Nightshade-Free BBQ Sauce (AIP)
This nightshade free BBQ sauce is the perfect condiment if you don’t tolerate traditional BBQ sauce! It is paleo, vegan and AIP-friendly.
What is nightshade-free BBQ sauce?
Nightshades include foods like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and red spices. Many people follow nightshade-free diets (including those who follow an AIP template) so finding a compliant BBQ sauce is hard! Storebought options can be a bit pricy, but luckily you can easily make it at home!
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.
Why this Nightshade-free BBQ Sauce is awesome
It’s made with healthy ingredients
It is made free of gluten, nightshades, soy, and refined sugar. No junk in this sauce!
It’s so easy to make
All you have to do is combine the ingredients and blend them, no cooking involved! Couldn’t be easier.
The Ingredients
This nomato sauce makes the BBQ sauce nightshade-free!
Medjool Dates & Backstrap Molasses
These give the sauce natural sweetner.
Balsamic Vinegar, Coconut Aminos & Apple Cider Vinegar
These all give the BBQ sauce its classic tangy flavor!
Garlic, Onion Powder, Ginger Powder, Smoked Salt & Black Pepper
These round out the flavor of the BBQ sauce beautifully! You can omit the pepper for AIP.
How to Make Nightshade-free BBQ Sauce
- Soak the dates: If the dates are hard, soak in warm water for 10 minutes until soft. Drain the excess water and pat the dates dry.
- Blend the ingredients: Add all of the ingredients to a highspeed blender and blend until fully incorporated. Taste the BBQ sauce and season further to taste in desired, or add water for a thinner sauce.
- Finish & serve: Store in the fridge in glass for 3-4 days (or freeze) and use it as a BBQ sauce substitute.
Can you make this sauce without sweetener?
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.
Can you make it ahead of time? How do you store it?
Yes! It stores great in the fridge in glass for 3-4 days. I’ve also frozen it and it freezes great.
What you can serve this sauce with?
Use this sauce as a swap for anywhere that you’d usually use BBQ sauce, like…
- Sweet potato fries
- Chicken tenders
- Slow roasted meat like pork shoulder or brisket.
You’ll also love…
PrintNightshade-Free BBQ Sauce (AIP)
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Dips
- Cuisine: American
Description
This nightshade free BBQ sauce is the perfect summertime condiment! It is paleo, vegan and AIP.
Ingredients
- 3 medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp nomato sauce
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp ginger powder
- 3/4 tsp smoked salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
- Optional – 2 tbsp water (for a thinner sauce)
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 to a highspeed blender and blend until fully incorporated.
- Taste the BBQ sauce and season further to taste in desired, or add water for a thinner sauce.
- Store in the fridge in glass for 3-4 days (or freeze) and use as a BBQ sauce substitute. To enjoy the sauce heated, heat in a small sauce pan for 2-3 minutes while stirring.
Notes
All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 69
- Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 17.6g
- Fiber: 0.6g
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!!
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 🙂
Can I use date sugar instead?
That should work!
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 a different kind of date?
You can try, yes!
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!
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!!
This bbq is amazing!! Thank you ❤️
So glad you enjoyed it!!
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
Can I leave out the dates?
It won’t be quite as sweet but you can try!
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!!