Description
An easy and homemade barbecue sauce that is sweetened with dates, made with simple ingredients and ready in under an hour. This is a must make recipe for the summer and is the perfect addition to any backyard barbecue!
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced fire roasted tomatoes*
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1/4 cup chopped dates, pitted packed
- 1/2–3/4 cup water, or as needed to reach your desired consistency (we used 3/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire
- 1 teaspoon mild chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1/8–1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- Optional: Dash of ground cloves
Instructions
- Saute garlic and onion. 3 minutes
- Add in tomato paste, paprika, and cloves. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except the salt and pepper, and turn up the heat to medium high until they come to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can taste as you go along and adjust, if you like, but I recommend NOT adding more molasses or dates until you’ve pureed in step 4. The dates sweeten the sauce as they cook, and they’ll add even more sweetness when you puree.
- When your 30 minutes are up, remove the pan from the heat and allow for it to cool for about 10 minutes. Transfer it into a high-speed blender and run until smooth.
- At this point, you sauce may be ready to bottle and refrigerate (It will keep for up to a week.).
- Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust seasonings as desired. If it does need anything else, turn the heat on medium low, and let any additions cook for a few minutes before you taste again.
Notes
- You can use plain canned diced tomatoes too, the fire roasted just adds another layer of flavor!
- The nutrition facts do not take into consideration the addition of salt to taste.
- This barbecue sauce will last about 10-14 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 33 minutes
- Category: Barbecue, Sauce, Summer
- Cuisine: Vegan, Oil-Free, Date-Sweetened
Keywords: Vegan, Oil-Free, Date-Sweetened, barbecue, sauce, homemade