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.


























One I’ve been making for years from The Joy of Cooking
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I prefer a sweet and tangy BBQ sauces, and I grew up making my own. My husband prefers a more smoky flavor.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am wierd and still like kraft. =)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love Sweet Baby Rays!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t have a particular brand favorite, but I like the varieties with honey or hickory smoke.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m another that doesn’t really have a particular favorite when it comes to BBQ sauce. I tend to like spicy/sweet combos, with a bit of an Asian flair – maybe I could say hoisin sauce is my favorite?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like it tangy and not too sweet. Open Pit is classically good. Would love to try this blender you always speak so highly of.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think this recipe will become my favorite BBQ sauce! Thanks for that.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite BBQ sauce is one by Jack Daniels.. it’s really good! I need to make this one to see how it compares.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite BBQ sauces comes from a local restaurant, Ruby’s BBQ. (I can buy it buy the pint, but the recipe is a secret!) If I win the blender, I will have to find my own special BBQ sauce!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I need to find a good BBQ sauce that doesn’t use tomatoes…any suggestions?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m allergic to garlic, so getting my paws on ANY BBQ sauce is a major issue and I’ve had to resort to homemade alternates if I want some. However, they just don’t taste quite right and my hubby doesn’t like any of the sauces I’ve made so far.
Here’s hoping that this recipe will satisfy His Fussiness – and that I can will a Blendtec to make it in! :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I cook for a household of folks who don’t like barbeque sauce…but maybe a homemade version under a different name could fool them!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m not really a huge fan of BBQ sauce, but I would say Famous Dave’s is tastiest.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite BBQ sauce is ‘Original’ Sweet Baby Ray’s, but homemade is always better…Here’s hoping I win the blender!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I most enjoy a vinegar based sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite bbq sauce is a recipe from Susan Branch that has pineapple juice as the base. It’s simple, and is delicious on ribs!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love trying different sauces on different meats for a variety of flavors so I’m just going to have to try this – I know, I know twist my arm right :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I usually star with bottled BBQ sauce and just add whatever I have on hand to kick it up a notch. I always add a bit of Buccaroo Dakota sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I guess I don’t have a solid favorite…I jump around trying different sauces and then not remembering what I liked. :) I’m excited to try out this recipe!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.After homemade, I like Chick-Fil-A’s bbq sauce :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love the sauce at Jack Stacks in Kansas City and I also love Head Country sauce, which is from an Oklahoma-based company. I haven’t ever made my own, but now I’m anxious to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My aunt’s secret ingredients bbq sauce is the family favorite. Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like Sweet Baby Rays when I buy it but I like to make my own and can it. I would love to win this!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite barbecue sauce is one that my brother in law makes. It’s slightly sweet and tangy. Makes me wants some right now!! Delicious!
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