A Delicious Homemade BBQ Sauce That’s Ready In Seconds
When I was a girl, I loved most of the food my mom made, but I was always particularly excited when she made ribs with homemade BBQ sauce. Mom’s BBQ sauce was thick, sweet, and slightly tangy — exactly how I like it!
I didn’t find out that her recipe had a bonafide secret ingredient — prunes baby food — until my siblings and I were teenagers. (Knowing how we would have reacted to that knowing that were eating a fruit puree for babies, I can’t say I blame her for keeping that a secret as long as she did!)
With it being grilling season, I thought I’d share my take on my mom’s easy BBQ sauce recipe here in this post! Grab your blender and a few simple ingredients, and you’ll be seconds away from a delicious sauce that’s sure to steal the show at your next backyard barbecue.
How To Make Blender BBQ Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/2-1 cup brown sugar (for a sweeter sauce, use the higher amount)
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 (2 1/2 ounce) container prunes baby food (my mom’s secret ingredient!)
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp liquid smoke
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Directions:
Get ready for the world’s easiest instructions…
Put all the ingredients in your blender, then blend until smooth. At that point, you can either warm the sauce on your stove or use it as is. And that’s it!
Additions & Substitutions
The recipe above is great as is, but don’t be afraid to add or swap ingredients to make it your own! You can add a dash of hot sauce or cayenne to give it a bit more heat, use less brown sugar, add more garlic — whatever sounds good to you!
One of the great things about this BBQ sauce recipe is that you can make a big batch of it and freeze whatever you won’t use right away. (I suggest pouring the extra sauce into an ice cube tray and freezing it, then transferring the frozen cubes to a ziplock freezer bag!)
What Can I Put Blender BBQ Sauce On?
Brush this easy BBQ sauce on grilled chicken and serve with a fresh salad for a perfect summertime meal. I also love this sauce on a homemade BBQ chicken salad with black beans, corn, red onion, and ranch dressing. So good!
You can brush blender BBQ sauce on meatloaf and burgers, add it to shredded pork or chicken for sandwiches, and even stir into some mayo to make a tangy dip for french fries and onion rings. It’s also great on delicious BBQ chicken pizza too!
More Hot-Off-The-Grill Goodness
Check out these other posts:
Do you have a favorite recipe or dish with BBQ sauce?
Blender BBQ Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Blender or a bowl and whisk
Ingredients
- ½-1 cup brown sugar to taste
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2½ ounces baby food prunes or prune puree
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp liquid smoke
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth.
- Warm before using, if desired.
Nutrition
More Ideas You'll Love
My mom made the best – and of course I will never be able to replicate it, even with the recipe! Tangy with a hint of sweetness – yum! But I also have some Sweet Baby Rays honey chipotle in the fridge!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m from South Louisiana and many people around here like Jack Miller’s “Certified Cajun” BBQ Sauce made locally in Ville Plate. It is perfect on chicken, sausage and burgers. Yum!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think Sonny’s sweet is the best. My wife and I eat a half a bottle every time we get ribs at Sonny’s restaurant. Now she can buy the sauce at Walmart.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Every year during peach season (now!), I can the most glorious homemade peach BBQ sauce. We put it on everything and my kids love it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I could eat BBQ on about anything. I LOVE it! One of my favorite childhood memories was going to my “second families” house for a BBQ. He made his special semi-homemade BBQ sauce. He took any kind of store bought BBQ sauce then made it his own by adding things like: molasses, brown sugar, dried mustard ketchup, onions, garlic, a dash of liquid smoke… whatever he could imagine would be good with what he had on hand. Then he would just blend it up in a good blender, like Blendtec, and brush it on grilled chicken, burgers, or even vegetables. Sooo delicious!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite used to be Sweet Baby Ray’s but we’ve quit eating processed foods, so I’m always on the lookout for a good recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite BBQ sauce is Sweet Baby Ray’s.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would love to win the blendtec. I have just started to omit all processed foods and I am focusing on losing 50 pounds the healthy way!
Thank you for the chance to win!!!! I love your blog!
I love Sweet Baby Ray’s! It is AWESOME!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I enjoy sweet baby rays but I make my own and I like adding honey.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m actually not a fan of BBQ sauce, but on the rare occasion I usually use the original Sweet Babt Ray’s!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite store-bought sauce is “Sticky Fingers Memphis Original”. Occasionally I make my Mom’s recipe, which is even better (of course!).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I usually use sweet baby rays bbq sauce. I have tried to make my own, but the consistency was not thick enough.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A question not related to bbq sauce, but on my mind. How does one become proficient in canning pickles. Mine turn out like Aunt Bee’s kerosene pickles every time. This year they were so pickley I almost coughed to death.
Help me Jillee; I feel like Darth Vader pickle force is against me lol.
I so need the blender too.
Sweet Baby Ray’s!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite purchased is Sweet Baby Rays.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My recipe for homemade is
Ketchup — Couple of cups
Brown Sugar — probably about a cup to start
Molasses–couple spoons if I have on hand
Onions– at least one
Prepared Mustard — couple squirts
Franks Hot Sauce — Few Dashes
Wrights Liquid Smoke — Few Dashes
Worcestershire Sauce — Few Dashes
I start with about 2 cups of Ketchup and add ingredients until the taste and texture are the way we like it.
My favorite bbq sauce comes from a recipe in America’s Test Kitchen’s cookbook. Love their show and this recipe.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like sweet and tangy bbq sauce, so I usually start with store bought and add apple cider vinegar and hot sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.LOVE my hubby’s home made BBQ sauce! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Barbeque sauce is okay, but I definitely do not like it sweet!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love to try new bbq sauce recipes. Thanks for sharing :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We don’t really have a favorite – as a general rule just buying whatever’s on sale – but will definitely try this recipe. Maybe we’ll end up with a favorite after all!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love tangy barbeque sauce!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I make my own in the crock pot. Pretty standard receipe, but the secret is a cup of brewed coffee. My family loves it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My husband makes the best bbq sauce. I love the idea of heating stuff up in the blender. How awesome is that?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love Sweet baby Rays sauce. I like a sauce with brown sugar sweetness. I am going to try your recipe though.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like a combination of spicey and sweet.
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