Last updated on June 5th, 2026

Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce. - harvestandnourish.com

Made with pantry staple ingredients, this Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce is sweet and tangy with rich, smoky flavours and ready in minutes. Perfect for summer grilling!

It’s officially grilling season, and I couldn’t be happier. While we do grill year-round, there’s something truly magical about the combination of warmer weather, longer summer evenings, and those crispy, charred edges and smoky flavours that are the hallmarks of summer barbecues.

Following a simple mix and heat formula, this recipe combines sweet, smoky and warming ingredients that transform into a vivid, flavour-packed sauce that keeps beautifully and goes with everything. It makes 4 to 6 servings (a little over 1 cup) and can be doubled or tripled easily to feed a crowd.

Here’s everything you’ll need to make it

1 cup (225 grams) tomato sauce (passata or any sauce made with pureéd tomatoes and minimal seasoning)
2 tablespoons (40 grams) tomato paste
2 tablespoons (30 grams) apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons (25 grams) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons (45 grams) molasses
1 teaspoon (5 grams) Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon (5 grams) Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon (3 grams) smoked paprika
1 clove garlic, minced or finely chopped
1 teaspoon (5 grams) finely chopped shallot
1/8 teaspoon (>1 gram) cayenne pepper
¼ to ½ teaspoon (1 to 2 grams) freshly cracked black pepper to taste
½ to 1 teaspoon (2-3 grams) kosher or fine sea salt to taste

Dark brown sugar is on my list of secret ingredients. I just think it adds such a lovely caramelization to so many recipes. I love this sauce for grilling ribs, chicken or tofu or as a dip for wings, fries or raw veggies. I also really like that ketchup isn’t on the ingredient list!

Variations and substitutions

Tomato sauce: You can really use any tomato sauce you have on hand. If made with any add-ins (onion, peppers, garlic pieces, etc) give the sauce a quick mix with an immersion blender as it cools.
Molasses: For this recipe, I like to use light or cooking molasses because I find blackstrap to be too thick. For those of you reading this in Canada, I use Crosby’s cooking molasses, a blend of light (fancy) and blackstrap, for both a richer colour and taste. If you don’t have molasses, substitute an equivalent amount of dark brown sugar, honey or corn syrup, adjusted to your desired level of sweetness.
Apple cider vinegar: Substitute white or red wine vinegar.
Make it gluten free: Simply replace the Worcestershire sauce with Tamari or a combination of gluten free soy sauce and balsamic vinegar to retain the umami and saltiness.

More reasons to love this Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce

It’s a seasonal staple—You’ll be amazed how often you’ll use it during the summer months, and it travels well, too.

It’s ideal for grilling—Grilling is one of my favourite ways to prepare a meal in very little time. It’s low prep with a lot less clean up, all when you’d rather be outside, far from your oven. This sauce brings all the flavours and aromas that come to mind when you think of summer barbecues.

It’s freezer-friendly—This sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 months or freeze for up to three months so you can enjoy the taste of summer later.

Summer grilling season doesn’t last long, so give this Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce recipe a try while you can. It’s flavourful, versatile, made with pantry staple ingredients and so much better than anything you can buy in a store!

You can find more of my best Grilling Tips and Tricks here.

Try this No-Cook Tomato (Pizza) Sauce or this Best Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette next.

*This recipe has been revised and updated since first published June 29, 2025.

If you make this recipe, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see!

And of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews. This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you!

Ingredients

1 cup tomato sauce (passata or any sauce made with pureéd tomatoes and minimal seasoning)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 clove garlic minced or finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper to taste 1 to 2 grams
½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt to taste 2-3 grams

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients except the salt and pepper in a small sauce pan. Stir and heat over medium heat just until it starts to bubble.
Turn down heat and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat, taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Should you find the sauce to be a little too thick to pour, thin by adding a tablespoon of water (I’ve found that usually just one will do the trick).
If not using this sauce right away, let cool completely before transferring to a sealable jar or another airtight container.

Notes

Tomato sauce: You can really use any tomato sauce you have on hand. If made with any add-ins (onion, peppers, garlic pieces, etc) give the barbecue sauce a quick mix with an immersion blender as it cools.

Molasses: For this recipe, I like to use light or cooking molasses because I find blackstrap to be too thick. For those of you reading this in Canada, I use Crosby’s cooking molasses, a blend of light (fancy) and blackstrap, for both a richer colour and taste. If you don’t have molasses, substitute an equivalent amount of dark brown sugar, honey or corn syrup, adjusted to your desired level of sweetness.

Apple cider vinegar: Substitute white or red wine vinegar.

Make it gluten free: Simply replace the Worcestershire sauce with Tamari or a combination of gluten free soy sauce and balsamic vinegar to retain the umami and saltiness.

Storage: Unused portions will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 months or freeze for up to 3 months.