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Home » Recipes » Low Carb Recipes

Homemade Sweet BBQ Sauce Recipe

Modified: May 22, 2024 by Kori Butler · Published: Aug 12, 2022

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This Sweet BBQ Sauce Recipe is a thick, rich, and tangy sauce that is so good! Making your own BBQ sauce at home is easy, and you'll wonder why you've never made it before! Make this bbq sauce sugar-free or regular.

A clear glass bowl of sweet BBQ sauce and a brush.Pin

You'll Love This Homemade BBQ Sauce

Okay BBQ lovers, I've come up with more homemade BBQ sauce recipes - each unique and tasty and perfect for your next grilling adventure! Try Blueberry BBQ Sauce, Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce, and Peach BBQ Sauce on chicken, pork, and beef. Happy grilling! Enjoy!

Best BBQ Sauce Recipe!

Well, we think it's the best BBQ sauce recipe, anyway! LOL. You will love this sauce. Homemade barbecue sauce is always better than store bought. This version is thick and sticky, finger-licking good. 

Make Extra And Store In Your Fridge! 

You can easily double or triple this recipe and store some in the fridge for your next grilling adventure! 🙂 It's just as easy to double or triple a recipe as it is to make one batch. 

Sugar-Free Sweet BBQ Sauce (Low Carb & Keto)

This sweet barbecue sauce can be made two ways - sugar-free and regular. I actually always make the sugar-free version, and no one has ever guessed that it's healthy.

The sugar-free version is my preferred way to make my sauce (for health reasons. I serve it all the time at cookouts - and everyone goes on and on about how good it is. Let's keep that a secret! 🙂

What You'll Need

Ingredients needed to make sweet BBQ sauce.

Here are the ingredients and tools you'll need to make this sweet BBQ sauce recipe:

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Yellow Onion - you could also use red onion or a sweet onion to make this sauce even sweeter!
  • Garlic
  • Salt and Pepper - I typically use kosher salt
  • Beef Broth - I prefer beef broth but you can use chicken or even vegetable broth.
  • Unsweetened Ketchup or Regular Ketchup - (Note: if you used regular sweetened ketchup, start with ¼ cup and add more to taste)
  • Apple Cider Vinegar - rice vinegar can also be substituted.
  • Brown Sugar or a Sugar Substitute - It is perfectly fine to use a substitute brown such as Gold Monk Fruit/Erythritol or my favorite Brown Allulose. Double check that it has a 1:1 sugar ratio and make adjustments if needed.
  • Liquid Smoke - gives this sauce a nice smoky flavor.
  • Cumin
  • Celery Salt
  • Cayenne Pepper

Tip: if you used a sweetened ketchup, reduce the sugar called for in this recipe by ¼ cup.

For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!

Substitutions and Variations

  • Spicy - hot sauce or red pepper flakes to make this a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce.
  • Add a little Worcestershire to the sauce to increase tang and "beefiness"
  • Make it a honey BBQ sauce - by substituting half of the brown sugar.
  • Give it a smoky flair - add 1 teaspoon (or more to taste) of smoky paprika.

How To Make This Sweet BBQ Sauce Recipe

Saute Onions and Garlic

In a skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft.

Sauteeing the onion and garlic in a skillet

Add Remaining Ingredients

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

Adding the remaining sweet bbq sauce ingredients to a skillet.

Simmer and Reduce

Reduce heat and simmer 25 to 30 minutes until the sauce is very thick.

Stir occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking.

Makes approximately 12 ounces.

Thickening the bbq sauce in a skillet.

How To Use It

Here are a few ways to use this sweet barbecue sauce recipe:

  • Brush chicken, lamb, pork, beef, and burgers while grilling.
  • Make a BBQ chicken pizza - use pre-made pizza dough, barbecue sauce instead of marinara, grilled chicken, onions, and cheese. De-lish.
  • Use it in this slow cooker pulled pork recipe, these baby back ribs, on grilled pork steaks, and slow cooker BBQ chicken thighs or baked BBQ chicken drumsticks.

