Best Healthy BBQ Sauce

This healthy BBQ Sauce recipe is fresh and tangy without added preservatives or additives. Make healthy vegan BBQ sauce and skip the store-bought brands.

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

Jump to:

• Reasons to Make Healthy BBQ Sauce
• Healthy BBQ Sauce Ingredients
• Healthy BBQ Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
• Alternative Easy BBQ Sauce Recipe Ingredients
• Alternative Easy BBQ Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
• BBQ Sauce Recipe Variations
• How to Make Healthy BBQ Sauce
• How to Make Quick and Easy BBQ Sauce
• Recipe Suggestions for Healthy BBQ Sauce
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• More Delicious Vegan Sauces
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

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 shop in the produce section and leave. 

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

Reasons to Make Healthy 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. 

Is Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce Vegan?

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. 

Healthy BBQ Sauce Ingredients

• White Onion: The white onion gives the BBQ sauce a rich flavor.
• Garlic: I prefer using fresh garlic whenever possible.
• Organic Tomato Paste: Tomato paste provides an intense tomato presence as well as a thickening agent to the sauce.
• Organic Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce is the base of the healthy BBQ sauce.
• Pure Maple Syrup: Pure Maple Syrup gives the sauce sweetness without refined sugar.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar is the tanginess of the sauce.
• Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: I like Annie's or Wizard Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• Molasses: Molasses is a natural substitute for brown sugar, which is highly processed.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon Mustard gives the sauce an intense flavor.
• Paprika: Paprika provides the smokiness we all love in BBQ sauce.
• Pepper: Pepper gives the recipe some depth of flavor.
• Cayenne Pepper: A small amount of cayenne pepper enhances the flavor of the ingredients in the BBQ sauce.

Healthy BBQ Sauce Ingredient Substitutions

• Yellow onion is a natural substitute for white onion.
• Use ½ teaspoon of jarred minced garlic in place of each clove. 
• You don't have to dash out to the store if you're out of tomato paste; tomato sauce and puree are excellent substitutes. For every 1 tablespoon of tomato paste needed, use 3 tablespoons of tomato puree or sauce.
• The best substitution for tomato sauce. All you need is the tomato paste and water. Mix 1 part tomato paste and 1 part water until well blended. Then, season your "sauce" to taste.
• Date syrup substitutes maple syrup in recipes.
• White vinegar substitutes apple cider vinegar.
• Soy sauce is often used instead of vegan Worcestershire sauce.
• Brown rice syrup is a substitute for molasses.
• Stone ground mustard is similar to Dijon mustard.
• Chipotle chili powder is often substituted for paprika.
• Hot sauce (any type) works well in place of 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 or these delicious BBQ cauliflower wings.

Alternative Easy BBQ Sauce Recipe Ingredients

• Organic Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce is the base of the healthy BBQ sauce.
• Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce: Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are a small can that includes chipotle chiles, smoked and dried jalapeños that are rehydrated and canned, and adobo sauce, a purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic, and other spices. Both ingredients add a rich depth of flavor to dishes, sweet, spicy, dark, and smoky all at once
• Grape Jelly: Grape jelly is famous for its smooth texture and deep, tangy flavor.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is tangy and an acidity component of the sauce.

Alternative Easy BBQ Sauce Ingredient Substitutions

• For the best substitution for tomato sauce. All you need is the tomato paste and water. Mix 1 part tomato paste and 1 part water until well blended. Then, season your "sauce" to taste.
• For recipes where there is already tomato replacing the chipotle with smoked paprika is often enough. Start with 1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika and add more as needed.
• Any fresh or dried chili peppers can be added to taste if you also want some heat.
• Our favorite substitutes are red currant and apple jelly. Some other great choices include orange marmalade, apricot preserves, or peach jelly.
• Try white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.

BBQ Sauce Recipe Variations

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

How to Make Healthy BBQ Sauce

1. Sauté the onions and garlic in a medium saucepan until translucent.
2. Combine all the other ingredients.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to simmer.
5. Cook 20 minutes on simmer.

These BBQ tempeh skewers are one of our favorites!

How to Make Quick and Easy BBQ Sauce

• Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender
• Blend until smooth
• Pour contents into a saucepan.
• Warm to the desired temperature

Recipe Suggestions for Healthy BBQ Sauce

Once you make the BBQ sauce, you need ways to use it all! I suggest these delicious BBQ recipes.

• BBQ Jackfruit
• BBQ Tofu
• BBQ Tempeh
• Pulled Pork Sweet Potato Sandwich

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• For thicker sauce, add more tomato paste.
• For a chunky BBQ sauce, add diced tomatoes.
• Using red onions instead of white onions gives the sauce a more substantial onion presence.
• You can use a high-speed blender for a smooth sauce.
• The sauce will last 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
• You can also freeze the sauce. I suggest using Souper Cubes.

So, the next time you shop and read labels, remember that making a healthy BBQ sauce recipe at home is better! 

More Delicious Vegan Sauces

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