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    Home » Diet

    AIP Classic BBQ Sauce

    Aug 24, 2020 · 27 Comments

    August 24, 2020 by Beth 27 Comments

    562 shares
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    spoon in mason jar of AIP Classic BBQ Sauce

    It only takes 5 minutes and a bunch of pantry staples to make this delicious AIP Classic BBQ Sauce. It’s that sweet and tangy BBQ sauce that tastes great with ribs, grilled chicken or even fish.

    spoon in mason jar full of AIP BBQ Sauce

    Does BBQ Sauce have tomatoes?

    This recipe has no tomatoes. BBQ sauce usually includes tomatoes, but this recipe is completely nightshade free.

    How much vinegar do you put in BBQ sauce?

    Not as much as you’d think! Just 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar make this recipe super tangy. However, the tang lessens as it sits in the fridge and cooks.

    Does vinegar based BBQ sauce need to be refrigerated?

    Sure does. Once you introduce other perishable ingredients to vinegar, then it needs to be refrigerated to prevent it from spoiling.

    mason jar of AIP BBQ Sauce with ribs on baking sheet

    Ingredients for AIP BBQ Sauce

    • Maple Syrup: Honey is a good substitute. And here’s a post on making sure your maple syrup is gluten free.  
    • Pumpkin Puree: Make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling.
    • Coconut Aminos
    • Blackstrap Molasses: Make sure the molasses is blackstrap as it’s the only AIP Friendly molasses.
    • Balsamic Vinegar
    • Garlic Powder
    • Onion Powder
    • Ground Ginger
    • Salt: Smoked sea salt is ideal.
    • Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Avocado Oil is a good substitute.
    • Water
    ingredients for aip bbq sauce without tomatoes

    How do you make AIP Classic BBQ sauce from scratch without ketchup?

    1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan the stovetop over medium heat.

    2. Cook the ingredients while stirring until it’s boiling about 3-5 minutes. This is a thick sauce so once it’s boiling, remove it from the heat otherwise you’re going to get sprayed with hot BBQ sauce.

    3. Let cool slightly and either use immediately or put in a resealable container.

    step by step photos to make AIP Classic BBQ Sauce

    Tips for making the best AIP Classic BBQ Sauce.

    • This recipe can be made a day in advance and used the next day.
    • Use within the next 3-5 days.
    • This recipe freezes well.
    • You can use honey as a maple syrup substitute.
    • Don’t use a solid fat for this recipe. When you store it in the fridge, the fat will separate. You don’t want that so stick to olive or avocado oil.
    • Make sure to get blackstrap molasses as it’s AIP friendly.
    • This BBQ sauce in my Instant Pot AIP BBQ Ribs Recipe.

    If you like this AIP sauce recipe, then check out these other sauce recipes.

    • AIP Lemon Butter Dipping Sauce
    • Nomato Sauce
    • Nomato Bolognese
    • Avocado Caesar Dressing (works well as a dip or sauce in addition to a dressing)

    Love seeing my delicious recipes? You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to.

    Other AIP Sauces

    • bowl on pasta with no mato sauce
      Easy Nomato Marinara Sauce (AIP)
    • dipping artichoke leaf into aip lemon 'butter' artichoke dipping sauce
      AIP Lemon 'Butter' Artichoke Dipping Sauce
    • au gratin dish of aip nacho cheese sauce
      AIP Nacho Cheese Sauce
    • A tomato-less nomato sauce made of fresh veggies mixed with ground beef to create a not-so-classic Nomato Bolonese. This recipe is allergy friendly (gluten, dairy, shellfish, nut, egg, and soy free) and suits the autoimmune protocol diet.
      Nomato Bolognese

    Helpful Info for All Recipes

    • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise.
    • I always use Himalayan sea salt or Celtic sea salt, unless otherwise noted.
    • The majority of my recipes are strict AIP or include notations for reintroductions. However while I make every effort to label non-AIP ingredients and recipes sometimes they slip past me. If you have questions, please ask in advance.
    spoon dipping into mason jar of AIP Classic BBQ Sauce
    Print Recipe
    5 from 14 votes

