Whole30 + Keto BBQ Sauce
Whole30 + Keto BBQ Sauce Recipe and Video – a low carb homemade Tessemae’s BBQ sauce copycat. Ready in 10 minutes! 7 ingredients. Paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, vegan, clean eating, real food.
You are going to LOVE how easy this Whole30 + Keto 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 and high fructose corn syrup. Homemade is for sure the way to go.
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.
Whole30 + Keto BBQ Sauce Ingredients
This BBQ sauce is made with balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, pitted dates (use monk fruit for keto!), 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 Whole30 + Keto 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
Whole30 + Keto BBQ Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 2.5 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- (1) 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup (or more to taste of monk fruit (for Whole30 substitute 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 if making with 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 3 months, or frozen for 1 year.
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93 Comments on “Whole30 + Keto BBQ Sauce”
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BEST BBQ SAUCE EVER!!!! My husband didn’t believe me when I told him this was Whole30. Thank you thank you thank you!
★★★★★
Absolutely! The best!
Yea! Thanks Luis!
Im just tryin to find the recipe, haven’t tried yet! Frustrated
Hi Liz – I emailed you the recipe.
Hi 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!
Yes! 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!
Could 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!
You 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!
I 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
★★★★★
Adding 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!
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This BBQ Sauce is everything. Oh M Geeeee. So so good. ??????
I’m so glad you like it Casey! You just made my day!
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Oh 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!
I 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!
I was out of dates so I subbed in raisins and it turned out great! Everyone loves it!
★★★★★
Raisins 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!
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FYI… pineapple isn’t sweet enough! ?
Good to know! Dates are for sure if you can use dates! Makes such a yummy BBQ sauce!
Any sub for coconut aminos? Need whole30 but out of this ingredient
Oooh, 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!
Has anyone used an immersion blender for this?
I 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!
Thanks for sharing Randi! Glad you like the BBQ sauce! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Yes! 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!
Is it possible to make it sweeter with more dates? Like a lot more? I find it really tangy- but was expecting really sweet. Thanks :)
★★★★★
Yes! 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.
Can you us figs instead of dates?
Absolutely! It should be a 1:1 ratio. There will just be the fig seeds inside the BBQ sauce. But should still taste great!
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I can’t find Coconut Aminos en the republic of Panama. What can I use instead?
That’s the only Whole30 compliant ingredient. If you don’t have it you can just leave it out!
Just 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.
Hi 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.
Made this twice now. Love it and I’m not doing whole 30. Just conscious of my sugar intake. And my family likes it too.
★★★★★
Oh I love that! Eating clean like this is great for everyday life, not just when doing a whole30. Thanks for letting me know Barb!
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Love this sauce. I cut the vinegar to a half cup and reduced the mustard to two teaspoons. Added two more dates and a 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Delicious!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you like it! The adjustments you made sound delicious! And helpful to other readers. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely LOVE this BBQ sauce! My husband was also very impressed! We’ve been eating it on pulled pork, rostisserie chicken, and ribs all week! I wanted to add a little spice to it, so I added some red pepper flakes!
★★★★★
Gretchen – I am so glad you like this sauce! Adding red pepper flakes is a great tip. Thanks for sharing!
How long do you feel this stays good in the fridge?
Thanks for the question about my BBQ sauce Cortney. Here is the storage information:
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.
This tastes like McDonalds BBQ sauce!!
★★★★★
I am so glad you like my barbecue sauce Nicole! Thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it!
Hello! I really want to try this recipe, but I’m on a candida diet and the only vinegar I can have is apple cider vinegar. Do you think it would taste just as good if I replaced the balsamic with acv? Thanks!
I think the BBQ sauce would still be delicious with apple cider vinegar Crystal. I frequently substitute different vinegars depending on what I have on hand. They are all delicious, you really are just looking for that hit of acid to balance the flavors. Happy cooking!
This is the BEST BBQ sauce I’ve ever tried!! So easy to make and my husband didn’t care one bit that it was Whole30 and Keto-friendly. I tend to like savory more than sweet so didn’t even add the sweetener. It was amazing! Definitely going to keep making this one!!
★★★★★
I am so happy you liked my BBQ sauce Lisa! I am thrilled it was the best you have ever had! Yeah! So glad your hubby liked it, even if it was healthy. LOL!
This recipe was easy and delicious. I’m going to make more and give it away as gifts. I did make a couple of small changes. I added a 1/4 tsp. of pepperflakes and a 1/4 tsp. of liquid smoke. This recipe is also a great use for those dried out dates. They moistened up when cooked and blended well.
★★★★★
I am so glad you like my BBQ sauce Cyndi. That is fantastic that you are giving it out as gifts. I love that! Those are great tweaks to the recipe adding red pepper flakes and liquid smoke. Thanks so much for sharing that!
Made this to put on ribs and it was really tasty! I was a bit hesitant about the large amount of vinegar but it really complemented the recipe. This is my go-to recipe for Paleo BBQ sauce!
★★★★★
Also forgot to mention that I didnt have dates or monkfruit so I sweetened to taste with maple syrup.
★★★★★
Great addition Lindsey!
I am so happy you liked my BBQ sauce Lindsey. It really does seem like a lot of vinegar, but I think the acid really helps balance the flavors. Thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
This is awesome to be paired with my wild game Whole30 meatloaf that I make of the grill! Thanks so much! I am always looking for cleaner options of regular foods!
★★★★★
I am so happy you liked my BBQ sauce Joanne! I love that you paired it with your wild game Whole30 meatloaf on the grill. My goodness that sounds fantastic!
Never knew it was so easy!!! You make everything approachable!! I love a thick sticky sweet BBQ sauce and haven’t found any bottled keto sauce I loved! This was perfect!
