This vegan BBQ sauce recipe is the perfect mix of tang and sweet. It’s easy to make and uses nine simple ingredients!
This post was originally published on July 6, 2019.
I love making my own sauce, especially barbecue sauce. Store bought versions are either too sweet or too tangy, and this homemade recipe is pure perfection!
When I say easy, I’m not exaggerating. This recipe for homemade bbq sauce is literally a stir all ingredients and serve kind of recipe. You can warm it up if you prefer, but it’s not needed, especially if you are using it as part of a bigger recipe.
Ingredients
No overloaded amount of sugar in this healthy BBQ sauce! Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy recipe:
- Tomato paste
- Veggie broth
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
- Apple cider vinegar
- Liquid smoke
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
How to Make Vegan BBQ Sauce
Making a healthy homemade bbq sauce is so easy. There are literally two steps:
- Mix everything in a bowl.
- Serve!
Serving suggestions
Put this sauce on everything! If you need some inspiration, I have many recipes that use this sauce in them! It’s super versatile so it can be used in many ways.
- BBQ Cauliflower Bites Bowl
- Vegan BBQ Pulled ‘Pork’ Sandwich
- BBQ Tempeh Sandwich
- BBQ Chickpea Sliders
- Black Bean Burger with BBQ Sauce
- Or use as a dip for Sweet Potato Fries!
Tips and tricks
As easy as this vegan BBQ sauce is, there’s a little bit of extra information that will come in handy:
- If you want to heat it up you can, but it’s ready to go as is. Most of the time you are using it in another recipe anyway.
- Make it spicy by adding some chili powder or cayenne powder!
- You can use water instead of broth, but I find the broth gives it a bit more flavor.
- Add more or less broth for the thickness you like.
- Adjust the amount of salt to taste. The salt content in your tomato paste and veggie broth will affect how much salt to use.
- This sauce is best if made ahead of time so the flavors are allowed to marinate. Marinating also allows the spices to fully combine with the tomato paste.
- If your sauce seems a little “gritty,” then allow it to sit longer. You can speed this up by heating it slightly.
- Store this BBQ sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- You can also freeze this sauce for up to 3 months. Put it in an airtight container, then put a layer of plastic wrap over the top of the sauce so it sticks on the sauce itself. Then freeze. When ready to defrost, put it on the counter or fridge.
Common Questions
As long as a food doesn’t have animal products, then it can be eaten on a vegan diet. When it comes to barbecue sauce, the one ingredient that may appear to make it not vegan is honey.
Honey is not something we worry much about, but if you follow a strict vegan diet you need to stay away from it. So always make sure to check the list of ingredients.
In this homemade vegan bbq sauce recipe, I use maple syrup so it stays fully vegan. But there are many other ways to get that level of sweet you like in your bbq sauce. Molasses, brown rice syrup, coconut syrup, coconut sugar, or cane sugar are all good options.
We all have different likes when it comes to bbq sauce. Some like it sweet, others tangy and then there is the level of spice. This version is that perfect medium that we love. Always feel free to adjust the ingredients to get the perfect version for you!
Sauce are one of my favorite ways to add to a recipe. I feel like it finishes off anything and gives it an extra oomph you wouldn’t get otherwise. I am a huge sauce fan and have created so many vegan sauces!
Anything, including sauces, is vegan as long as it has no animal products. This includes dairy, butter, eggs and honey. But as you can see on this site, it isn’t hard to recreate your favorites into a vegan recipe!
More Vegan Sauces
Sauces can be the star of the show, so they’re always great to have on hand! Here are some of our favorite plant based recipes:
Healthy Vegan BBQ Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup tomato paste
- ½ cup veggie broth , low-sodium if needed (see notes)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp molasses
- 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp liquid smoke
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ½ – 1 tsp sea salt , adjust depending on amount of salt in tomato paste and broth
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Put the tomato paste, broth, maple syrup, molasses, vinegar, liquid smoke, chili powder, salt and garlic powder in a bowl and mix well until smooth.
- People have many different opinions when it comes to the kind of BBQ sauce they like. If you fall in the spicy camp, then add more chili powder ¼ teaspoon at a time to get the level of spice you like.
- If you are in the sweet camp, add more maple syrup ¼ teaspoon at a time until you get the sweetness you like.
- But if you are in the tangy camp, add more vinegar, ¼ teaspoon at a time until you get the tang you like.
- Serve with everything!
Notes
- Makes 2 cups (473 ml) sauce. Each serving is 1/4 cup.
- You can use water instead of broth, but I find the broth gives it a bit more flavor.
- Add more or less broth for the thickness you like.
- This sauce is best if made ahead of time so the flavors are allowed to marinate. Marinating also allows the spices to fully combine with the tomato paste.
- If your sauce seems a little “gritty,” then allow it to sit longer. You can speed this up by heating it slightly.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Sarah says
I love that there’s no refined sugar in this recipe! Tastes so good, and it easy enough to make. Adding to the repeat file!
veggiesdontbite says
So glad you liked it!
Noemi says
Hi Sofia! What can I use if I don’t have molasses?
Thanks!
veggiesdontbite says
Ho Noemi! Molasses has a unique flavor and does contribute to the end result here, but you can add a touch more maple syrup if you don’t have it. Just keep in mind the flavor won’t be exactly the same! Let me know how it turns out!
Pamela Duel says
Hi Sophia,
How long will your BBQ sauce last in the fridge please?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Pamela! I’d say about 5-7 days!