Homemade Sugar-Free Barbecue Sauce

WW Recipe of the Day: DIY Sugar-Free Barbecue Sauce

Guiltless BBQ seems like a pipe dream. I think of Kansas City BBQ laden with rich oils and delightfully sweet.

Is it even possible to create a tasty BBQ without all the classic ingredients?

What a surprise it was to discover this hearty, sweet, tasty, sugar-free version. It's even vegan which is a definite plus as plant-based eating becomes more common.

Skinny Barbecue Sauce with Chicken

For those of us just wanting a good BBQ sauce and dip without all the fat and calories, this recipe fits the bill. It makes about 2 cups, so you'll have enough to use right away and/or store or freeze for the future.

How Many Calories and WW Points in this Homemade BBQ Sauce?

According to my calculations, each serving has 36 calories and:

1 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
0 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
0 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
1 *PointsPlus (Old plan)

To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!

How to Make Skinny Barbecue Sauce, Step-by-Step

Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients.

Step 2: Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cooking the BBQ sauce ingredients

Step 3: Remove pan from heat and cool slightly.

Step 4: Place mixture in a food processor (affiliate link), or blender (affiliate link), and purée to desired consistency.

Step 5: Taste and add drops of hot sauce, if desired.

Skinny Chunky Barbecue Sauce

How to Make Homemade Sugar-Free Barbecue Sauce

Any kind of apple will be fine here—I used a Honey Crisp which gave the sauce a not too sweet tang. Depending on your BBQ preference—sweet style or spicy, try varying amount of brown sugar substitute. I used the Swerve Brown (affiliate link), which is phenomenal stuff. 

Drops of hot sauce at the end will solve an overly sweet sauce, especially if you like spicy BBQ. I used a tiny splash of Sriracha.

If you like a traditional smooth sauce, it's best to use a blender (affiliate link) to really get a shiny smooth consistency.

I used a food processor (affiliate link) so mine is a little chunkier because I love the texture that the beans give the sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Since it's skinny BBQ, I'd liven it up with oven fries and maybe another vegetable to round out the meal.

I used it first alongside a grilled chicken with asparagus and greens on the side. For an additional treat, I enjoyed a crisp and refreshing glass of sauvignon blanc.

Ways to Use Leftover BBQ Sauce

Leftover sauce keeps for at least 1 week, covered, in the fridge.

I thinned down ¼ cup of sauce with 2 tablespoons white wine and made a great marinade for salmon and chicken.

It would also work for almost any summer kabob on the grill—veggie, pork, chicken and fish.

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On The Path To Lasting Weight Loss Success?

If you've made this Low-Fat Gluten-Free BBQ Sauce, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

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5 from 1 vote

Skinny Barbecue Sauce

A great marinade for salmon and chicken - it would also work for almost any summer kabob on the grill, including veggie, pork, chicken and fish.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Servings (adjustable): 8

Calories: 36

Author: Hallie Harron | Simple Nourished Living

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 medium unpeeled apple, cored and chopped
• ▢ 1 can (14 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar substitute (I used Swerve)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water
• ▢ Drops of hot sauce, if desired

Instructions

• Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove pan from heat and cool slightly.
• Place mixture in a food processor, or blender, and puree to desired consistency.
• Taste and add drops of hot sauce if desired.

Equipment

Small Saucepan

Chef Knife

Food Processor

Recipe Notes

Any kind of apple will be fine here—I used a Honey Crisp which gave the sauce a not too sweet tang. Depending on your BBQ preference—sweet style or spicy, try varying amount of brown sugar substitute.

Drops of hot sauce at the end will solve an overly sweet sauce, especially if you like spicy BBQ. I used a tiny splash of Sriracha.

If you like a traditional smooth sauce, it's best to use a blender to really get a shiny smooth consistency.

I used a food processor so mine is a little chunkier because I love the texture that the beans give the sauce.

Serving size: ¼ cup

Click here to see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site.

1 *SmartPoints (Green plan)

0 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)

0 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)

1 *PointsPlus (Old plan)

Nutrition Facts

Skinny Barbecue Sauce

Amount Per Serving (1 /4 cup)

Calories 36 Calories from Fat 2

% Daily Value*

Fat 0.2g0%

Carbohydrates 7.4g2%

Fiber 1.8g7%

Protein 1.4g3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: low fat bbq sauce, vegan bbq sauce, vegetarian barbecue sauce

Did you make this recipe?Mention @simplenourishedliving on Instagram and tag #simplenourishedliving - we love to see your creations!

*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.

Quick and Easy 2-Ingredient WW Friendly BBQ Sauce

Want a quick and easy low points alternative to homemade sugar free barbecue sauce (affiliate link). This idea was shared by Lauren, a longtime reader. To lower the points in her BBQ sauce she combines a bottle of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce and blends until smooth. This effectively cuts the Points of the barbecue sauce (affiliate link) from 2 SmartPoints per tablespoon to 1!  

More Skinny BBQ Recipes for Weight Watchers

• Southern Barbecue Shrimp
• Baked Barbecue Chicken
• 3-Ingredient Crock Pot Vegetarian BBQ Lentils
• Crock Pot BBQ Greens Beans with Bacon

This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!