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My Sugar Free BBQ Sauce Recipe Actually Tastes Like BBQ Sauce
My sugar free BBQ sauce is here to take your grilled meals from bland to outstanding! I developed this recipe after years of being frustrated with the options at the store. Getting high quality, healthy, or keto BBQ sauce (that actually tastes good) on the shelf is near impossible… and when you do, “sugar free barbecue sauce” is usually code for flavorless and full of artificial ingredients. Not anymore.
This homemade version has the classic sweet, tangy, smoky flavor you expect from BBQ sauce, with a thick and smooth texture — no gritty sweetener, fake aftertaste, or watery bottled-sauce vibes. Here’s why my healthier version makes all the difference:
- Classic BBQ taste – It’s rich, tangy, smoky, and just sweet enough. The tomato paste gives it body, the apple cider vinegar adds brightness, and the liquid smoke gives it that backyard BBQ flavor. Everything a great BBQ sauce should be!
- Quick and easy – Just mix all the ingredients together and let them cook away. And you can make a big batch to have ready in your fridge.
- Low carb, gluten free, and no added sugar – Before this recipe, I thought store-bought sauces with sucralose and processed additives were the only way to enjoy that sweet and smoky flavor — but there’s a better way! Now you can whip up your own homemade sugar free barbecue sauce, without the fake stuff. And it’s just 3.5g net carbs per serving.
Some of my readers have even won contests with this sauce, so I can actually say it’s award winning! Maybe you’re next? Make it with me and see!
“Such a great, simple and TASTY recipe that is so much healthier than anything storebought. LOVE this recipe for our family! Some of us are keto and some are not, but this doesn’t taste keto at all. Thank you!”
-Sam
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my sugar free BBQ sauce recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Tomato Paste – A.k.a. the base that gives my sugar free BBQ sauce a thick, rich texture, natural sweetness, and deep tomato flavor. If you don’t have any, you can use triple the amount of tomato sauce instead, but you’ll need to simmer for much longer to thicken.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Adds tang. You can also use white vinegar or lemon juice.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I recommend only this sweetener, because it dissolves completely, unlike other sugar substitutes that can leave your keto BBQ sauce gritty or crystallize when you store it. (I use it to make sugar free ketchup, too!) I’ve got some alternatives in my variations below to change up the flavor of your sauce. If you still want to use something else, make sure it’s powdered and use my sweetener conversion chart to get the correct quantity.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Adds umami flavor. I like this one, which is gluten-free. Technically it contains a trivial amount of sugar, but each serving of my sauce has only 1/20 tablespoon of it (like a drop). You could omit it or use a dash of blackstrap molasses with a little water instead.
- Liquid Hickory Smoke – My secret ingredient for that smoky taste! My local grocery store has it near other seasonings or condiments, but I prefer this clean-ingredient brand.
- Spices – To get that classic BBQ sauce flavor, I used smoked paprika, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper (feel free to use more or less depending how spicy you like it), and chili powder.
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How To Make Sugar Free BBQ Sauce
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Combine the ingredients. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the tomato paste, vinegar, powdered Besti, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, spices, and salt. Add water last. (See my notes on this below.)
- Cook to reduce. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened to your liking.
- Adjust sweetness and heat. Taste and add more Besti if you want your sauce sweeter, or more cayenne pepper if you want it spicier.
My Recipe Tips
- The amount of water you need can vary. Start with a cup, then whisk in a bit more at a time, until it reaches a consistency slightly thinner than you’re going for. (It will reduce as it cooks.) I ended up using about 1 1/2 cups of water, but it depends on how thick your tomato paste is.
- Make sure your saucepan is large enough, and keep an eye on it. The sauce can splatter depending on how intensely it simmers, but if you cover it, it will take longer to reduce.
- This sugar free BBQ sauce gets thicker as it cools. So, keep that in mind when deciding how much to cook it down. If it gets too thick, I just add a splash of water to thin it out again.
- Want it extra smooth? Puree in a high-power blender or food processor at the end. I use my twister jar when I do this, but usually skip it because it’s not worth the extra cleanup to me.
- Make this a no-cook recipe: You can just mix the ingredients together, and add less water to get the consistency you want. However, I find this sugar free BBQ sauce tastes so much better if I let it simmer to let the flavors develop. If you don’t want this step, the next-best would be to let it sit in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
Sugar Free BBQ Sauce (Sweet & Smoky)
By
You'll love my award-winning sugar free BBQ sauce, made with simple real food ingredients. It's sweet, smoky, tangy, and so easy to make!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium saucepan, adding the water last. Start with a cup of water, then whisk in a bit more at a time, until it reaches a consistency *slightly thinner* than barbecue sauce. I ended up using about 1 1/2 cups of water, but it will vary depending on how thick your tomato paste is.
