You will need only 5 minutes to make your own BBQ Sauce. It will be smoky, a bit sweet, but plain delicious. It is 100% vegan and gluten-free contrary to many store-bought condiment brands.
Condiments is not always worth making at home especially the tricky ones with hard to get ingredients or difficult technology like soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, but BBQ sauce is not one of them. We make our own if we find that it is just too damn easy (like making peanut butter or hummus at home) or the store-bought version contains many weird ingredients (on the contrary to homemade vegan cream cheese or vegan sour cream) or the store-bought version doesn’t taste good. Browse though our Vegan Condiments recipes to find more.
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What is BBQ sauce?
It is a smoky marinade or sauce that people usually add to meat when they are grilling it outside. Fair enough BBQ sauce doesn’t really sit well with dipping a celery stalk or other veggies in it. It needs to accompany something richer, heartier and more filling like burger patties, sausages or meatballs. Of course, vegan ones. By the way have you seen our Smoky Vegan Beet Burger? It is a delicious burger with BBQ sauce.
The main ingredients you need to mimic BBQ sauce at home are
- tomato sauce/paste,
- vinegar,
- sugar, and
- spices including some smoky flavors.
There are many recipes with different base, different spices and optional flavors. Therefore, it is really a mixing and tasting game until the right combination comes along. This recipe we share with you our favorite homemade BBQ sauce mix.
Is BBQ sauce vegan?
Not all store-bought BBQ sauces are vegan! Where can you go wrong? These ingredients can suggest that the brand is not vegan:
- Worcestershire sauce -> The classic version contains anchovies, unless the bottle specifies it being vegan. We listed all vegan and/or gluten-free brands here.
- Honey -> Some brands use honey as sweetener. Honey is under debate, but it is usually not considered a vegan ingredient. You should choose one of these honey substitutes.
- Flavors, coloring, spices -> That is a tricky one as you might not know what they are. They can be and cannot be
- Beef, pork or chicken broth -> Yeap. Some brands add broth to make it richer and meatier. Sadly.
Ingredients of our homemade BBQ sauce
It is really simple and quick. You only need 9 main ingredients and 5 minutes tops.
- tomato sauce -> the thick one that is closer to paste or ketchup
- molasses -> for something smoky and caramelized
- maple syrup -> for something sweet
- apple cider vinegar -> for something tangy but not too tangy
- soy sauce ->for gluten-free use tamari or choose one from this 5 perfect soy sauce substitutes
- Worcestershire sauce -> yes, there is a vegan version. We listed all vegan and/or gluten-free brands here.
- spices -> onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika powder, and 2 optional ones: liquid smoke and hot chili powder.
And just mix it?
Yeah. Take a mixing bowl and add all ingredients. Mix until combined. If the sauce is not thick enough (this depends on the tomato sauce you choose), simmer it on a stove top with a little bit of starch.
What to serve with Vegan BBQ Sauce?
BBQ sauce is a great additional to make vegan dishes especially those that are grilled or can be grilled:
- vegan burger patties -> like our Smoky Vegan Beet Burger
- vegan meatballs -> like our Eggplant Meatballs
- veggie balls -> like our Copycat Ikea Veggie Balls
- vegan sausages
- sweet potato or potato fries
- baked potato wedges
- vegan pulled pork recipes
- vegan chicken wings or cauliflower wings
Let us know in the comments what is your favorite dish with BBQ sauce!
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This BBQ sauce recipe is dairy-free and egg-free. It is suitable for vegan, vegetarian, nut-free and gluten-free diets. It also works in the whole foods plant-based diet.
⇒ If you need an Easy 7-day VEGAN MEAL PLAN, click to download our free e-book with a shopping list.
More vegan condiment recipes
You can browse through our Vegan Condiment Recipes or check out
Vegan BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sieved tomato puree aka Tomato sauce thick not thin
- ⅛ cup Maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp Molasses
- 2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar -> gluten-free vinegar brands
- 1 Tbsp Soy sauce -> gluten-free soy sauce alternatives
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce -> vegan gluten-free brands
- ½ tsp Onion powder
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional
- ⅛ tsp Hot chili powder or flakes optional
Instructions
- Take a mixing bowl and add all ingredients in it. Mix until combined. Check seasoning and adjust salt, pepper and chili amount to your taste.
- If the sauce is not thick enough (this depends on the tomato sauce you choose), simmer it on a stove top with a little bit of starch.
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