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.


























I like Sweet Baby Ray’s or Head Country.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite BBQ recipe is a VERY OLD recipe, probably one of the oldest ever. It’s from the ’50’s and, when I worked in the Food Section of Better Homes & Gardens, Myrna Johnston was the editor of foods. It’s her husband’s, Warren’s, recipe and called “Gaucho BBQ Sauce.” The blender looks special, too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To be honest, I am not as much as sauce person as a rub person – I love a good spicy rub on most of my bbq. As for sauces, different meats call for different sauce, but for the most part I like a spicy, less sweet sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love sweet baby rays but would like to try this.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In a pinch I always grab Sweet Baby Rays. But nothing, NOTHING, beats my homemade chipotle BBQ sauce…Mmmmmmm We put it on everything. A Blentec blender would be a wonderful tool in the kitchen to make it as smooth as possible :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love anything barbeque! However, I have recently realized that my favorite sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s) raises my blood sugar levels too much. I am diabetic, so your recipe should be a great substitute for me. Thank you for enlightening me. I want to try making it and other recipes with a BlendTec!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have not had a sauce yet that I didn’t like. I like variety!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My dad’s homemade is the best
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I really like the hoisin version of the Soy Vey sauce sold at Trader Joe’s. I’m certain I could figure it out particularly with one of these blenders on deck. Will cross my toes – fingers too busy!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am obsessed with the tangy, vinegar BBQ sauce that North Carolina is famous for. It’s super difficult to find in a bottle, so the Blendtec would help me figure out how to make it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love a sauce with Honey, my husband would prefer one that was spicy
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite is one I found online that uses smoked paprika. What an amazing spice.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite bbq sauce is from Spring Creek BBQ in TX. I have never tried making my own. Might have to give it a shot if I win this Blendtec!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Brown sugar or honey based. Would love to have the blender. That warm blender button looks so cool!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Alabama white bbq sauce on chicken leg quarters
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite is Carolina Gold from Trader Joe’s.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite BBQ sauce is from a local BBQ joint. It has lots of black pepper and is so good as a topping on meatloaf!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have never made my own BBQ sauce, but I think I will have to try this recipe! As far as store bought, my favorite is Sweet Baby Ray’s.
I would love to have a Blendtec!! Thank you for the opportunity!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite BBQ sauce is Sweet Baby Ray’s with Hickory and brown sugar,but I;m dying to try the above.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I recently discovered Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet Onion BBQ sauce and can’t get enough of it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Only use homemade BBQ sauce with no artificial ingredients!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We love a sauce that we make. It is made with Apple jelly and chili sauce among other ingredients. The chili sauce gives it a little kick. Our favorite bought sauce (we go for spicy) is probably one of the Rufus Teague sauces. I think I got our last bottle at World Market…love the name Rufus Teague made some sauce….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sweet Baby Ray’s is my favorite BBQ sauce!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love original Bull’s Eye
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I recently made my own BBQ sauce with ketchup, sautéed onions, brown sugar, vinegar and worchestire sauce. It was so delicious. As for store bought, I too like Sweet Baby Ray’s.
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