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Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
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Taste and adjust sweetener or cayenne pepper if you prefer the sauce to be sweeter or spicier. If it's thicker than you like, you can stir in additional water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the consistency you want.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 tablespoons
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best consistency and texture, plus an option to make this a no-cook recipe. If you want to adjust the flavor, see my flavor variations below.
- Storage: Keep this sugar free barbecue sauce in a mason jar, airtight container, or condiment bottle in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze: Stash in the freezer for up to 3-6 months. You can freeze the whole batch and thaw in the fridge overnight, but I like to portion this low carb BBQ sauce into a silicone tray like this. Then I can pop out individual portions and microwave to thaw.
- Canning: I haven’t done it, but don’t see any reason that you couldn’t can this sauce in a water bath. (The PH of this recipe is very low.) Let me know how it goes if you try it!
- Recipe yield: The entire recipe makes 2 1/2 cups.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Cheat Sheet System!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Sugar Free BBQ Sauce
How To Adjust The Flavor
People are passionate about their BBQ sauce, and this is how I make mine, but you can easily customize it to how you like it:
- Sweeter – Add more powdered Besti, 1 tablespoon at a time. You can do this before simmering, but I usually do it after then the flavor is more concentrated.
- Brown sugar flavor – Replace half of the Besti powdered sweetener with Besti Brown! It dissolves just as easily and tastes like brown sugar, without the sugar spike.
- Honey BBQ – Replace the sweetener with my natural sugar-free honey. This is my favorite variation of all.
- Smokier – Add a little more liquid smoke, but go slowly because it’s strong.
- Spicier – Increase the cayenne, or add chipotle powder or hot sauce.
- More tangy – Add an extra splash of apple cider vinegar.
Ways To Use It
There are so many ways I use this sugar free BBQ sauce! Try these to add a kick of flavor to your dishes:
- Chicken – You’ve got lots of options! Make my saucy BBQ chicken legs in the summer or Crock Pot chicken legs in the winter. Dunk keto chicken nuggets or keto chicken tenders. Brush it on grilled chicken, ribs, or bacon wrapped chicken.
- Pizza – Try this keto BBQ sauce instead of marinara on keto pizza or cauliflower pizza. It works particularly well with chicken, red onions, cheddar cheese, and a drizzle of ranch as toppings, which is why I particularly love it on chicken crust pizza.
- Shredded Meats – Mix it into my shredded Instant Pot chicken, or use it for pulled pork sandwiches. Try them on my low carb hamburger buns.
- Ground Beef – This sugar free BBQ sauce is amazing on burgers! Just add cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and maybe even caramelized onions and bacon if you want to get fancy. Sometimes I also use it as a glaze for keto meatloaf, too.
- Salad – It’s my fave for making BBQ chicken salad.
More Sugar Free Sauce Recipes
If you like this sugar free barbecue sauce, you’ll love my other sweet sauces with no sugar added:
310 Comments
Rosanne Dworaczyk
3Great recipe! I used Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend instead of the powdered blend and it was so good! I brushed it on boneless, skinless chicken thighs towards the end of their grilling time, then served extra on the side. I paired the chicken with your Cauliflower Potato Salad (https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/cauliflower-potato-salad-low-carb-paleo-potato-salad/) and OMG! it was a delicious meal. Thank you so much for creating such wonderful recipes!
Alice
1Fantastic sauce! I made this and it lasted in the fridge for 2 weeks… used on pulled pork, pulled chicken, pizza base, hunters chicken… absolutely superb.. I let it simmer for about 30/40 minutes until it was thickened to my liking. Thank you for all your amazing recipes Maya! ?
Sam
1Such a great, simple and TASTY recipe that is so much healthier than anything storebought. LOVE this recipe for our family! So of us are keto and some are not, but this doesn’t taste keto at all. Thank you!!!
Gemma
1Yes! Another really great tasting simple recipe to serve myself and my family. BBQ sauce was very delicious and the pork ribs were in credibly good. Wholesome Yum is a fantastic resource every time. I must have used 45 recipes by now and they all are scrumptious. Thank you!!
Michelle
1I’ve made this before and it’s a winner. Today I was too lazy to open a third can of tomato sauce and only have mesquite liquid smoke. I’m going to use it on chicken so I think mesquite will be nice. It turned out just fine, I sure love the wholesome yum recipes, always my first choice when looking for keto!
