Easy Paleo + Whole30 BBQ Sauce Recipe and Video – a homemade Tessemae’s BBQ sauce copycat. Ready in 10 minutes! 7 ingredients, sweetened naturally with dates, so no sugar! Paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, vegan, clean eating, real food.
You are going to LOVE how easy this Whole30 BBQ sauce is! It is ready to eat in 10 minutes. I’m serious. Now that I know how easy it is to make a healthy, sugar free BBQ sauce I’m never going to buy store bought again.
It is healthy, with just 7 easy ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Have you read the ingredients on store bought BBQ sauce? PACKED with sugar. This easy Whole30 and paleo BBQ sauce is sweetened naturally with dates, so no refined sugar.
The best part? You can’t even tell it is sweetened naturally. Still sweet and thick and tangy, with the added bonus of being much healthier for you.
Tessemae’s BBQ Sauce Copycat
I went to buy Tessemae’s at the store, and it was sold out! 😱 I asked the Whole Foods manager, and he said Tessemae’s BBQ sauce was out of stock for the foreseeable future, even on their website and Amazon.
It is July! I need my BBQ sauce!
So I set out to make my own. I read the ingredients on the label of my almost empty Tessemae’s bottle, and tried to recreate it at home. After a few tries, I got it right! A perfect Tessemae’s BBQ sauce copycat recipe.
Paleo + Whole30 BBQ Sauce Ingredients
This BBQ sauce is made with balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, pitted dates, dijon mustard, coconut aminos, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. That’s it! All real ingredients that make it a paleo, Whole30 approved, gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and vegan BBQ sauce.
I add all the ingredients to a pan to slowly warm so the flavors can marry, and also to get the pitted dates soft and plump so they blend really well.
After it warms on the stove for 5 minutes, I add all the ingredients to my blender and blend on high for 2 minutes. When it’s done blending, it’s ready to start eating. It’s that easy.
Storing Paleo + Whole30 BBQ Sauce
I find that this BBQ sauce is best when it is thick, so when I brush it on meat and grill it, the BBQ sauce really stays on. I hate when it’s too runny and drips off. But this is personal preference. If you like your BBQ sauce thinner, just add water and blend again until it reaches the consistency you like.
I store my BBQ sauce in wide mouth pint mason jars. This recipes makes about 2-1/2 cups. I use 1/2 cup right away on whatever I’m cooking, and the rest fits perfectly in the mason jar.
I also love using wide mouth pint mason jars because they’re freezer friendly! I like to make a double batch, freeze 2 pints, and leave the rest in the fridge.
Watch How to Make BBQ Sauce Recipe Video
Easy Whole30 BBQ Sauce
Prep Time: 5 mins- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
Yield: 2.5 cups 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
3/4 cups balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
(1) 6-ounce can tomato paste
8 pitted medjool dates
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Heat a sauce pan over medium low heat. Add all ingredients, stir to combine, and bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes. You don’t want it to boil, just get warmed through. Heating will allow the flavors to marry and soften the dates.
Transfer the BBQ sauce to a blender, and blend on high speed for 2 minutes. (Careful blending warm liquids in blenders! I love my Vitamix, it can blend hot liquid without issue.)
I like my bbq sauce thick so it really sticks to the meat I grill. If you like yours thinner, add water and blend until desired consistency is reached.
Store in an airtight container or wide mouth pint mason jar. Will keep in the fridge for at least 4 weeks, or frozen for 1 year.
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Sheila says
May 25, 2018 at 4:06 pmBEST BBQ SAUCE EVER!!!! My husband didn’t believe me when I told him this was Whole30. Thank you thank you thank you!
★★★★★
Luis says
May 15, 2019 at 1:59 pmAbsolutely! The best!
Natalie says
May 17, 2019 at 8:39 amYea! Thanks Luis!
Makenna says
July 9, 2018 at 10:21 amHi there!
I’m pretty sure my Dijon mustard at home has sugar in it. Any suggestions for an alternative? Can I just sub out regular yellow mustard?
Thanks!
Natalie says
July 9, 2018 at 6:54 pmYes! You could use yellow mustard! Dijon mustards shouldn’t have sugar in it, so next time you’re at the store check the labels and grab one that doesn’t have sugar. You’re going to love this BBQ sauce!
KP says
July 19, 2018 at 7:54 amCould this recipe be made without the dates? I am doing 21DSD and looking for an easy bbq recipe that doesn’t include any food for natural sweetner? I love the easiness of this recipe compared to some others!
Natalie says
July 19, 2018 at 9:01 amYou could definitely try! But it might be really, really tangy. The sweet helps offset the vinegar for a good, balanced BBQ sauce. But hey, it could be good! Can you use fruit? Maybe adding in raw apple would work? I think it will be a lot better with some sweetness added in. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Natalie says
February 27, 2019 at 6:33 amI tried this with a reduced amount of dates (less than half!)
Not because I wanted to, but because I was out!
Even having some dates rather than none, It still ended up a really tangy bbq sauce – It was tasty, but VERY tangy
I ended up sweetening it up with some apple after I blended it, I had unsweetened apple sauce on hand so adding that in worked like a charm –
You gotta have a little bit of sweetness!
