This quick and easy homemade vegan barbecue sauce is made with 10 simple ingredients in less than 20 minutes. It’s oil-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Slather it on our vegan ribs and vegan seitan chicken.
This smoky, slightly sweet and spicy barbecue sauce is so much better than store bought.
You won't find high-fructose corn syrup or any other nasty ingredient that you may see in ready made sauce.
We make this Carolina BBQ sauce to go on our Smoky Southern Style Meatloaf, Vegan Pulled Chicken, and Pulled BBQ Carrots, vegan pulled pork, and bbq jackfruit sandwiches.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Here's a visual cue of the basic ingredients you'll need to make this vegan BBQ sauce.
The exact measurements can be found in the recipe card.
Tomato Sauce- If you like BBQ sauce without ketchup, this is for you. We like using tomato sauce because it doesn't contain sugar, like ketchup does.
Brown Sugar - This cuts the acidity from the tomato sauce and adds a slightly sweet flavor.
Molasses - This thick sugary syrup adds a little bit of bitterness and depth of flavor to the sauce. You could substitute with maple syrup, but it definitely won't have the same flavor.
Apple Cider Vinegar - This adds to the tanginess of the tomato sauce and brightens up the flavor.
Spices - For this recipe, we used garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
Lime Juice - A squeeze of lime juice rounds out the flavor.
If you like a big smoky flavor, you can add liquid smoke. Vegan Worcestershire sauce will work in this, too.
How to Make It
Here are step-by-step visual cues to help you make the best vegan BBQ sauce.
Step 1
Add all of the ingredients to a sauce pan.
Step 2
Whisk the ingredients together until smooth and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to simmer and stir occasionally for approximately 15 minutes, or until it thickens.
How to Thicken BBQ Sauce
Simmering the sauce over a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, while stirring occasionally, should thicken the sauce.
If you want a really thick sauce, make a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot sauce and 3 tablespoons of water whisked together. Whisk the slurry into the sauce to thicken.
Refrigerate. The sauce should thicken in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. A mason jar works well.
This will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
More Vegan Sauce Recipes
Vegan BBQ Sauce
Equipment
- 1 stove
- 1 whisk
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk until completely combined. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and simmer for 20 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
PIN ME!
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Yum, this looks perfect for jackfruit or an air fired soy curl recipe I have, thanks!!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, it totally is!