    AIP Classic BBQ Sauce

    This AIP Classic BBQ Sauce recipe is so easy that it’s almost as easy as store-bought! Seriously. It uses all pantry staples to create a sweet and tangy AIP BBQ Sauce that your whole family will love! This recipe fits the Paleo, AIP and Vegan diets.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time5 minutes mins
    Total Time10 minutes mins
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: American, Dinner
    Servings: 2 cups
    Calories: 306kcal
    Author: Beth Chen

    Equipment

    • Sauce pan

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup Maple Syrup Honey is a good substitute
    • 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
    • 1/4 cup Coconut Aminos
    • 1 tablespoon Blackstrap Molasses
    • 3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • 2 teaspoon Onion Powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
    • 3/4 teaspoon Salt smoked salt is ideal
    • 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil Avocado Oil is a good substitute
    • 2 tablespoons Water

    Instructions

    • Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan the stovetop over medium heat.
    • Cook the ingredients while stirring until it’s boiling about 3-5 minutes. This is a thick sauce so once it’s boiling, remove it from the heat otherwise you’re going to get sprayed with hot BBQ sauce.
    • Let cool slightly and either use immediately or put in a resealable container.

    Video

    Notes

    • This recipe can be made a day in advance and used the next day.
    • Use within the next 3-5 days.
    • This recipe freezes well.
    • You can use honey as a maple syrup substitute.
    • Don’t use a solid fat for this recipe. When you store it in the fridge, the fat will separate. You don’t want that so stick to olive or avocado oil.
    • Make sure to get blackstrap molasses as it’s AIP friendly.
    • This BBQ sauce in my Instant Pot AIP BBQ Ribs Recipe. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1572mg | Potassium: 554mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 19065IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 2mg
    « AIP 'Chocolate' Mug Cake
    Dairy Free Tzatziki »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Corinne says

      May 15, 2025 at 5:32 am

      5 stars
      I doubled this and added liquid smoke. I then added it to the intant pot with 1.8 kg of beef brisket and 2 litres of water. Pressure cooked for 1.2 hrs, then cooked in 2 batches for 5 hours each @ 130° in the airfryer. I used "Hawker Style BBQ" seasoning from Gewürzhaus in place of the seasoning here but added 1tsp each of garlic and onion powder as well.

      My man is absolutely swooning here. I make bulk brisket every fortnight for 6 months now as part of our high protein diet and this has been the best yet!

      Reply
      • Beth says

        May 28, 2025 at 4:03 pm

        Wow. I'm glad you guys liked it!

        Reply
    2. Melissa says

      July 22, 2024 at 9:19 pm

      5 stars
      This was super delicious! I didn't have pumpkin puree so I used butternut and it worked perfectly!
      Honestly, I'd prefer this over any non AIP bbq sauce!! Thanks for a great recipe.

      Reply
    3. Jamie Scoggins says

      March 14, 2024 at 3:37 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome recipe. It’s easy to throw together and having a delicious sauce makes everything more interesting. Thank you for developing awesome recipes to improve the quality of our lives!!

      Reply
      • Beth says

        March 14, 2024 at 6:34 pm

        Oh wow. That's saying a lot for one little recipe. I'm so glad it makes your life better. This comment made my day.

        Reply
    4. Melissa G says

      March 08, 2024 at 10:33 pm

      5 stars
      Super good flavor making a great barbecue sauce. Use it with wings Works great.

      Reply
      • Beth says

        March 09, 2024 at 6:07 pm

        That's amazing. I'm so glad you enjoy the recipe!

        Reply
    5. Sofya Lekhkar says

      October 22, 2022 at 7:11 pm

      5 stars
      I used sweet potato instead of pumpkin. It was so good! Thank you❤️

      Reply
      • Beth says

        October 23, 2022 at 8:13 pm

        Oh nice. I'm glad the substitution worked and you enjoyed the recipe.

