Nightshade-Free BBQ Sauce (AIP)
This nightshade-free BBQ sauce is the perfect tomato-free condiment! It’s so simple to make with my Daylight Veggie Pasta Sauce.
If you’re nightshade-free like me, you’ll know that it is hard to find a nightshade-free BBQ sauce! If you’ve never heard of nightshades, check out my nightshade food list here, and you’ll see what I mean. Nightshade foods include…
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Bell peppers
- Hot peppers like jalapeno and chilis
- Red spices like cayenne and chili powder
- etc!
I struggled with finding good nightshade options so much that I created a nightshade-free pasta sauce, Daylight Veggie Pasta sauce, to fill the void, and it actually makes the perfect base for a BBQ sauce too!
This BBQ sauce is perfect as an easy dip or use as a substitute in whatever recipe calls for BBQ sauce! It is made gluten-free, nightshade-free, soy-free, and refined sugar-free.
Table of contents
Recipe Ingredients
- Daylight veggie pasta sauce. This is my own small business, which I created out of a personal need that has become a staple for many.
- Blackstrap molasses and dates. These add both sweetness and richness to the sauce.
- Balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar. This gives that extra tang that you know and love from BBQ sauce.
- Onion powder and ginger powder.
- Smoked salt. This adds that smoky flavor!
Substitutions and modifications
- Homemade tomato-free sauce. You can modify this recipe with my homemade nightshade-free marinara sauce. If you do, I recommend adding 2 tsp of garlic powder and an extra 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar.
- Coconut sugar. You can use coconut sugar instead of dates.
How to Make Nightshade-free BBQ Sauce
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Add all of the ingredients to a blender.
Step two. Blend until smooth.
Step three. Heat on the stove and add an arrowroot slurry to thicken the sauce.
Step four. Serve exactly as you would a BBQ sauce!
Michelle Tips & Tricks
- Use a blender instead of an immersion blender. I’ve tested this recipe with both, and the blender is much more efficient at breaking down the dates.
- You can also freeze the sauce. If you have extra, freeze the sauce in something like a souper cube!
How to use Nigtshade free BBQ sauce
- Make brisket!
- Add it pulled pork
- Brush it onto chicken thighs for BBQ chicken
More nightshade-free recipes to try
If you tried these Nightshade Free BBQ Sauce or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Nightshade-Free BBQ Sauce
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Ingredients
- 3 medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp Daylight Veggie Pasta sauce
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¾ tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp smoked salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper, omit for AIP
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
Instructions
- If the dates are hard, soak in warm water for 10 minutes until soft. Drain the excess water and pat the dates dry.
- Add all of the ingredients (reserving the arrowroot starch) to a high-speed blender and blend until fully incorporated. Taste the BBQ sauce and season further to taste if desired.
- Pour the sauce into a saucepan and set on the stove on medium-low heat. Bring to a low simmer and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat.
- Add the arrowroot starch to a small bowl with about 1-2 tsp of cold water and whisk well. Add to the hot sauce and stir to combine to lightly thicken the suace.
- Serve as a BBQ sauce immediately or store in the fridge in glass for 3-4 days.
Notes
Recipe FAQS
Since this isn’t a spicy sauce, I feel like it really needs the sweetener to round out the flavor. The blackstrap molasses also adds a lot to the texture of the sauce.
Yes! It stores great in the fridge in glass for 3-4 days. I’ve also frozen it and it freezes great.
Yes, you can use a homemade sauce instead, but this recipe is formulated specifically for the veggie pasta sauce that packs a lot more flavor, so another sauce would mean that this recipe would need more tweaking.
This recipe was updated in June of 2025.
I am so happy to find your web site. I just recently found out that tomatoes don’t like me. I had given up on anything with tomatoes. Then I found Nomato Products. Now your recipes. This tastes so good. Have missed my BBQ Chicken. Thank you!
This is my go-to BBQ sauce recipe! My hubby and I have a number of food sensitivities, so this is a huge blessing, and always turns out sooo tasty! I will say though, I’ve never actually tried the original recipe without substitutions, I had to use what I had on hand, but it turned out great, so I wrote it down and keep doing it that way. I sub the molasses and dates for a smaller amount of honey, and my nomato sauce is apples, plums, and tamarind paste. I also add a little fish sauce, a teaspoon of german mustard, and a pinch of pumpkin spice.
yum!!
Can I leave out the dates?
It won’t be quite as sweet but you can try!
Hi, is there an alternative to molasses? I can’t have refined sugar at the moment.
Nothing that would give the same depth of flavor, but using a little bit of maple syrup would add the sweetness
This bbq is amazing!! Thank you ❤️
So glad you enjoyed it!!
This was delicious!!! I slathered it on chicken breasts and baked it and turned out so well. Also tasted amazing mixed into ground beef. I used fancy molasses instead of blackstrap and left out the dates. I did end up adding on date but probably wont next time. I didnt have balsamic vinegar but still tasted great. I will have to get some to try it next time.
Thank you!!
I was wondering if it can be canned??
Unfortunately, I’m not an expert in canning so I’m not really well informed enough to answer this question!
Can I use a different kind of date?
You can try, yes!
Can I leave out the apple cider vinegar? I have acid reflux disease and that’s why I am looking for a BBQ sauce alternative. I can probably do the tbsp balsamic but cannot do the extra vinegar from the apple cider vinegar. Can it be left out or will it taste weird without it?
You can try, though it would taste a different since BBQ sauce is so vinegar heavy.
Can I use date sugar instead?
That should work!
This BBQ sauce is a home run! As a southerner, I’ve been dearly missing BBQ, and this sauce really hit the spot. It reminds me of a Carolina vinegar sauce (which is a VERY good thing)! I’m looking forward to topping pulled pork, chicken and brisket.
Aw thank you!! I love to hear that 🙂
Just made the nomato sauce and then this bbq sauce. What fun and so good! Needing the AIP options for my family. I’m so happy to have found Unbound Wellness!
Thank you!!