Awesome sauce.
It’s an expression, yes, but in this case, it is a condiment that is… well, pretty awesome!
But this red sauce is so much more than just a sauce, you see. It can be a spread, an ingredient in other recipes, or you can just use it as a dip. (Because, as you probably know by now, I like versatility!)
Watch me making this easy red sauce recipe:
{SPOILER} There’s a few bloopers at the end!
The Story Behind This Sugar Free Red Sauce:
I never thought much about using a sugar free red sauce until Mark and I went through a period of time when we really had to watch our diets. He went on the keto diet for a while to help with his cholesterol and weight, and my blood sugar was at pre-diabetes levels.
Translation: We needed to cut back on our sugar intake!
Since we both love BBQ sauce (especially in the summer), I wanted to come up with a recipe that was not just a low carb BBQ sauce, but also one that was sugar free.
T’was the idea behind the creation of this red sauce recipe, but it turned out to become so much more. This red sauce is sweet and spicy, and because it uses 100% stevia leaf powder as the sugar substitute, it doesn’t have too much of that natural sweetener aftertaste.
(Just so you know, you will not find 100% pure stevia in the grocery store. Nope! Not gonna happen! To use the same stevia leaf product that I used in this recipe, you’ll want to order Organic 100% Powdered Stevia Leaf online.)
I LOVE the aftertaste of sugar substitutes… said no one ever!
Let’s be real here. Mark and I have since reintroduced carbs and some sugar back into our diets (note I say SOME sugar), but this doesn’t mean that we don’t still make keto, sugar free, or low carb recipes from time to time.
Awesome Sauce is still very much on the menu around here!
Why the name- Awesome Sauce?
It’s catchy, yes. But there is so much more to it than that. Like fine wine, the longer this sauce sits, the better it tastes. (Refrigerate it for up to a week, after that, you can store it in the freezer for use later on.)
Although my original intention was to create a sugar free BBQ sauce, this recipe can be used in so many other ways. I mean… SO MANY WAYS! It can even be an ingredient for other recipes.
It’s like WD-40 for foodies!
Need some examples?
- Awesome sauce is great as a BBQ sauce on chicken or ribs. (I know, there is no brown sugar or molasses in it and it may not caramelize in the same way that regular BBQ sauce will, but it does give a nice char of it’s own that is lighter, tangier, and lip-smacking good.)
- This sugar free red sauce can also be spread on sandwiches or rolled into wraps.
- Stir it into mayonnaise to make your own special sauce for burgers.
- I like to use it a dipping sauce for veggies.
- Love Hawaiian pizza? Awesome Sauce makes a great sugar free alternative to regular pizza sauce. In fact, because it is sweet and tangy, it compliments the flavors of pineapple and ham quite well.
But wait…. there’s more!
- Garnish scrambled eggs with Awesome Sauce instead of salsa, or use it in place of traditional marinara sauce served alongside Keto Mozzarella Sticks.
Still need another reason why Awesome Sauce is so awesome?
- Top this Ham and Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf with Awesome Sauce instead of tomato paste for an extra special kick on cold winter evenings.
The possibilities are never ending.
Now… that’s my kind of sauce!
Awesome Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce
- 2 tbsp adobo sauce from chipotles
- 1/2 cup grated yellow onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp 100 % organic powdered leaf stevia
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until no large chunks remain. Don’t have an immersion blender? Allow the sauce to cool slightly, then transfer to a regular blender and pulse.
- Transfer cooled sauce to a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze until ready to use.
Video
Notes
- Sugar-free BBQ’d ribs
- Sandwich spread
- Dip for crudités
- Pizza sauce for Hawaiian pizza
- Mix into mayonnaise as a burger condiment
Nutrition
This awesome sauce is indeed awesome and low sugar. Glad to have found this post.
Thank you! I hope you love it as much as we do. 🙂
It sure does look awesome and the liquid smoke and adobo are the key for great depth of flavor.
Oh yes, they sure do! Liquid smoke gives hints of BBQ while the adobo adds a nice little punch.
Have you names it awesome sauce ? Looks delicious
It’s awesome because it can be used in so many ways! My latest? Stirring it into chili or meaty soups!
Love the catchy name! Looks super tasty too!
Thanks! It is very tasty. I made a big jar the other day and it is almost gone already!
This sauce looks…Awesome. But the best part is it’s like WD-40 for foodies! 🙂
Thanks! And yes, it sure is. 🙂
This looks so thick and rich. You can almost taste it. YUM!
Thanks!
This sauce really does look and sound awesome! I love the intense colour and spicy ingredients!
Thank you. It does have a little kick… but it is tempered by the other ingredients. Perfect for all kinds of things!
lovely.. i was looking for the diabetic friendly sauce recipe for my mother. Thank you for the recipe
You’re welcome! I hope your mom enjoys it as much as we do. 🙂
Wow..the red sauce looks yum. It’s awesome that it is sugar free.
Thanks! We do love this sauce. It goes with pretty much everything, too.
This sauce really does look and sound awesome!
Thanks! It goes well in so many dishes and recipes, and it is healthy, which is one of the reasons we love it so much.
Thanks for sharing this sauce recipe. It looks yummy.
You’re welcome!
Haha, WD-40 for foodies, that’s pretty good. I hope to get a little taste of the stevia powder so I can find out if it has too much aftertaste for me (supertaster) and maybe we’ll just have to use the smallest amount of coconut sugar possible. Because I think we need this sauce!
Yes, this sauce is a must! So far, we’ve loved it each way we’ve tried it. Let me know how it works with coconut sugar if you do decide to try it that way. We had no stevia aftertaste with this recipe, but it is important to get 100% stevia (not sold in stores).
The sauce looks really fabulous. The bright red color is so appealing , and the ingredients in it are all interesting ..Great share!
Thank you!
oh yummmm!!! The sauce looks soooo delicious!!! I will be making it for sure.
Yummy!
Would love to prepare this sauce someday soon.
I liked this recipe I love it keep sharing these kind of recipes