Kori's Tips

  • If sweetened ketchup is used, reduce the brown sugar called for by ¼ cup. 
  • Pay attention to ketchup ingredients. Sugar-free does not mean unsweetened. Sugar-free ketchup is often sweetened with Sucralose, so it is sweetened. Reduce the brown sugar by ¼ cup.
  • If you're not following a sugar-free/keto diet, feel free to substitute regular brown sugar and ketchup for this recipe!
  • Play with this recipe to your liking. Increase or decrease sugar to your liking. Substitute garlic salt for celery salt. Increase cayenne pepper for more spice. Add 1 tbsp bourbon or whiskey for added flavor!

FAQ's

How can I sweeten my BBQ sauce?

BBQ sauce can easily be sweetened with honey, molasses, brown sugar, and regular sugar. If you are following a low sugar diet, keto, or watching calories, use a sugar substitute. Add a little at a time, tasting as you go until it reaches your desired sweetness level.

Can I add honey to BBQ sauce?

Yes, absolutely! You can add honey to BBQ sauce to give it more sweetness.

What is sweet BBQ sauce made of?

Sweet BBQ sauce is most commonly made with honey, molasses, or brown sugar, along with ketchup, mustard, vinegar, and various spices depending upon the recipe.

What is the difference between sugar-free ketchup and unsweetened ketchup?

Many people don't realize that sugar-free ketchup does not necessarily mean it is unsweetened. Unsweetened ketchup has no sweetener in it at all, while sugar-free ketchup usually means that it is sweetened but not with sugar. The most common sweetener used in sugar-free ketchup in the grocery store is Sucralose, but you may see different types. 

Can I ask you a favor?

If you tried this recipe, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a 5 star rating and leave a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my newsletter to get healthy fresh recipe ideas every week!

📖 The recipe.

A round clear bowl of BBQ sauce that's dripping over the edge of the bowl.

Tangy and Sweet BBQ Sauce

A thick, rich, and tangy sauce that is so good! Making your own BBQ sauce at home is easy and you'll wonder why you've never made it before! This recipe can be made two ways: sugar-free or regular. Both are good and either way you make it everyone will love it! If you want to make it a low carb or keto BBQ sauce follow the sugar-free instructions. Enjoy!
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Author Kori Butler
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Dressing, Sauces, and Seasoning
Cuisine American
Servings 14
Calories 148 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup finely chopped onion
  • 4 garlic cloves (minced)
  • ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup unsweetened ketchup or regular ketchup (see note ketchup below)
  • ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup brown sugar substitute (see note on ketchup below)
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon celery salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a nonstick saucepan pan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft.
  • Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 25 to 30 minutes until the sauce is very thick. Stir occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking. Makes approximately 1¼ cup.

Video

Kori's Tips

  • Pay attention to ketchup ingredients. Sugar-free does not mean unsweetened. Sugar-free ketchup is often sweetened with Sucralose so it is sweetened.
  • If sweetened ketchup is used, reduce the brown sugar called for by ¼ cup. 
  • If you're not following a sugar-free/keto diet, feel free to substitute regular brown sugar and ketchup to this recipe!
  • Play with this recipe to your liking. Increase or decrease sugar to your liking. Substitute garlic salt for celery salt. Increase cayenne pepper for more spice. Add 1 tbsp bourbon or whiskey for added flavor!

Nutrition

Serving: 2ouncesCalories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 5.1gProtein: 0.8gFat: 14gSodium: 708mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 2g
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Mention @seekinggoodeatsofficial or tag #seekinggoodeats! Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.

© 2025 Seeking Good Eats™

Grilling Recipes

Here are a few grilling recipes that will pair well with your homemade barbecue sauce:

  • Best Grilled Chicken Recipe
  • Best Baby Back Ribs
  • How To Grill a Ribeye Steak
  • Herbed Butter Steak
  • Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
  • All Purpose Easy Marinade for Steak

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Image of Kori Butler Seeking Good Eats Founder

Hey there, I'm Kori.

I’m a culinary school trained chef specializing in holistic nutrition and wellness. I’ve always been a major foodie, and as I’ve aged, the full impact of my love of food—and not-necessarily-healthy eating habits—caught up to me. In an effort to make positive changes in my life (and hopefully yours, too), I created this website where I could share great-tasting, craveable, healthy recipes.

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