Healthy Homemade BBQ Sauce (2024)

Home Recipe Index Meal Type Sauces/Condiments Healthy Homemade BBQ Sauce

By Brittany Mullins

4.4

Published Apr 25, 2016, Updated Mar 20, 2023

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Skip the sugary store-bought BBQ sauce and make this easy and healthy BBQ sauce recipe at home! It has the same bold, sweetand spicy flavor that you love from regular BBQ sauce, just made healthier.

I don’t know if it’s the thought of summer or what, but I’ve been craving BBQflavored things. And not just snack stuff like barbeque Popchips (although I do love those). I’ve been wanting the saucy stuff.

Ingredients in Traditional BBQ Sauce

My first thought was to run to the store to grab a jar of BBQ sauce, but I quickly realized that healthier bottled BBQ sauce is kind of hard to find. Most store-bought sauces are loaded with sugar and some brands like Sweet Baby Ray’s still use high fructose corn syrup… and it’s the FIRST ingredient!! They’re also packed with a hefty dose of sodium and added preservatives. Not real food or EBF friendly!

Ultimately I said no thanks to the bottled sauces and grabbed ingredients to make my own healthy BBQ sauce at home instead.

How to Make Healthy BBQ Sauce

Turns out, the process of making homemade BBQ sauce is so easy! Literally everything goes into one pot and it takes less than 20 minutes to cook.

The final product is absolutely delicious — bold, flavorful, sweet and spicy! I personally think the homemade version tastes way better than most store-bought sauces I’ve tried. I want to put it on any and everything.

I know many of you will be using BBQ sauce this summer and I’m happy to share this easy recipe with you. It makes about 2 cups and you can use it in a variety of ways. As a marinade, dipping sauce, salad dressing… the possibilities are pretty much endless. I’ve been using the sauce to test a couple different recipes that I’m super pumped to share. The first one is this BBQ tempeh and it’s delicious.

Healthy Store-Bought BBQ Sauce

If you decide you don’t have time to make homemade BBQ sauce and you’re going to pick up a jar from the store, just be sure to read labels. The serving size is usually 2 Tablespoons. Look for brands that don’t have high fructose corn syrup or some form of sugar listed as the first ingredient. It’s also ideal to have less than 10 grams of sugar and 300mg of sodium per serving.

There are a few brands that make healthier BBQ sauce with natural/organic ingredients. If I don’t have time to make my own I buy Primal Kitchen’s BBQ sauce (their golden BBQ sauce is delicious). If you’re on the hunt for healthy store-bought condiments, I also have a list of all my favorite healthy store-bought salad dressings.

Ways to Use this BBQ Sauce

Hearts of Palm Vegan BBQ Sandwiches
How to Make BBQ Jackfruit
Grilled BBQ Tempeh Skewers
Open-Faced BBQ Hummus Tuna Sandwich

More Staple Recipes

Healthy Homemade Salad Dressings
Blackened Seasoning
Dairy-Free Sour Cream
Honey Mustard Dressing
Lemon Vinaigrette

If you try this healthy bbq sauce recipe please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.

Healthy BBQ Sauce

By: Brittany Mullins

This healthy BBQ sauce has the same bold, sweet and spicy flavor that you love from regular BBQ sauce, just made with healthier ingredients. It’s vegan, gluten-free and paleo-friendly.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 16

Ingredients

▢ 1/2 teaspoon olive or coconut oil
▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped small
▢ 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
▢ 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
▢ 3 Tablespoons maple syrup*
▢ 1 1/2 Tablespoons molasses
▢ 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
▢ 1 teaspoon tamari or coconut aminos
▢ 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
▢ 1/2 teaspoon paprika
▢ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
▢ 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
▢ dash of cinnamon

Instructions

Add oil to a medium sized saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Make sure to stir the mixture frequently and watch the garlic because it can burn easily.
Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, maple syrup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, tamari and mustard into the pan. Stir to combine.
Add in seasonings and spices: salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, ground pepper and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
Allow mixture to come to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for about 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Just be careful because if the heat is too high, the mixture will start to boil and splatter.
Use right away or let cool and refrigerate for later use.

Notes

To lower the sugar content, use powdered or liquid stevia or monkfruit instead of maple syrup. Start with a little (like 1/8 teaspoon) taste and add more until the sweetness level suits your needs.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy, healthy bbq sauce, homemade barbecue sauce

Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

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About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

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