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This Vegan BBQ Sauce has the perfect taste profile of sweet and tangy. It is super easy to make and is ready in less than 30 minute!
Just like my Mango BBQ Sauce recipe, this easy Vegan BBQ recipe is super easy and quick to make. You will never want to buy store bought BBQ sauce again!
It is perfect to use on vegan weight gain recipes like my vegan ribs, vegan lentil meatballs, vegan lentil loaf, and even as a dipping sauce for fried oyster mushrooms!
The 5 Components of a Good Barbecue Sauce
1. Tomato Base
This can be anything from…
- tomato paste
- tomato puree
- ketchup
Typically ketchup is used for homemade BBQ sauces. For this recipe, I used tomato puree to control the amount of sugar in the sauce. Be sure to use tomato puree and NOT tomato sauce used for pasta.
2. Vinger
This is the tangy component to a good barbecue sauce. You can use…
- white vinegar
- apple cider vinegar
- mustard (has vinegar in it)
3. Sweetener
The amount of sweetener you use will largely depend on how sweet you desire your barbecue sauce and what flavors you desire. You can use a combination of…
- brown sugar
- molasses
- maple syrup
- agave nectar
- coconut nectar
- Bee Free Honey
- sugar-free alternatives like monk fruit, stevia, erythritol
4. Spices and Flavors
Again this will largely depend on your flavor profile and how spicy you like your BBQ Sauce. Typical spices include …
- chill powder
- cumin
- liquid smoke
- garlic powder (or chopped fresh garlic or minced dried garlic)
- onion powder (or chopped fresh onions or minced dried onion)
- cayenne pepper
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
5. Extras
And lastly, if you want your BBQ Sauce to stand out, you can add some fruit to it! You can use…
- apricots
- blueberries
- strawberries
- pineapples
- peaches
- lemon juice (for even more tanginess)
How to Thicken BBQ Sauce
There are many ways to thicken BBQ sauce. With this vegan bbq sauce recipe, it thickens on its own because we are using tomato puree for the base. To read more about other ways to thicken your BBQ sauce check out How to Thicken BBQ Sauce.
How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce
*Please read detailed and printable recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
Substitution, Cook, and Storage Tips:
- Be sure to refer to the notes above of The 5 Components of What BBQ Sauce is Made Of to jazz it up and make it your own. The steps are the same but you can mix and match the ingredients based on what you like and what you already have.
- Adjust the number of spices and sweeteners to your liking. Add more sweeteners if you like it sweeter, spices if you like it hot, or mustard if you like it tangier.
- This recipe will keep in the refrigerator for 7-14 days in an air tight sealed jar. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. I like freezing them in portions using silicone ice cube trays.
More BBQ Recipes
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Vegan BBQ Sauce (No Ketchup)
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce canned tomato puree
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup pineapple juice (or orange juice)
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Equipment
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium-sized pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, and continue simmering for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place in an airtight container
- Use on BBQ Lentil Meatballs, "Beefy" Lentil Loaf, or as a dipping sauce with my Fried Oyster Mushroom recipe!
Video
Notes
- SAUCE COMPONENTS: Be sure to refer to the notes above in the blog post “The 5 Components of a Good Barbecue Sauce ” to jazz it up to make this recipe how you desire it to be.
- TOMATO PUREE: When choosing your tomato puree, I highly recommend the brand shown in the photo above for the smoothest texture.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on June 17, 2019, but was republished with new photos, updated recipe, step by step instructions, tips, and a video June 4, 2022.
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© Gina Marie Hoskins. Vegan With Curves. All Rights Reserved. Unless noted otherwise, all images, recipes, & content are copyright protected and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. My images and written content are NOT to be used without prior permission. Read full Copyright Disclosure.
© Gina Marie Hoskins. Vegan With Curves. All Rights Reserved. Unless noted otherwise, all images, recipes, & content are copyright protected and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. My images and written content are NOT to be used without prior permission. Read full Copyright Disclosure.
A bit too sweet. I might reduce the brown sugar by half next time. I added the some liquid smoke (1/4 tsp) to add some smoky flavor..
These came out delicious, but unfortunately due to my oversight, I put all of the lentils in the food processor, and they came out too moist and didn’t hold their shape. I put some in a pan, those fell apart more so than the ones that I baked. I did use a jar of Stubb’s barbeque sauce and even though it doesn’t specify vegan, the ingredients are wholesome with less sugar and no high fructose with a bit of zip. I will definitely be adding these to my meal planning repertoire, thanks for sharing!
This recipe is so good. I love the ingredients!
This BBQ sauce was amazing! The pineapple juice added a delicious flavor I’m not used to in our regular bbq sauce. Can’t wait to use it on some grilled veggies!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for this recipe; we made this for a family BBQ, and it went down a treat with everyone 🙂
Yay! thank you for the feedback!
So tasty and easy to make. This is a great recipe!
thank you!
WOW what a simple sweet and tangy BBQ sauce ! I have finally found one I love ! Thanks do much.
You are welcome!
I love making homemade BBQ sauce, but have never added tomato puree to the mix. I bet it give the BBQ sauce a thicker consistency. Will have to give it a try!
Yes the tomato sauce def gives it a thicker consistency! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Hello,
what kind of molasses are you using for this recipe, please?
Blackstrap, dark or light?
Thank you,
Slavka
Whatever you prefer it really does not matter. Whichever one you like best.😊
Is there something I could sub for agave nectar? Maple syrup?
That will work!
Hi! How much liquid smoke should be used – it’s listed twice in the ingredients list shows it twice. Can’t wait to try this with the bbq lentil meatballs.
~Andrea
Oops sorry about that! I fixed it. You only need 1/4 teaspoon.
How big of a can of tomato puree is needed?
Sorry about that. About 15 ounces
Hello, I am looking forward to trying this recipe, I’m relatively new to eating vegan meals and I’m finding all the different types of lentils confusing. What type of lentils are used in this recipe? red? green? brown? etc
Thanks,
Abbie
Hi Abbie. So this BBQ sauce recipe doesn’t use lentils. I’m not sure what recipe you are referring to but my BBQ Lentil Balls recipe uses brown lentils if that is what you are referring too.
Made this today! The sauce is so good. Gonna give it a try with Tasty’s recipe for vegan pulled pork burgers
Awesome! So glad you loved the recipe!!