I’m tired of winter. I want it to be warm and sunny, and I want to barbecue. So, I did, dang it.
The thing about barbecues, though, is that you really do need a good sauce for your meats, and I have yet to find a bottled sauce that was truly free of sugars and starches. Which is why I decided to make my own, and in true Southern fashion, I utilized a can of cola. Stay with me! I promise, it’s compliant!
Now, cola-based sauce is a sweeter sauce, and I used Zevia Black Cherry flavored cola combined with a touch of maple extract, liquid smoke, and spices to balance out that sweet taste. For a “sweet” tomato-based sauce, it’s very nicely balanced and not overwhelming, and I think the hot sauce and other spices give it quite a nice zip. Feel free to substitute out the Dr. Zevia flavored cola for a slightly different twist on this BBQ classic.
Black Cherry BBQ Sauce
- Prep Time: 2 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 12 mins
- Yield: approx 1 3/4 c sauce
- Category: Sauces
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 can (12 fl oz/ 355 ml) Zevia Black Cherry flavored soda (Dr. Zevia may be used in place)
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 tbsp (1 fl oz/ 30 ml) white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp maple extract
- 1/2 tsp sugar free liquid smoke
- 1 tsp hot sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp glucomannan powder
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients except glucomannan in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- As it simmers, sprinkle the glucomannan over the top of the sauce while whisking vigorously.
- Continue to simmer until desired thickness, 5-10 minutes.
- Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Notes
Per 2 tbsp.: 7.9 cal, 0.2 g protein, 0 g fat, 1.8 g carbs, 0.8 g fiber, 1 g NET carbs
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tbsp
Keywords: bbq, bbq sauce, sauces, barbecue, barbecue sauce, black cherry
Rose says
Can I get like the Black Cherry soda at Kroger, at a gunc store? I live in a small town near Houston and I refuse to go there unless absolutely necessary solo. Is there a different soda maybe a coke zero or something?
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Mandy Pagano says
The cleanest way to make this is with either Zevia soda, or something similar like Virgil’s Zero, that is made with stevia and doesn’t have Ace-K or aspartame in it. Now, that being said, you can make it with a diet soda. It’s not ideal, mind, but it works. Black cherry flavor or a Dr. Pepper flavor would all be great. But you want to make sure it’s got zero sugar.
LowCarbLinda says
Most Kroger store carry Zevia in their Health Food dept. HEB does as well
What's the frequency, Kenneth? says
I was thinking of Zevia ginger root beer, myself. Maple extract? Wondering what to substitute if I’m not a maple fan and don’t have any of that.
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