★★★★★
I am so glad you liked my BBQ sauce Jenn! I love hearing that it was sticky and sweet. What a great description! Thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it!
Hello!
So excited for this recipe…making it as I type! lol Can you use an immersion blender?
I haven’t recipe tested the BBQ sauce in an immersion blender, but I think it would work just fine Barbara. I sure hope it turned out great for you!
Hi Natalie, thanks for the recipe! I’m really excited to try it with the ribs I plan on making tonight but realized I don’t have tomatoes paste. :( Is there a substitute?
If you don’t have tomato paste you could substitute any tomato product like fresh, canned or even ketchup Kim. I think we are all having to make do with what we have on hand these days. You can also just omit it from the recipe and it should be just fine. I sure hope you like it and your ribs turn out delicious!
Hi Natalie,
Thank you so much for this recipe!! My fiancé can’t stand mustard of any kind, and can detect it from a mile away. Would it be possible to leave out the mustard without sacrificing that solid BBQ flavor that I know and love?
Thank you so much! I love how responsive you are on your blog. I’ll be referring to your delicious recipes during and post Whole30!!
I haven’t recipe tested it without the mustard, but I would think you could omit it easily Caroline. Especially if your fiance is not a fan. The mustard does add some thickness to the sauce. I would make it without mustard and taste test. If it doesn’t taste right you could try adding some mayo or horseradish to see it that helps any. Dry mustard might work, but I don’t know if it would be offensive to your fiance.
I sure hope it turns out well for you!
I made a date paste so there are no chunks. So do I still need to blend it after simmering sauce?
I would go ahead and check the consistency after you simmer the sauce and see if you like it Caroline. I like my BBQ sauce very smooth so I like it blended. I think it is just personal taste. I sure hope you like it!
Awful recipe that doesn’t work. It has about 10x as much vinegar as it should, wasted good ingredients on something inedible.
★★
Sorry it wasn’t to your liking Lola.
Doesn’t work, way too much vinegar, ick
★
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it Monique.
I gave up on bbq sauce years ago, because of he amount of sugar in it! I was constantly scraping it off my ribs.. or chops, or meatloaf…. I’m starting another round of Whole 30 on Monday… and its almost summer.. I bookmarked your bbq sauce recipe a few months ago, and this morning decided to make it up in preparation of my start. OMG!!!! So good!!! Thank you, thank you THANK YOU!!!
★★★★★
Yeah! I am so happy you liked my BBQ sauce Donna. Even better that you can now enjoy a healthy version of it. I wish you so much success on your Whole30 program you are starting Monday. You’ve got this friend!
Added minced caramelized red onion and grainy mustard. So good.
★★★★★
I am so happy you liked my BBQ sauce Jessica. The addition of caramelized red onion and grainy mustard sounds fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi! Do you think this could be made with white vinegar? Balsamic can be a migraine trigger, so I would like to avoid it if I could. Please let me know what you think! Thanks!
I haven’t recipe tested this with white vinegar, but I am sure that would work just fine Alyson. I would make it with the vinegar of your choice. I sure hope you like it!
I made this yesterday. Was light on tomato paste, so I added a little of my homemade, sugar-free ketchup, and that worked just fine. Actually, I’m obsessed. I love this stuff. I made the keto instant pot ribs, ate them, went to the store and bought more ribs (and of course more tomato paste). We’re going to shred for salads and tacos and more. Such a good sauce. I just can’t get over it.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it Joelle!
Hi Natalie, I have made this many times with the dates and it turns out perfectly. Today, I tried the monk fruit instead of the dates and it is too thin and liquid-y. I added some arrowroot to thicken it which worked but I think the results (taste and texture) are much better with the dates. I use in for your instant pot ribs recipe which also turns out perfectly. Thank you.
★★★★★
I am so glad you liked my BBQ sauce LauDow. That is a bummer that your version with the monk fruit turned out too thin. I am so glad the arrowroot powder thickened it up nicely. So glad the sauce pairs well with the ribs in the Instant Pot. I couldn’t agree more! Thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
Wow…yum! Never knew I could make homemade bbq sauce this easily and it legit tastes better than the store bought kind!
I used brown sugar instead of monk fruit since that’s all I had. I whisked the ingredients on the stovetop and didn’t need to use a blender at all! You’ve done it again.
★★★★★
Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to make Caitlin? I think it is tastier too! Glad to know it turned out well without a blender.
I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!! Even my friends who are BBQ snobs cannot believe this is PALEO!!! Just made a double batch because i love it so much. A perfect balance of sweet, and a bit of a natural spicy kick. I generally do not add any water, because I like the bbq sauce to stick to meats for grilling. Smoked some pork ribs in the Traeger…..A-MA-ZING!!!
★★★★★
It is fantastic that your friends can’t believe it is Paleo Britney. Just proves eating nutritiously can still be tasty!
Not my first whole 30 but my first time trying this recipe AND IT IS THE BEST!!! I am a saucy loving girl and this recipe DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I couldn’t even contemplate my instant pot pulled pork without bbq sauce and have just started the September Whole30. No feeling left out at supper tonight! Thank you so much for this! I may have bought my last bottle of KC Masterpiece!
★★★★★
Yeah! I too am a saucy loving girl so I am thrilled you like the BBQ sauce Darlene. It’s so wonderful to have a healthy, tasty alternative. So glad you enjoyed it. I really appreciate the feedback.
It was good but the balsamic vinegar was a little too strong. I had to add some maple sugar with the 8 dates to tone it down. Next time I’ll cut back on the vinegar – other than that it was so easy to make.
★★★★
I love that you were able to adapt the recipe to your liking. That is what cooking is all about! :)