In addition to all of that I added some heat to my sauce as well, some smoked paprika and cayenne pepper gave it a spicy smokey boldness -yum!
I am excited to be trying this recipe again – this time with the correct amount of dates
★★★★★
Natalie says
March 3, 2019 at 8:10 pmAdding in apple is a great idea to sweeten it! Smart since you were out of dates. And paprika and cayenne pepper. My husband loves spicy, I want to try this next time. Glad you liked it! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!
Casey ARCENEAUX says
August 23, 2018 at 8:59 amThis BBQ Sauce is everything. Oh M Geeeee. So so good. 👍🏽👍🏽💚💚
Natalie says
August 26, 2018 at 11:27 amI’m so glad you like it Casey! You just made my day!
Denise says
September 25, 2018 at 5:26 pmOh my goodness! What delectable yumminess!! We have a group that meets in our home on Sunday for food, fellowship, Bible study and prayer. I’m always searching for recipes that satisfy the non-W30s (which is the entire group except me :D) and this one was a major hit. We’ve had it on BBQ chicken, brisket, sloppy joes…you name it. Even the guys were sopping up the sauce.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Natalie says
October 1, 2018 at 10:03 amI am so happy you liked my BBQ sauce! And that non whole30ers liked it too! That’s the ultimate compliment! Thanks for letting me know you liked my recipe. You made my day!
Laura Hodgson says
October 13, 2018 at 2:39 pmI was out of dates so I subbed in raisins and it turned out great! Everyone loves it!
★★★★★
Natalie says
October 16, 2018 at 1:18 pmRaisins are a great idea Laura! Never thought of that! I’m going to remember that in case I ever run out of dates. Thanks for letting me know you liked my recipe, you made my day!
Kristin says
January 21, 2019 at 11:25 amFYI… pineapple isn’t sweet enough! 😭
Natalie says
January 26, 2019 at 6:53 amGood to know! Dates are for sure if you can use dates! Makes such a yummy BBQ sauce!
Amanda says
January 25, 2019 at 9:41 amAny sub for coconut aminos? Need whole30 but out of this ingredient
Natalie says
January 26, 2019 at 7:07 amOooh, I can’t think of one off the top of my head! But it won’t be the end of the world if you leave it out. It should still be good without it!
Cindy says
February 21, 2019 at 2:35 pmHas anyone used an immersion blender for this?
Randi says
February 24, 2019 at 4:59 pmI made this tonight and used my immersion blender right in the saucepan on the stovetop. It worked just fine – very convenient.
I like the sauce, it’s a bit tart for me, maybe adding a bit more date would take the edge off. All in all, good for my first BBQ sauce!
Natalie says
February 25, 2019 at 12:26 pmThanks for sharing Randi! Glad you like the BBQ sauce! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Natalie says
February 25, 2019 at 11:52 amYes! I’ve had readers let me know they’ve used an immersion blender for this and it worked great! Just make sure your dates are extra soft so they blend right up. Soak them in hot water for a good 30 minutes and they should blend up no problem.
Hope you love it when you try it!
Lindsey says
February 27, 2019 at 9:39 amIs it possible to make it sweeter with more dates? Like a lot more? I find it really tangy- but was expecting really sweet. Thanks :)
★★★★★
Natalie says
March 3, 2019 at 8:13 pmYes! Feel free to add in as many dates as you would like to reach desired sweetness. If you’re not on a Whole30, maple syrup or honey or coconut sugar would work great too.
April Bo says
February 27, 2019 at 1:16 pmCan you us figs instead of dates?
Natalie says
March 3, 2019 at 8:16 pmAbsolutely! It should be a 1:1 ratio. There will just be the fig seeds inside the BBQ sauce. But should still taste great!
Andrew Vass says
May 12, 2019 at 8:40 amI can’t find Coconut Aminos en the republic of Panama. What can I use instead?
Natalie says
May 13, 2019 at 10:33 amThat’s the only Whole30 compliant ingredient. If you don’t have it you can just leave it out!
Aaron Johnson says
June 3, 2019 at 6:21 amJust an FYI as this recipe is written it CANNOT be whole30 compliant. Dijon mustard of any kind will have white wine in it, which is definitely not whole 30. I understand you copycatted Tessamae’s, but they just list organic mustard as an ingredient. Pretty much with mustards your choices are classic yellow or spicy brown on whole30. Yellow mustard would’ve been a fine choice to make this whole30 compliant.
Natalie says
June 3, 2019 at 9:33 amHi Aaron. Good news! There are tons of Whole30 compliant dijon mustards available! Whole Foods 365 brand is compliant, as is Sprouts brand. Here is a link to the Whole Foods one on Amazon. You can view the ingredient list and see that all the ingredients are 100% whole30 compliant. You’ve got to get it, it’s so good! If you can’t get your hands on it, you can definitely use yellow mustard.
Barb says
August 4, 2019 at 7:19 amMade this twice now. Love it and I’m not doing whole 30. Just conscious of my sugar intake. And my family likes it too.
★★★★★
Natalie says
August 9, 2019 at 7:12 amOh I love that! Eating clean like this is great for everyday life, not just when doing a whole30. Thanks for letting me know Barb!