Last Updated on January 14, 2023 by Anne-Marie

This is the best sugar-free BBQ sauce recipe. This barbeque sauce without sugar takes only 5 minutes to make. This will become your go-to low-carb barbecue sauce recipe!

Why this recipe works

You’ll need some unique store-bought sauce ingredients, but this tastes just as good as any of your favorite barbecue sauces.

Without the guilt of serving a sugary sauce, this is the best sugar-free barbecue sauce recipe for diabetics or for anyone following a low-carb or keto diet.

2 tablespoons contain 14 calories, 3 grams of carbohydrate, and 2 grams of sugar. No high fructose corn syrup and depending on the ingredients you buy, you can use a natural sweetener, too.

Now you have a healthier low-carb BBQ sauce to put on your pulled pork or chicken recipes. So throw out that high fructose corn syrup sauce in your fridge!

This keto BBQ dipping sauce can be whipped up in just minutes, doesn’t need to be cooked on the stovetop, and can be served with your favorite recipes. You control the sugar content!

Ingredients

• sugar-free ketchup
• Swerve Sweetener, Brown
• white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

How to make this recipe

There is no reason to buy expensive keto BBQ sauces when you can make your own low-carb sauce at home.

1. Add your favorite store-bought keto low-carb ketchup, brown sugar substitute, and apple cider vinegar to a small bowl.

2. Whisk all the ingredients together until well combined. (Brown sugar tends to clump together, so you may need to break it up.) Make sure all of the brown sugar substitute is completely dissolved.

3. Let the sugar-free barbecue sauce set for about 15 minutes. This allows flavors to blend.

4. You can store this homemade BBQ sauce in the refrigerator in a covered container like a mason jar or glass container for up to a week.

You can freeze the leftover sauce, too. (See below.)

FAQs

What are the best keto-friendly low-carb kinds of ketchup?

Here are the best low carb sugar-free ketchup brands that get 4 stars and better reviews on Amazon:

● Primal Kitchen - Organic Unsweetened Ketchup

● Heinz Tomato Ketchup, No Sugar Added

● G Hughes Sugar-Free Ketchup

● Health Garden Xylitol Ketchup

● Nature’s Hollow, Sugar-Free Ketchup

Keto sauces contain stevia, xylitol, and other no-calorie sweeteners (both natural and artificial sweeteners).

Make sure to read the ingredient descriptions before ordering in case you don’t like whatever alternative sweetener they use.

What are the best brown sugar substitutes?

My favorite keto-friendly brown sugar substitute is Swerve Sweetener, Brown. I use it just like regular brown sugar in baking and cooking. It works great and has no funky aftertaste.

Here are other low-carb, sugar-free brown sugars that get 4 stars and better reviews on Amazon:

● Sukrin Gold - Natural Brown Sugar Alternative

● Health Garden Monk Fruit Sweetener, Golden

These two are blends of either stevia or Splenda, so they are low-sugar substitutes. They’re also sweeter, so you use less in your keto barbeque sauce recipe.

If you are fine making a low-sugar barbeque sauce, you can use these:

● Truvia Brown Sugar Blend

● Splenda Brown Sugar Blend

Make sure to read the ingredients to see if alternative sweetener substitutes are OK for your dietary needs – low carb, keto, diabetic, low calorie, Weight Watchers, etc.

How can I jazz up this sugar-free barbeque sauce recipe?

Not everyone loves a blander sauce.

You can add some seasonings to your barbecue sauce recipe, like ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt (or ½ teaspoon sea salt), some freshly ground black pepper, and a dash or two of cayenne pepper sauce (or your favorite hot sauce).

Love a smoky flavor? Add one teaspoon Liquid Smoke, smoked paprika, or Worcestershire sauce.

Add some chili powder, chipotle powder, or cayenne pepper for a bit of heat.

Add a few dashes of soy sauce (or tamari sauce if you’re gluten-free).

If you like Carolina-style sweet heat mustard BBQ sauces, add some dry mustard, a tablespoon of yellow mustard, or a few squirts of spicy mustard.

If you prefer your BBQ sauce to be more tomato based, add some tomato paste and some extra vinegar. (You can also use other kinds of vinegar, like white wine or balsamic vinegar.)

Can I freeze BBQ sauce?

Sure! Just double the batch of this low-carb barbecue sauce.

Put half in a freezer-safe container, a Ziploc bag (with the extra air squeezed out), pour into ice cube trays (then pop out the frozen cubes into a Ziploc baggie).

Label and date the container or bag. Sugar-free barbecue sauces should stay good for six months in the freezer.

Serve keto BBQ sauce with these recipes

You can use this keto BBQ sauce on the Best Smoked Chicken Thighs Recipe, Instant Pot Pulled Pork or Instant Pot Turkey Breast.

Or try this flavorful sauce on Crockpot Whole Chicken or Instant Pot Whole Chicken.

You can also use keto BBQ sauce on fish, meatloaf sandwiches, steak, pork chops, ribs, chicken wings, and so much more!

What’s your favorite meal to serve keto BBQ sauce at?