        Reply
    6. Kristine says

      June 15, 2022 at 5:38 pm

      5 stars
      What a wonderful treat! Thank you so much for this!

      Reply
      • Beth says

        June 15, 2022 at 6:07 pm

        I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks for rating and commenting!

        Reply
    7. Teppra says

      April 21, 2022 at 8:25 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you ever so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I thought I would never be able to enjoy BBQ sauce again after needing to be AIP. I'm just made this and can't get over just how good this is. 🙂

      Reply
      • Beth says

        May 12, 2022 at 4:03 pm

        5 stars
        That's the best review. Thanks so much!

        Reply
    8. Marsha says

      March 05, 2022 at 2:06 am

      5 stars
      You are brilliant! Thank you for this recipe! It is outstanding. Non-AIP, Keto hubby even loves it. I did reduce the maple syrup, molasses and coconut aminos to cut carbs, and added a little 100% pure stevia. I'll be making a LOT more. 🙂

      Reply
      • Beth says

        March 09, 2022 at 5:32 pm

        Being called brilliant always feels nice. I truly appreciate the compliment. I'm really like you enjoyed the recipe.

        Reply
    9. Elizabeth Rusaw says

      July 19, 2021 at 5:14 pm

      5 stars
      Really good!! Used it in a Whole30 meatloaf recipe to replace the tomato sauce and the topping. I was at my mom’s house; she didn’t have coco aminos or blackstrap molasses, so I used Worcester sauce and regular molasses (both non-AIP).

      Reply
      • Beth says

        July 20, 2021 at 6:47 pm

        Wow. Great idea. Thanks for sharing. I'm glad you liked it.

        Reply
    10. Elizabeth says

      July 08, 2021 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      Just curious; I’m cooking for my mom who has started reintros. Could I sub Worcester’s Sauce for the coco aminos? Would that flavor profile still blend do you think?

      Reply
      • Beth says

        July 20, 2021 at 6:54 pm

        Check out all the ingredients of the brand of worcester's sauce you have on hand. If your mom has reintroduced all of them, then it would be ok to use.

        Reply
    11. Linda says

      July 05, 2021 at 8:11 pm

      5 stars
      This is amazing! Even hubby likes it. It’s going on our ribs tonight, yum!!

      Reply
      • Beth says

        July 06, 2021 at 4:41 pm

        That's great! I'm so glad you family likes it. That's such a huge compliment.

        Reply
    12. Valerie Huff says

      June 10, 2021 at 9:40 pm

      This is AWESOME sauce
      I froze the extra in an ice cube tray to reheat in single portions.... Putting it on everything from shredded pork to pizza. AIP heaven!

      Reply
      • Beth says

        June 21, 2021 at 6:32 pm

        You're the best! Thanks for such an amazing review of this recipe. I'm thrilled that you loved it this much.

        Reply
    13. Marie Richards says

      May 23, 2021 at 6:39 pm

      5 stars
      I was VERY skeptical of this recipe, but I needed something to 'dip' with so I gave it a shot and I am GLAD I did. I cut down on the maple syrup (personal preference) and did not have any molasses at the time, but I will say, that is some pretty darn good stuff. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Beth says

        May 25, 2021 at 6:22 pm

        Wow. I loved that I was able to convert you from skeptic. Thanks for letting me know. Love your love of this recipe.

        Reply
    14. Linda says

      February 23, 2021 at 10:09 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious, maybe the best bbq sauce I have ever had.

      Reply
      • Beth says

        February 26, 2021 at 6:18 pm

        What a wonderful compliment. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm glad you liked it.

        Reply

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    If you're looking for AIP, Paleo or Allergy friendly recipes then you've come to the right place. Here you'll find lots of nutritious and delicious recipes with the occasional clean living lifestyle tips. Just because you have food restrictions doesn't mean that you can't enjoy life.

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