BBQ Sauce is one of my favorite condiments and this Stout BBQ Sauce is everything you could want in a sauce! Sweet, tangy, spicy, and smoky with a hint of bitterness from the gluten-free dark stout. It’s low carb and ready in just 20 minutes. Perfect as a dip, veggie coating, spread, marinade for either meat or veggies, or as a pizza sauce on a homemade pizza! Vegan + Gluten Free + Dairy Free + low carb.

I might change my life goals to just making bbq sauce forever because I now have about 4 recipes and they are all amazing!
Anyway, for this first BBQ Sauce post, it’s a special one because I’ve teamed up again with First Chop (makers of the best gluten-free craft beer!) and I literally made normal BBQ sauce and poured a whole can of Pod Vanilla Stout in it. And, oh my. I had no idea that it would work. So. Well!
๐ค What is BBQ Sauce?
Best to start with the basics! The OG barbecue sauce emerged in the early American colonies around the 17th century. There are tonnes of variations! Most are tomato and vinegar-based sauces with spices, although some include mayo (<< sounds great!). Different states have different versions:
- East Carolina – thin & sharp, no sugar.
- West Carolina – same as East but with added tomato sauce to make it a dip, and maybe a little sugar.
- South Carolina – it’s yellow! Loaded with yellow mustard.
- Memphis – I lived there once! It’s thick, spicy, and sweetened with molasses. Similar to West Carolina’s sauce.
- Kansas City – this is where the common commercial sauce you know came from! Again, like West Carolina’s sauce but very thick and sweet.
- Texas – also lived there! It’s thin, great for marinating, and very spicy.
- Alabama White Sauce – that is, a BBQ sauce made with mayo!


๐๏ธ Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tomato Sauce: Passata! This makes the tomatoey base
- Vinegar: Where the delicious zing comes from in BBQ sauce and ketchup. I used apple cider vinegar as it’s my favorite and I wanted the sauce to taste a little fruity, but many recipes use white vinegar or wine vinegar (red or white) and I’ve used malt vinegar as a last resort and it was great!
- Spices: cumin, allspice, mustard powder, black pepper, hot paprika – amazing flavor! This would make a great dry rub on it’s own to grill meat and veggies in the summer.
- Liquid Smoke: No BBQ sauce is complete without a touch of smoke!
- Stevia: Sweetness without the carbs! My friends couldn’t tell this was sugar-free =]
- Stout: I used First Chop‘s Pod Vanilla Stout because it is AMAZING, and it’s also gluten & dairy free so I don’t have to worry about feeling ill later. You can buy it here.
๐ฅฃ How do I make this Stout Barbecue Sauce?
It’s so easy and tastes much better than the stuff at the shops. You’ll never buy barbecue sauce again!

- Place a pot on the stove over medium heat.
- Add your liquids first – tomato sauce, vinegar, liquid smoke and First Chop Pod Vanilla Stout.
- Add your spices and stevia.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until your sauce is the consistency you want. Voila!
๐ 5 ways to use this gluten free Stout BBQ Sauce:
1. Dip


This is a great dip for vegetables, pizza crusts, crisps, chips, crackers, pita chips…you name it! Best if the consistency is thick on this one!
2. Roasted vegetable coating



I coated potato wedges with this dip and it was phenomenal. Consistency can be thick, thin or somewhere in between.
3. Spread


This easy bbq sauce tastes great as a spread on wraps, burgers, and sandwiches! Consistency should be thick for this one.
4. Marinade



Pic 2. Slow Roasted Stout BBQ Pork Loin
Pic 3. Slow Roasted BBQ Chicken
Marinade meat and vegetables in the bbq sauce and then roast it in the oven or on the grill, or cook in the slow cooker or an Instant Pot. A thin consistency is good here, so the food has the best chance of soaking it up! Whatever is left after marinading can be used as a baste while it’s cooking.
5. BBQ Pizza Sauce!

Making your own pizza is the best – you can easily make it gluten and dairy free, vegan if you like, and this stout barbecue sauce is perfect for a pizza sauce! Keep the consistency nice and thick for this one!
โ Frequently Asked Questions for Stout BBQ Sauce
- Can I use another beer? For this particular recipe, I recommend using First Chop’s POD Vanilla Stout (which you can buy online here) due to its complex flavors adding wonderful layers for your palette to enjoy, but if it’s not available in your country, another stout would work well.
- My sauce isn’t thick enough – how do I make it thicker? Just keep it simmering until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Where do I buy Liquid Smoke? You can buy it on souschef.co.uk or on Amazon. There are a few different flavors – I used Hickory.

๐ More tasty sauce recipes
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๐ Recipe

Stout BBQ Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar see notes*
- 1 330 ml can First Chop Pod Stout
- 1 tbsp liquid smoke see notes**
- 1/4 cup stevia
- 1.5 tsp mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp hot paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place a pot on the stove over medium heat.
- Add your liquids first – tomato sauce, vinegar, liquid smoke and First Chop Pod Vanilla Stout.1 cup tomato sauce, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar see notes*, 1 330 ml can First Chop Pod Stout, 1 tbsp liquid smoke see notes**
- Add mustard powder, cumin, allspice, hot paprika, salt, pepper and stevia.1/4 cup stevia, 1.5 tsp mustard powder, 1/4 tsp cumin, 3/4 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp hot paprika, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt
- Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until your sauce is the consistency you want.