Toni
1No doubt that this sauce is really award-winning! It is seriously amazing and really good!
Deb Coffin
1Scrumptious. I doubled the liquid smoke and Worcestire. Wonderful on grilled chicken breast.
Guillermo
1Love this so much. I was making some pulled meat for the bread recipe you have on here. It was great. My only edit, that I’ll use next time, is to leave out the liquid smoke. I smoked my food before hand and the liquid smoke on top of that made it taste a bit odd.
Nancy
1This recipe is perfect! It made a lot, more than what I needed so I will cut it in half next time, but it kept in the fridge beautifully. My family didn’t even know that it was sugar free and that is saying something when they love their barbecue sauce. Thank you so much for a great recipe!
Deborah
0Why am I so confused on the amount of tomato paste being used in this recipe?
It says to use 2 1/2 6 ounce cans.
Am I reading this wrong or am I to use just one 6 ounce can or 2 6 ounce cans?
Please clarify for me, Maya and thank you for another great recipe, I’m sure!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Deborah, It’s 2.5 6-ounce cans, so 15 ounces total. I just found it easier to measure the right amount with how I said it — grab 3 cans, scoop out 2 of them fully and half of the 3rd one. Hope this helps!
Shelly
0I wish I could be more positive, but we didn’t like this at all. Followed the recipe exactly, but it is just too heavy on the acid/tomato paste taste. I assume it’s due to the brand of paste that we used…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear that, Shelly! Yes, it could be the tomato paste. If the BBQ sauce tastes too acidic, I recommend adding more powdered Besti to balance it out.
Larry
0This BBQ sauce hits the head squarely on that nail! Good stuff! Smoky, sweet enough, piquant, and as easily adjustable as it is to cook it up. The sweetener conversion chart is a GREAT help – thank you very much! (That must have taken just a little time to develop!). My brother is full blown keto, and when we get together at his lake cabin, I cook per his needs. As I write this, I have beef ribs in the sous vide and I will be using this sauce on them. He turned me on to your site a few years back, and I have cooked a good many things from it. Even at home (I am the cook). Delicious, all of them! Good work, Maynard!! Well . . . Maya!
Wholesome Yum D
0This made me smile so big, Larry, thank you! I’m so glad the sauce hit the mark, and it’s awesome that you cook keto for your brother. Hope those sous vide ribs turn out amazing! And yes… the sweetener chart took a while, so I really appreciate you noticing.
Linda A
0love your website!! I’m about to try the bbq sauce. but the Worcestershire sauce has sugar. do you know of a brand that doesn’t?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Linda! I don’t, but the amount per serving ends up being literally a drop — it’s there for flavor, not sweetness. If you still want to skip it, I covered this in the substitutions section above.
Pj
0What do you use that you are calling garlic powder? The stuff in your link says garlic powder but it’s actually granulated garlic. Too many recipes actually use granulated garlic but call it garlic powder. 2 different ingredients and used in different quantities. I personally love garlic powder more because it actually incorporates into the sauce whereas the granulated garlic is dehydrated and less flavorful and sometimes stays gritty if the sauce is a short cook or thick and not watery
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi PJ, I use garlic powder, not granulated garlic, and that’s what I linked to. Where are you seeing granulated garlic? I do recommend using garlic powder for this recipe.
Marie Alm
0I made this tonight (7 servings [lots of math to figure out the measurements for this odd amount][I had 1 small can tomato paste minus 2 tbsp so …]) for my baby back ribs. Really was delicious. I find many keto recipes that claim to be delicious – aren’t to my taste. Maya’s recipes, though, are inevitably great. I’ve been Cooking Maya for a few years now and am a big fan. Keep at it, Maya!!! Love you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Awww, thank you so much, Marie! That means a lot to hear you say that about my recipes. I’m glad you enjoyed this BBQ sauce and were able to scale it to the amount you needed. Enjoy your ribs!
Polly
0I love this! I think next time I’ll add a little more smoke and cook it for longer to cook out a little more of the tomato flavor to have it be more distinctive from the ketchup. My family loves this too and uses it regularly. We’ll def keep making this!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Polly! Yes, the amount of liquid smoke is a matter of preference, plus the intensity depends on the brand. I’m glad you and your family love it otherwise!
Miguel Garcia
0Wonderful, thanks
BJ
0Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s delicious!
Cherie
0Very easy, tastes great!
Pam
0Hi, can this be pressured canned? It taste wonderful
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Pam, I have never tried canning this recipe. Please let me know the results if you try this.