I don’t know about you guys, but I am absolutely shocked by how much sugar is in most brands of BBQ sauce that I usually buy in the grocery store. My (old) favorite brand had 14g of sugar for 2 tbsp! That’s ridiculous. And if you look into sugar-free brands, you typically see some pretty scary ingredients. I decided to make my own, and although it isn’t nearly as sugar-sweet those types of sauce that I grew up around, I can feel good about what I’m putting into my body without sacrificing too much of my BBQ cravings. I hope you like it!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 38kcal
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp each salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, optional but I think it cuts through the bitterness of the canned tomatoes
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Notes
Click here to determine your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe (if you are logged in to your WW app, it should calculate for you automatically). Calculated in 1/4 cup portions.
WW Freestyle SmartPoints: 0 for up to 1/2 cup, but I calculated it in 1/4 cup portions.
Nutrition
Calories: 38kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 306mg | Sugar: 6g
How long does this keep in the refrigerator?
I’ve kept it refrigerated for a week and a half with no problems.
Hi! Thanks for all your hard work and experimentation. I know all of us Freestylers appreciate you. I’m wondering if you have any experience in how long this will keep in the fridge. Thanks.
Hi, Linda! Thanks so much for the kind words. I have kept this in the refrigerator for a week and a half with no problems. You might be able to keep it longer, but it doesn’t last that long around here!
Do you think it would work to use Dijon instead of yellow mustard for this sauce? We only really keep Dijon on-hand, and not sure it would be worth it to buy yellow mustard for one tablespoon’s worth! I’m dying to try this, though!
Absolutely! It would probably be even better. 😊
Am going to try this for the first time. Is it freezer friendly? Thanks!
Yes! I’ve frozen it before, and it defrosts just fine.
When I scan all this in it came up to 1 point per serving….I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. Still not bad, just was looking forward to 0 points :). It’s in the instapot now, I’m excited to try this!! Thanks for the recipe
Make sure you are buying tomato sauce that has no added sugar. It might work better if you look for crushed tomatoes (essentially the same thing). I will add this note to the recipe, though. Thanks!
I had to substitute red wine vinegar bc I didn’t realize I was out of balsamic- but this was really good. It reminds me of the sauce they used in a bbq restaurant my parents used to take us to while on vacation in West Palm Beach (FL)
That’s so good to hear! I love when food conjures up memories like that.
I have been making Geri’s naturally sweetened barbecue sauce since she first posted the recipe several years ago and I absolutely love it as does my family. Making it right now to go into some baked beans to have with hamburgers tonight. I usually add a little bit of liquid smoke as well. Thank you again Geri for all of your wonderfully delicious and creative recipes!!
Thank you for the compliment, Eva! I’m so thrilled you enjoy so many of my recipes 😀