Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce
Smoky, tangy and sticky-sweet barbecue sauce with a deep molasses note — at a fraction of the sugar of bottled sauce.
Nutrition per serving
2 tbsp- Net carbs
- 2.7g
- Calories
- 17kcal
- Protein
- 0.7g
- Fat
- 0.2g
- Total carbs
- 6.9 g
- Fiber
- 0.8 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Carolina gold (mustard): South Carolina’s tangy, golden mustard barbecue sauce. It is made for pulled pork, and it’s even lower in carbs than the tomato version.
- Whisk the mustard, vinegar, sweetener and the remaining ingredients (no water) in a saucepan.
- Simmer gently for just 5–8 minutes to melt the sweetener and blend the flavors. It starts out thick, so it doesn’t need reducing.
Alabama white sauce: North Alabama’s peppery, mayonnaise-based barbecue sauce with horseradish and vinegar. Brush it on smoked or grilled chicken and serve extra for dipping.
- Don’t cook this one: whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, horseradish, lemon juice, sweetener, mustard, Worcestershire, onion and garlic powders, salt, plenty of black pepper and the cayenne until smooth.
- Chill at least 1 hour. Brush onto chicken only in the last few minutes on the grill, and keep the sauce refrigerated because it’s mayo-based.
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¾ cup waterleave out
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¾ cup waterleave out -
1 tsp molassesleave out -
2 tsp smoked paprikaleave out -
1 tsp chili powderleave out -
½ tsp liquid smokeleave out - Also add
Estimated cost $3.23 for 14 servings ($0.23 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
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Whisk everything together in a medium saucepan until smooth.
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Bring to a bubble over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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Taste and fine-tune: more vinegar for tang, cayenne for heat, sweetener for sweetness or a few extra drops of liquid smoke for smokiness.
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Cool and transfer to a jar. When grilling, brush it on only during the last 5–10 minutes — even sugar-free sauces scorch over high heat.
Tips for success
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The single teaspoon of molasses adds that deep “brown sugar” flavor for only about 0.3 g net carbs per serving; leave it out to trim carbs further. - Simmer longer for a thick Kansas City-style sauce, or thin with extra vinegar for a tangier Carolina-style mop.
- Slather on pulled pork or baked wings, or use it to glaze a meatloaf.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 7 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Use cold, or warm gently in a small saucepan before brushing on.
Prep tip: It keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Freeze the rest in an ice-cube tray — each cube is roughly 2 tablespoons.
Refrigerate in a sealed jar up to 2 weeks, or freeze in small portions up to 3 months.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosCarolina gold (mustard)
FlavorSouth Carolina’s tangy, golden mustard barbecue sauce. It is made for pulled pork, and it’s even lower in carbs than the tomato version.
- tomato paste (6 oz) → yellow mustard
- no water
1.1 g net · 15 kcal · 0.6 g protein · 0.5 g fat · ≈$0.21 per serving (−1.6 g net carbs vs the original)
Alabama white sauce
FlavorNorth Alabama’s peppery, mayonnaise-based barbecue sauce with horseradish and vinegar. Brush it on smoked or grilled chicken and serve extra for dipping.
- tomato paste (6 oz) → mayonnaise
- allulose (or golden monk fruit sweetener) → allulose (just a little)
- + 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
- + 1 tbsp lemon juice
- no water
- no molasses
- no smoked paprika
- no chili powder
- no water
0.8 g net · 112 kcal · 0.3 g protein · 12 g fat · ≈$0.18 per serving (−1.9 g net carbs vs the original)
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