Name: Sugar-Free Homemade BBQ Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6 Servings
Cuisine: American

Jule’s Menu Verified

February 7, 2026

This simple and quick homemade BBQ sauce is completely free of artificial flavor enhancers, colorings, preservatives, and excessive amounts of sugar or sweeteners. Instead, it has a wonderfully smoky, savory, and slightly sweet flavor, and can be adjusted to be a bit spicier or milder according to your taste.

From the Cook

1/5

Sugar-Free Homemade BBQ Sauce

Jule’s Menu Verified

Ingredients

WarningWheat and 2 other allergens identified

Instructions

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Instructions

Peel and finely dice the onions and garlic. Wash the chili, remove the seeds if desired (to reduce the heat), and cut it into thin strips.

Heat half of the oil in a pan and sauté the shallots for about 5 minutes. Gradually add a splash of warm water to prevent the shallots from burning.

Add the remaining oil, garlic, chili, smoked salt, and smoked paprika, and sauté together for about 1–2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

Reduce the heat slightly and deglaze with the pureed tomatoes. Add the mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and honey, and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce is nicely thickened.

Remove the pot from the heat and season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper, chili flakes, vinegar, or honey. If desired, you can also blend the sauce for a smoother texture.

Let the sauce cool, transfer it to an airtight glass container, and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Smoked Depth Technique 🔥
Toast your smoked paprika and whole spices in a dry pan for 30-60 seconds before adding to the sauce to intensify their smoky flavor profile.
Vinegar Balance Secret 🍶
Gradually add apple cider vinegar and taste as you go to prevent the sauce from becoming too acidic, allowing you to control the tanginess precisely.
Natural Sweetness Hack 🍯
Instead of processed honey, consider using a small amount of pureed dates or monk fruit sweetener for a more complex, sugar-free sweetness.
Texture Mastery Trick 🥄
Use an immersion blender or fine-mesh strainer to ensure a perfectly smooth consistency, removing any chunks of shallots or garlic.
Flavor Layering Technique 🌶️
Bloom your chili peppers and spices in canola oil before adding other ingredients to extract maximum flavor and create a more rounded sauce base.

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About the Cook

Jule’s Menu

Hi, I’m Julia, and I’m the recipe developer, photographer, and author behind Jules’ Menu. I’ve spent the last eight years perfecting healthy everyday recipes so they strike the perfect balance between healthy and nourishing, simple and practical, and gourmet-level delicious.