Condiments
I have a strong belief that condiments love me as much as I love them. I’ll admit though it’s hard to say which is my favorite so I’ll give you my top three: mayonnaise, soy sauce and BBQ sauce. Mayo and soy sauce fit great in to my keto lifestyle, but BBQ sauce thinks I’ve been neglecting him, and honestly, he’s right! How am I supposed to indulge in something jam packed with brown sugar, white sugar and ketchup?!

The guilt started building over the past couple months so I decided enough was enough – we belong together after all. I knew it was time to create a Low Carb BBQ Sauce that would satisfy all my condiment desires! The trick to this BBQ sauce is to eliminate most of the sugars and opt in a sugar free maple syrup for the brown sugar and a “reduced sugar” ketchup for the regular ketchup.

Stir Frequently
Im pretty disappointed in myself for letting our time apart go on for so long given this recipes simplicity! We even cut down on the ingredients we used in a regular store bought BBQ sauce to make ours easy for everyone to make at home. Here’s the breakdown:
- Reduced Sugar Ketchup
- Sugar Free
Maple Syrup - Worcestershire Sauce
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Water
- Onion Powder
- Salt
- Pepper
The ingredient list may be basic, but the taste is incredible! Once you get all your ingredients into a sauce pan just bring to a boil and then let it simmer for as long as you can hold out. The longer it simmers the more developed the taste will be! But, PLEASE don’t forget to stir while it simmers – in fact, stir frequently – or it will clump up onto the sides as it reduces (we let that happen once).

What Will You Use This Low Carb BBQ Sauce For?
I know, its a tough question. Besides eating it right out of the sauce pan there are so many other ways to use it! The first thing we poured it on was pulled pork for some delicious pulled pork sandwiches, and I honestly don’t think there could have been a better place for this Low Carb BBQ Sauce! If you are interested in our pulled pork sandwich a recipe post will follow shortly!
Be sure to check out the best keto side dishes for BBQ season for something to pair this delicious BBQ sauce with.


Low Carb BBQ Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 1/2 tbsp sugar free maple syrup
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- Pink Himalayan Salt
Instructions:
- Combine all the ingredients in sauce pan over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn heat down to a simmer. Allow to simmer for an hour while stirring frequently.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Written by

Megha Barot
Megha has always been a passionate cook, but she took this to a new level after starting her keo journey in 2015. She loves creating new recipes and producing educational content for KetoConnect, which she co-founded in 2016 with Matt. Her passion for healthy eating and personal development continues to thrive. She's the proud mom of two awesome kids.
1 cup ketchup in the recipe print section?
You may want to tweak it to say Reduced Sugar Ketchup with a hyperlink 🙂
BTW I saw you new book at COSTCO
OMG you guys made the BIG TIME lololol
Robert
Thanks for pointing that out!
I omitted the salt, pepper and onion powder and instead put equal part of a local butchers seasoning salt in it. Using it for burnt ends and so far the sauce tastes amazing. Thank you two so much for everything you do. You make the keto lifestyle easy.
This is horrible. The liquid smoke is clearly meant to overcome the overwhelming flavor of sugar free everything. I get it, but holy hell make sure you specify the smoke is a requirement!
Have made this before and it was YUMM. But, this time I added a couple of tsp chili garlic sauce, and Oh. My. WORD. LOVING it!!! Adds a bit of kick!! You guys rock!
Amazing bbq sauce!! We didn’t even add the liquid smoke. Absolutely fantastic!
Keep up the good work!
This was a GREAT base for my own creation (because I’m too cheap to buy lower sugar ketchup and I had already made my own SF maple syrup two days prior AND I threw away my liquid smoke becuase it was old), thank you!!!!!!! I used tomato paste and water and salt, added a tad more of the SF maple syrup and used smoked paprika for a little smokiness instead of the liquid smoke. I used it for BBQ chicken pizza and it was GOOD!!!!! Mine simmered for a little less than an hour and was really thick. I think too thick because there was WAY less than 8 servings therefore higher in carbs, like 5 carbs for 1.5 TBS. Will totally make again!!!! Maybe I’ll use the lower sugar ketchup next time to lower the carbs 😉
Are you using a specific Worcestershire sauce? The one I have has sugar in it!
We always just look for the best nutrition!
How long will this keep? I was thinking a long time due to the vinegar. Just wondering, thansk
We keep our in the fridge up to 2 weeks!
DELICIOUS !!!!
How long will this keep for?
Up to 3 weeks in a sealed mason jar!
Can you substitute splenda brown sugar for the unsweetened maple syrup?
That should work just as well!
sorry I understood Keto was NO bread how did u make sandwiches????
Using out keto bread recipe! It uses almond flour.
How long can this be stored? Not that it will probably last that long!
Up to 3 weeks we’d say!
Again, my family loved this recipe! Worked out perfect on some naked wings. Thank you for creating.
If I make a batch, how long can I store it in my fridge to use at later dates?
You should be able to store it for about a month.
Love the simplicity of this recipe is there a way that I can make it spicy by adding may be just one more spicy ingredient and if so could you refer
Can’t seem to download your FREE recipe book of 10 favorites
Made it tonight and it was fabulous! After tasting at the end I spiced it up with a tsp of chipotle pepper powder and it was even better – but we like it zesty in our house 🙂
Super sad that Heinz put SUCRALOSE in this ketchup. I can’t touch that stuff with a 10 foot pole (serious tummy issues). Any ideas on how to get around it??
Make your own ketchup!
If I am making ribs in the slow cooker, would I make the sauce first and add it to the slow cooker as a completed condiment or simply add all the ingredients to the slowcooker?
Oh man, we’d say make the sauce, set it to the side. Cook your ribs without sauce, and then take out and bathe them in sauce. Finish under a low broil for a few minutes on a foil lined sheet!