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.
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PinIngredients
- 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
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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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.
Most Kroger store carry Zevia in their Health Food dept. HEB does as well
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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