The BEST Keto Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (2 Net Carbs!)
This homemade sugar free BBQ Sauce recipe is a low carb, keto barbecue sauce that’s ready in 5 minutes. All you need are 7 ingredients and a mason jar for easy storage! Smother this tangy sauce on meat, salads, dips, pizza, and more.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
You are going to LOVE how easy this 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 sauce again.
It is healthy, with just 7 simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Have you read the ingredients in traditional barbecue sauces bought at grocery stores? PACKED with added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial sugar substitutes. Homemade BBQ sauce is for sure the way to go.
The best part? You can’t even tell it is sweetened naturally. It is still thick with a sweet and tangy flavor, with the added bonus of being much healthier for you.
I add all the ingredients to a pan to slowly warm so the flavors can marry. 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!
Watch How to Make BBQ Sauce Recipe Video
Sugar Free BBQ Sauce Inspiration
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 bottle and tried to recreate it at home. After a few tries, I got it right! A perfect Tessemae’s BBQ sauce copycat recipe.
Ingredient Notes
The best keto BBQ sauce made with simple, keto-friendly ingredients you probably already have on hand! It’s super simple, absolutely delicious, and easy to make a double batch freeze for later use.
- balsamic vinegar: Some recipes call for apple cider vinegar, but I prefer the flavor of balsamic vinegar.
- tomato paste: Many recipes use ketchup, but tomato paste is a great way to ensure there’s no added sugar. I use paste, not tomato sauce since it’s a bit thicker, and I like my BBQ sauce to be thick.
- monk fruit sweetener (use dates for Whole30!): I use monk fruit sweetener, which is a 1:1 all-natural white sugar replacement. You can swap this for Swerve brown sugar substitute as well. You could also use coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup or date paste for a natural sweetener.
- Dijon mustard
- soy sauce: If you’re gluten-free, swap the soy sauce for Tamari or coconut aminos.
- Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
That’s it! All real ingredients to make it paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, and keto BBQ sauce.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Heat a saucepan over low-medium 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.
- (If using dates, transfer the BBQ sauce to a blender and blend on high speed for 2 minutes.)
- Store in an airtight container or wide-mouth pint mason jar. Store in the fridge for up to 3 months or frozen for 1 year.
Expert Tips & Variations
- Gluten-Free: Be sure to use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
- Consistency: 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 it when it’s too runny and drips off. But this is a personal preference. If you like your BBQ sauce thinner, just add water and blend again until it reaches the consistency you like.
- Flavor Variations: Depending on your flavor preferences, you can jazz up this keto BBQ sauce recipe in various ways. For a smoky flavor, add a few drops of liquid smoke. For a spicier sauce, add a bit of chili powder or cayenne pepper to taste.
Serving Tips
Use this delicious sugar free BBQ sauce for beef, chicken, pork chops, ribs, chicken wings, and more! It also works perfectly paired with my Keto Ranch dressing for salads. You can also use it for dressing and dipping sauce.
Storage Tips
I store my keto BBQ sauce in wide-mouth pint mason jars. This recipe makes about 2-1/2 cups. I use 1/2 cup right away on whatever protein I’m cooking, and the rest fits perfectly in the mason jar, which is an airtight container when the lid is on.
I also love using wide-mouth pint mason jars because they’re freezer-friendly! We make a double batch, freeze 2 pints, and leave the rest in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Most store-bought BBQ sauces are full of added sugars or artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose and then the caramel color and preservatives. It’s tricky to find a truly sugar free barbecue sauce that isn’t really expensive! So, making it at home with this simple recipe is really the way to go.
2 net carbs! You get that number by subtracting the dietary fiber from the total carbs. You can find more nutritional info in the recipe card below.
More Keto Recipes
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The BEST Keto Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (2 Net Carbs!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup water, or more to desired consistency
- 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 soy sauce
- 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.
- (If using dates, transfer the BBQ sauce to a blender, and blend on high speed for 2 minutes.)
- 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.
Notes
Expert Tips & Variations
-
- Gluten-Free: Be sure to use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
-
- Consistency: 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 it when it’s too runny and drips off. But this is a personal preference. If you like your BBQ sauce thinner, just add water and blend again until it reaches the consistency you like.
-
- Flavor Variations: Depending on your flavor preferences, you can jazz up this keto BBQ sauce recipe in various ways. For a smoky flavor, add a few drops of liquid smoke. For a spicier sauce, add a bit of chili powder or cayenne pepper to taste.
Serving Tips
Use this delicious keto BBQ sauce for beef, chicken, pork chops, ribs, chicken wings, and more! It also works perfectly paired with my Keto Ranch dressing for salads. You can also use it for dressing and dipping sauce.Storage Tips
I store my BBQ sauce in wide-mouth pint mason jars. This recipe makes about 2-1/2 cups. I use 1/2 cup right away on whatever protein I’m cooking, and the rest fits perfectly in the mason jar, which is an airtight container when the lid is on. 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 refrigerator for up to 3 months.This post contains affiliate links, thanks for the love!
135 Comments on “The BEST Keto Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (2 Net Carbs!)”
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!
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 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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
Hi there, looking to make this recipe. I am not following whole 30 to a T for health reasons but wanted to try this recipe. I don’t have dates, but was wondering if honey could work? If so should I add it incrementally as the sweetness may differ?
I think honey would work fine although I haven’t recipe tested it with it Alanna. I would definitely add it gradually to be certain you add just the right amount of sweetness. I sure hope you like it!
I will try it tonight and report back!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
FYI… pineapple isn’t sweet enough! ?
Good to know! Dates are for sure if you can use dates! Makes such a yummy BBQ sauce!
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!
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!
This BBQ Sauce is everything. Oh M Geeeee. So so good. ??????
I’m so glad you like it Casey! You just made my day!
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!
The monkfruit won’t raise your blood sugar. But I’ve been trying to do a sugar free diet too & one trick is to cook down red peppers for a long time which will pull out their natural sweetness. I’ve done it a few times & was impressed how well it worked!
Love this! Great tips, Jessie!
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!
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.