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    Home » Budget Recipes

    Naturally Sweetened Apricot BBQ Sauce

    Published: May 21, 2015 · Modified: Dec 17, 2022 by Jessica Fisher

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    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.
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    Since it contains no sugar, this easy BBQ sauce is good for those watching their sugar intake and works for the Whole 30 diet. It’s great on burgers, pulled pork, pork chops, chicken or anywhere you want a little sweet and smoky. It’s a great sauce for ham.

    Naturally Sweetened Apricot BBQ Sauce this …

    While I confess that I love sugary things just as much as the next person, I’ve discovered the pleasant surprise that I can enjoy my favorite foods without the added sugar, which I know isn’t good for my health, if I’m honest with myself.

    Over the last few years, I’ve figured how to sweeten family favorite recipes with fruit, honey, or maple syrup. Milk and Honey Cornbread, Mamabars, and Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes are all big hits at our house. And now, so is this BBQ sauce.

    Yes, you can make delicious BBQ sauce that’s not loaded with sugar!

    If you’ve ever read the ingredients on a bottle of BBQ sauce, you know that it can be pretty scary. That stuff, though often super cheap with a coupon, is rife with preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, and a lot of non-food items.

    Naturally Sweetened Apricot BBQ Sauce

    I’ve got several yummy barbecue sauce recipes in my cookbooks; they each have a minimum amount of brown sugar. However, I wanted to make sure I made one that my mom and dad could eat. They’re still holding strong on the Whole 30, over 3 months after they started. They’ve both lost 20 pounds or more!

    I tested this recipe first with pineapple juice, but that didn’t give it enough sweetness. I was running errands when the idea came to me: sweeten it with fruit-only jam! Yay!

    As luck would have it, there was a fruit-sweetened Apricot jam at the store. Yum! If you don’t care about the sugar issue, feel free to use regular jam.

    This sauce is delicious on burgers, pulled pork, pork chops, grilled chicken, anywhere you like to have a little sweet and smoky tomato sauce. The sauce is good in the fridge for about a week, so freeze it if the batch is too big for you to use it in that amount of time.

    jar of bbq sauce next to pulled pork sandwich
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    5 from 1 vote

    Naturally Sweetened Apricot BBQ Sauce

    Since it contains no sugar, this easy BBQ sauce is good for those watching their sugar intake and works for the Whole 30 diet. It’s great on burgers, pulled pork, pork chops, chicken or anywhere you want a little sweet and smoky.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time25 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Course: Sauces
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 26kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 onion (about 1 cup chopped)
    • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
    • ½ cup apricot jam or preserves preferably naturally sweetened
    • 2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or more to taste
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon dry mustard
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • In a medium saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, and cook, stirring until tender, about five minutes.
    • Add the tomato sauce, jam, chile powder, ginger, mustard, and cinnamon. Stir well and simmer for 25 minutes.
    • For a smoother sauce, blend with an immersion blender until you have the texture you prefer.
    • Serve as a condiment or brushing sauce for your favorite meats.
    • To freeze, cool the sauce and pour it into small containers with lids. Chill completely and store in the freezer.

    Notes

    Nutritional values are approximate and are based on ¼ cup of the recipe. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 4 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 26kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tell us what you think!Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dave

      May 27, 2019 at 10:27 pm

      Thanks. I made a double batch for a memorial day BBQ yesterday and everyone loved it with ribs.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        June 05, 2019 at 7:56 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Dave

      May 25, 2019 at 4:49 pm

      I made this once before and the whole family loved it, but for some reason now I’m not reading the recipe right. Does the recipe call for a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce, or one 5 ounce can of tomato sauce? I can’t really tell from the formatting. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        May 26, 2019 at 11:27 am

        It’s a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce.

        Reply
    3. Megan

      July 13, 2018 at 2:40 pm

      Just made this for a BBQ chicken pizza. It is gooood! Nice kick from the chili powder, but not too much. Also like the smokiness that comes from the chipotle.

      Reply
      • Megan

        July 13, 2018 at 3:23 pm

        I ended up with 1 2/3 cups sauce rather than 3.

        Reply
        • Jessica Fisher

          July 27, 2018 at 2:01 pm

          Good to know. That may be the result of differing stove performance. If you prefer you could cook it for a shorter time next time.

      • Jessica Fisher

        July 27, 2018 at 2:01 pm

        Glad you liked it!

        Reply
    4. Charyse

      May 22, 2015 at 12:34 pm

      What type of onion would you recommend?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        July 24, 2015 at 10:31 am

        white or yellow/brown work best.

        Reply
    5. MH in OH

      May 22, 2015 at 11:32 am

      On the topic of sugar reduction – didn’t you post a chocolate cupcake sweetened with maple syrup a while back? You were trying to make brownies but it turned out more like a cupcake or vice versa? I’m not sure if it was on this blog or Life as Mom – and I wasn’t able to find it with a quick search. Please point me in the direction of that. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Cole

        May 26, 2015 at 1:19 pm

        I was so intrigued by your comment, I had to find the recipe. Here is the link:
        https://goodcheapeats.com/2014/04/maple-sweetened-chocolate-cupcakes-with-honey-cream-cheese-frosting/

        Reply
        • Jessica Fisher

          May 26, 2015 at 3:26 pm

          Thanks. I’m behind on comments, obviously.

    6. Cherie

      May 22, 2015 at 8:21 am

      LOVE IT

      Very timely and while fits in my new low carb menu list when used with reason – thanks!

      Reply
    7. Jenni

      May 21, 2015 at 11:10 pm

      I don’t often (or ever) have chipotle chili powder on hand. Would regular chili powder work? Or I have chipotle in adobo sauce sometimes. Would that work?

      Sounds yummy and perfect for summer as we are aiming for sugar free

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        June 05, 2019 at 7:56 pm

        Yes, either of those adaptations would be fine.

        Reply

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    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter their budget.

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