Vegan BBQ Sauce
This homemade vegan BBQ sauce recipe creates the best easy barbecue sauce ever! It’s a homemade sweet and smoky sauce that’s perfect for your next Vegan Sandwich or when you’re heading to the grill!
I’m a sauce girl all the way. I dip my french fries in a lot of ketchup and I drizzle my veggie burgers with lots of vegan barbecue sauce. What can I say? This smoky sauce is perfect for Black Bean Burgers, sandwiches, and even for dipping Air Fryer French Fries.
Is BBQ sauce vegan?
Most store-bought barbecue sauces are vegetarian or vegan. However, when you turn the bottle over and scan the ingredients list, it’s hard to find one that doesn’t include the highly processed, highly controversial high fructose corn syrup.
Making your own BBQ sauce means you get to control the ingredients and the quantities, which makes it so much better!
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Tomato sauce — You’ll need one 15-ounce can of tomato sauce. I try to buy BPA-free cans when it comes to tomato ingredients because of their acidic nature.
- Tomato Paste — You’ll need only 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, which you can buy in small cans or tubes.
- Molasses — The best molasses is unsulfured, but not blackstrap which is too bitter.
- Brown Sugar — You can use light, dark, or homemade brown sugar.
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce — Find this salty sauce in health food stores or online or you can make vegan Worcestershire sauce yourself. It’s easy than you think! You can substitute soy sauce or gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos.
- Apple Cider Vinegar — I find apple cider vinegar works best but you can substitute white wine vinegar.
- Liquid Smoke — We’ll use liquid smoke to add the smoky flavor we desire in this sauce. You can find it in the BBQ sauce section of most grocery stores.
- Smoked paprika — You can find smoked paprika in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
- Spices — This recipe calls for a teaspoon of garlic powder and onion powder or dehydrated onions.
What is Vegan Worcestershire Sauce?
Worcestershire sauce was actually created in the city of Worcester, England. It’s a fermented sauce made with molasses and various spices, yielding a tangy, sweet, and salty flavor. Because the original recipe is made with anchovies (fish), it’s not vegan, but you can find vegan versions at healthy food stores. It may seem pricey, but it lasts a long time. You can substitute soy sauce or tamari for a gluten-free version.
How to Make Vegan BBQ Sauce
- Stir all ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Let it come to a simmer and then cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a lidded, glass container (like a mason jar), cover, and refrigerate.
Storage Tips
This sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days. It can be frozen in appropriate freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months.
Keto BBQ Sauce
If you want to make keto BBQ sauce, simply leave the sugar and replace it with zero-sugar sweeteners like Stevia or MonkFruit. Some of these sweeteners are more concentrated than others, so start with a tablespoon and increase it in small increments until you achieve the desired level of sweetness.
Using a non-sugar sweetener also transforms this into a low-calorie BBQ sauce recipe!
Here are the estimated nutritional comparisons per serving with and without sugar:
With sugar per serving:
Calories: 43 Carbs: 11g Protein: 0 Fiber: 1g Net Carbs: 10g
Without sugar per serving:
Calories = 13 Carbs = 2g Protein = 0 Fiber = 0 Net Carbs: 2g
Date Sweetened BBQ Sauce
It’s so easy to make date-sweetened BBQ Sauce. Here’s how:
- Substitute 1/2 cup of soft pitted dates for the brown sugar.
- Cook all the ingredients in a saucepan (as directed)
- Let the mixture cool slightly and then transfer to a high-speed blender.
- Remove the center cap of the blender jar lid and place the lid on the blender securely.
- Then cover the top of the blender with a kitchen towel to prevent any liquid from splattering.
- Pulse in short bursts until you achieve the desired texture.
- Take a taste test. If you prefer it sweeter, add another date and pulse again.
Serving Suggestions
Looking for vegan recipes with BBQ sauce? Be sure to Serve this easy bbq sauce over your favorite veggie burgers and sandwiches. For example, this barbecue sauce is perfect with:
- Vegan Baked Beans
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
- Lentil Burgers
- Vegan Lentil Meatballs
- Vegan Chopped Cheese Sandwich
- Air Fryer French Fries (A delicious dipping experience).
Frequently-Asked Questions
How long does homemade barbecue sauce last?
Storebought BBQ sauce can last a long time thanks to preservatives. However, homemade BBQ sauce will last up to 10 days in the fridge when stored correctly. Always return it to the fridge after using it.
Is BBQ sauce healthy?
A lot of store-bought BBQ sauces are full of high-fructose corn syrup. However, homemade BBQ sauce can be made with healthier proportions and with only the necessary ingredients, making it a much healthier option.
More Grilling Recipes
If you love this homemade vegan BBQ sauce, here are even more grilling recipes you’ll like too:
That’s it for the best of the best Vegan BBQ Sauce recipes!
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Vegan Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅓ cup molasses
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce (see note)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dehydrated onions
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Let it come to a simmer and then cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a lidded, glass container (like a mason jar), cover, and refrigerate. It will keep in the fridge for up 50 10 days.
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Notes
For Date-Sweetened BBQ Sauce
Substitute 1/2 cup of soft pitted dates for the brown sugar. Cook all the ingredients in a saucepan (as directed) and then transfer to a high-speed. Be sure to let the ingredients cool slightly before pulsing. Remove the center opening of the blender jar lid and place it on the blender securely. Then cover with a kitchen towel to prevent any of the liquid from splattering. Pulse in short bursts until you achieve the desired texture. Take a taste test. If you prefer it sweeter, add another date and pulse again.The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
I love this sauce. it’s so easy!
Hi Charlotte. So glad you liked it!
I never thought to sweeten bbq sauce with dates! Brilliant!!
I know! Isn’t it so cool to think about having homemade BBQ sauce without all those additives? I love it!
I am definitely drooling over here, this BBQ Sauce looks as though it is to DIE for! Cannot wait to try!
It is SO good, Casey! I’m eating it on all my veggie burgers. I may have even dipped a french fry or two in it, but don’t tell anyone. 🙂
Thanks for this. I will be trying this next time I need BBQ sauce.
So glad you like it!!