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You are here: Home / Dinner / Homemade BBQ Sauce (Vegan Option)

Homemade BBQ Sauce (Vegan Option)

March 20, 2018 by Larisha Campbell 9 Comments

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This homemade BBQ sauce recipe is quick and easy to make. You’ll never want to buy another bottle of Barbecue sauce when you realize how to make BBQ sauce is so easy.

homemade bbq sauce 

I used to buy all my sauces in bottles.  It just seemed so much easier.  Then, when I really started getting into cooking, I would always see recipes for various sauces and remember thinking, why make my own homemade bbq sauce when I can just buy it in the bottle? Wasn’t cooking supposed to be easy? This was well before my days of even a remotely “semicrunchyish” life, so processed foods were life for us at the time.
Then it happened, I ran out of BBQ sauce and I needed some for the chicken recipe I was making for the night.  I freaked.  I didn’t have time to run to the store so I looked up a few different recipes on how to make bbq sauce, mixed them together, and was amazingly surprised at how incredibly easy it was to make homemade bbq sauce.  Not only that, the taste was amazing. Over time, we’ve perfected this recipe and it’s the best bbq sauce recipe around! So much better than any bottled bbq brands I’ve tried.  Whats even better is that it was lower in sugar and sodium, too.  Lastly, most people will have most, if not all, of these ingredients already in their home.  After we make, we store in glass containers in the fridge.

how to make bbq sauce

How can you make Homemade BBQ Sauce?

A homemade BBQ sauce recipe isn’t difficult.  The base is ketchup. Use a salt-free ketchup for even lower sodium. You mix in apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup. The apple cider vinegar helps aid in the sweetness that is being heightened with the other sweeteners. Then, to give that savory taste of the best BBQ sauce you’ve tried, you add in spices.  We add in garlic and onion powders, smoked paprika, black pepper, chili powder, and ground cinnamon. Stir everything together and you’re done.  This easy BBQ sauce is so simple that you’ll wonder why you haven’t done it before.

easy bbq sauce recipe

How to Make BBQ Sauce?

5 from 1 vote
Print
Homemade BBQ Sauce
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

This homemade BBQ sauce recipe is quick and easy to make. You'll never want to buy another bottle of Barbecue sauce when you realize how to make BBQ sauce is so easy.

Course: Condiments
Cuisine: American
Servings: 11
Calories: 69 kcal
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tbsp raw honey (use agave if vegan)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoke paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a bowl.  

  2. Mix until well combined. 

  3. Store in an air tight container in the fridge up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

For heated sauce: Place all ingredients in a skillet or pan. Mix together until well combined. Turn heat on low and cook until heated through. 

Nutrition Facts
Homemade BBQ Sauce
Amount Per Serving (2 tbsp)
Calories 69
% Daily Value*
Sodium 202mg9%
Potassium 85mg2%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Sugar 15g17%
Vitamin A 195IU4%
Vitamin C 0.9mg1%
Calcium 12mg1%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

What can I use Homemade BBQ Sauce for?

Possibilities are endless for how to use this easy bbq sauce recipe, however, here’s two of our favorite ways!

honey mustard bbq sauce recipe

Make this delicious Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce.  It’s the perfect sauce for so many amazing things and uses our homemade bbq sauce to make it.

Homemade BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

These amazing Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches!  So simple and delicious! Perfect for any night or big crowds!

Pin this delicious Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe to save for later!

best bbq sauce recipe

This post was originally posted on 7/14/2012. Same great recipe, but our photography has greatly improved. Old images below!

homemade barbecue sauce recipehow to use bbq sauce
quick bbq sauce recipe
simple bbq sauce recipe

Related posts:

Ridiculously Easy BBQ Chicken Spicy Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce Grilled Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa & Avocado Lime Sauce Chicken Corn Chowder

Filed Under: Dinner, Home, Recipes Tagged With: bbq, dinner, recipes, sauce

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Comments

  1. Nichellewashere says

    July 14, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    Nice recipe!! I use pretty much the same ingredients minus the syrup, vinegar, an honey. I don't really like super sweet BBQ sauce. I add pineapple juice and hot sauce.

    Reply
  2. Were Parents says

    July 17, 2012 at 10:33 pm

    ohhh Pineapple juice sounds yummy. I like it sweet 🙂

    Reply
  3. Katie Sheasby says

    December 11, 2014 at 4:36 am

    I love this recipe. I have been using it for over a year. It is my go to recipe for BBQ sauce. I can&#39;t have bottled because of an allergy and now that I can make my own, it is wonderful!<br />

    Reply
    • Were Parents says

      December 11, 2014 at 1:30 pm

      OMG, Thanks Katie! That made my day! I&#39;m glad you love it!

      Reply
  4. Cassandre says

    March 6, 2016 at 8:00 pm

    Yo! Larisha! I’m in love with this BBQ sauce! I just about drank the whole thing! I’m never buying bottled BBQ sauce again! Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
    • Larisha says

      March 20, 2016 at 8:28 pm

      OMGGG!!! This makes me sooo soo sooo happy! I’m so glad you love it!

      Reply
  5. Nancy says

    March 22, 2018 at 7:26 am

    How did you figure the sodium content. That has to be wrong. The only thing that has sodium is the ketchup and maybe the spices.

    Reply
    • Larisha Campbell says

      March 22, 2018 at 6:16 pm

      Well! Great catch! I have no idea what it was calculating, but I just fixed it! Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

      Reply
  6. Josie McHale says

    June 28, 2018 at 5:47 pm

    5 stars
    Sounds like a great recipe for homemade BBQ sauce! I cannot wait to try it and have it all summer long! Thanks for the share!

    Reply

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