This vegan barbecue sauce has a bold, smoky flavor profile with notes of tangy, sweet, salty and spicy. It's better than a bottled version that also may not be vegan, and it takes just minutes to make.
I love bold-flavored condiments and making a delicious and vegan barbecue sauce has long been on my list of to-dos. Over the years I've tried and tested many recipes but to share with you, I needed the perfect barbecue sauce: one with the right balance of smoky, tangy, spicy and sweet. I think I've found it.
This barbecue sauce is better than store-bought. Store-bought sauces are often too sweet and most contain preservatives and undesirable ingredients like high fructose corn syrup. Some even have Worcestershire sauce, which contains fish for umami.
My homemade version, which I've been pouring into everything from vegan Boston baked beans to vegan barbecue meatballs to grilled eggplant, has plenty of umami, thanks to tomato paste, molasses, a dash of apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and mustard, among other ingredients. For even more delicious flavor I stir in ground cumin and hot sauce. You can customize the ingredients to your taste but I strongly recommend following this recipe at least once before you tweak. You just might love it!
The bbq sauce takes about 15 minutes to make. Toss all ingredients into a saucepan and let it cook down until it's rich and thick. The sauce stores nicely in the fridge so make a batch - or a double batch - today and enjoy it all summer!
Recipe card
Vegan Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup sugar (or maple syrup)
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (use tamari for a gluten-free bbq sauce)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (like Sriracha sauce or any hot sauce you have around. Use less for a less spicy flavor profile.)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the tomato paste in a saucepan with the water. Whisk until there are no lumps and the sauce is smooth. Add all the remaining ingredients.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Turn heat down to medium low and cook the bbq sauce about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it has reduced and thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Nutrition Information
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Recipe FAQs
Regular barbecue sauce contains Worcestershire sauce for umami. You can use vegan Worcestershire sauce but I prefer soy sauce both because I like its flavor more in this bbq sauce and also because it's more easily available. If soy-free, use coconut aminos or a no soy sauce like this one.
Use it to grill vegan steaks, including tofu steaks and tempeh steaks. You can use it in veggie burgers or as a marinade, as a basting sauce, and as a dip for roasted veggies. When grilling apply it in the last few minutes of cooking to avoid burning the sugars in the sauce.
Store the sauce in the fridge in an airtight jar or container up to a week. For longer storage you can freeze the sauce for up to four months. Thaw fully before using.
Barb says
Made this for our cookout yesterday. So flavorful, the best homemade bbq sauce I’ve tried. Used it to grill tofu steaks and everyone loved it.