste; 1 15 ounce can Organic Tomato Sauce; 4 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup; 1 Tablespoon Vegan Worcestershire Sauce; 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar; 1 1/2 Tablespoons Molasses; 1 teaspoon dijon mustard; 1/2 teaspoon paprika (or smoked paprika); 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 15 ounce can Organic Tomato Sauce 1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce 2 Tablespoons Grape Jelly 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar; 1 15 ounce can Organic Tomato Sauce; 1 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce; 2 Tablespoons Grape Jelly; 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Although some of you may think it a stretch to make your own condiments, I make almost everything from scratch, which includes my healthy BBQ sauce. Yes, I sometimes buy store-bought condiments, but I generally limit the ingredients to 4 or 5 depending on what they are. And, I personally like my BBQ sauce recipe better than the store-bought version.

Now that I’ve been plant-based for over a decade, I’m shocked I used to buy store-bought sauces and dressings! Do you have any idea what’s in that stuff? When I first became plant-based, I figured if any product was vegan, it was all good. NOPE! I could use the excuse that I can’t see the labels now, without my reading glasses on, but that would be a lie. Not the part about needing the reading glasses, but actually reading the labels before I buy products. Instead, I used an app, which very conveniently told me if a product was vegan or not.

Of course, now I read every label before I buy anything, but I usually just shop in the produce section and leave.

Even though I do often try store-bought products, to rate them for you, I prefer homemade over store-bought any day. And healthy BBQ sauce is no exception. The fun of making your own condiments is you can change up the flavors easily and make it unique each as every time.

(BBQ CAULIFLOWER)

THE REASONS WHY YOU MAKE YOUR OWN BBQ SAUCE

Let’s be honest, buying store-bought condiments is more convenient and sometimes cheaper. But, at what risk? Even though I always look for fat-free, or oil-free brands, I realized salt, sugar, and preservatives replace the fat. Basically, when you eat store-bought products, especially those that have ingredients you can’t pronounce, you have no idea what you are putting into your body.

For the sake of argument, I took a popular vegan BBQ Sauce, Sweet Baby Rays, and checked out the 21 ingredients.

Water
Tomato Paste
Distilled Vinegar
Allulose (sugar substitute)
Salt
Corn Starch
Apple Cider Vinegar
Garlic
Caramel Color
Natural Smoke Flavor (liquid smoke)
Natural flavor (mystery ingredient)
Potassium Sorbate(a chemical additive used as a preservative)
Sodium benzoate (chemical pickling agent)
Spice (uncertain)
Xanthan Gum (food additive for thickening and stabilizing)
Mustard flour (dry mustard)
Paprika
Onion
Sucralose (no-calorie artificial sweetener)
Citric Acid (commonly used as an additive in food, cleaning agents, and nutritional supplements)
Sodium Citrate (used as a food additive, usually for salty flavor or as a preservative)

Of course, they claim it is sugar-free, but it somehow has 1 gram of sugar per serving. But, there isn’t any added sugar? It is a gluten-free food with only 1 gram of carbs. Despite all this spender, it is vegan, so it has that going for it. In a nutshell, this is why I like to make a healthy BBQ sauce instead of buying a bottle at the store.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN HOMEMADE HEALTHY BBQ SAUCE

(BBQ TEMPEH)

BBQ SAUCE INGREDIENTS

White Onion
Garlic
Organic Tomato Paste
Organic Tomato Sauce
Pure Maple Syrup
Apple Cider Vinegar
Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
Molasses
Dijon Mustard
Paprika
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper

But, I also have a second BBQ sauce recipe I love that only has a few ingredients. We’ll call it the quick and easy BBQ sauce version. I use it, for instance, with my Pulled Pork Sweet Potato Sandwich!

QUICK AND EASY BBQ SAUCE INGREDIENTS

Organic Tomato Sauce
Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce
Grape Jelly
Apple Cider Vinegar

(BBQ TOFU)

VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR HEALTHY BBQ SAUCE RECIPE

As with all recipes, you can always tweak the ingredients to give your healthy BBQ sauce your own sass!

Liquid smoke (hickory or mesquite)
Agave instead of maple syrup
Use dates instead of molasses
Add sriracha for a little kick
Add pineapple juice for a fruity blend
For more tang, replace yellow mustard with dijon mustard

(TEMPEH KABOBS)

(SALAD WITH GRILLED PEACHES)

So, the next time you are shopping and reading labels, remember, sometimes it’s better to just make healthy BBQ sauce at home!

12 servings