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Home » Recipes » Sauces and Seasonings

Published: Jul 11, 2022 by Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Blueberry BBQ Sauce

Jump to Recipe
A mason jar filled with the blueberry BBQ sauce on a white wooden board with text overlay on top of the image.
A mason jar filled with the blueberry BBQ sauce on a white wooden board with text overlay on top of the image.

Give your smoked and grilled meats the most delicious finishing touch with this blueberry BBQ sauce! Bursting with fresh blueberry flavor, this fruit BBQ sauce features the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and tangy notes. In about 15 minutes, you can have a homemade sauce that will elevate every summer meal on the table. Don’t be surprised when this sauce makes an appearance at all your summer barbecues.

A jar of blueberry BBQ sauce on a white board with a spoon full of sauce in front of it.
Jump to:
  • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • How to Use
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Variations
  • Expert Tips
  • Perfect Pairing
  • More Summer Barbecue Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Full of blueberry flavor: Some fruit BBQ sauces are loaded with so many different ingredients that you lose the fruity flavor. I specifically designed this blueberry BBQ sauce recipe so that you get a kick of warm spice while letting the fruit shine.

Can’t beat a from-scratch BBQ sauce: Store-bought BBQ sauce is fine, but it can’t reach the same depth of flavor as a good homemade sauce. Once you start making your own BBQ sauce, you’ll never go back.

Quick and easy to make: On top of tasting better, making BBQ sauce couldn’t be easier. If you can stir some ingredients on a stove, you can make this sauce.

Makes a great hosting gift: Maybe you’re taking a break from hosting duties and attending a summer barbecue. Bring a jar of this sauce as a thank-you gift – a homemade gift is always so thoughtful and appreciated. For a cute presentation, use a mason jar and decorative ribbon.

Related: For more homemade BBQ sauces, try my jerk BBQ sauce, coffee bourbon BBQ sauce and honey-sriracha BBQ sauce!

Ingredients

The ingredients on a wooden board with black and white labels.

Let’s chat about a few ingredient notes to ensure you have everything you need.

Blueberries: I like to use fresh blueberries, but frozen blueberries work just as well. Fruit is frozen at its peak ripeness, so you’re still getting flavorful berries. There’s no need to thaw either.

Spice mixture: For this blend, we use chili powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt. I specifically like to use a chipotle chili powder, which is a touch smokier, for more complexity, but regular chili powder works fine.

Fresh ginger: I’m a huge fan of adding fresh ginger to fruit salsas and sauces. Ginger adds a warmth and perfectly complements any fruit you can imagine.

Molasses: Make sure you use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap. Unsulphured molasses is sweeter and made from ripe sugar cane for superior flavor.

Dark brown sugar: I prefer to use dark versus light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has more molasses flavor for more depth, but you can substitute light brown sugar if need be.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: We add the blueberries, apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, ginger, molasses, chili powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice to a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, we stir to combine the ingredients (photo 1).

The blueberries and other ingredients in a medium saucepan before cooking down into a sauce.

Step 2: Now we bring the blueberries to a boil and then turn down the heat to simmer. As the berries cook, they will begin to release their juices and break down. At first, the berries will only release a little juice, but as the process continues, some berries will remain while most of the mixture will eventually turn into a sauce (photos 2-3). This should take about 10-15 minutes.

A collage showing the process of cooking the blueberries until they turn saucy.

Step 3: Now we pour the berry mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until our fruity BBQ sauce is nice and smooth like so (photo 4).

The sauce in a blender after processing the mixture until it smooths out.

See how easy that was? It took just three simple steps to make the best blueberry BBQ sauce.

How to Use

As a fruit-based sauce, I especially love this recipe with lighter meats, such as chicken, pork and salmon. That said, it can certainly work with bigger meats as well. Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy this blueberry BBQ sauce.

  • Brush onto smoked chicken.
  • Use as a topping for these smoked burgers or minted lamb burgers.
  • Spread on smoked pork ribs.
  • Serve on the side of smoked brisket.
  • Toss it with chicken wings.
  • Spoon inside a grilled cheese.
  • Serve it as a dipping sauce.
  • Use as a base for this pulled pork pizza.

Recipe FAQs

Is this BBQ sauce spicy?

This is more of a mild BBQ sauce. The chili powder gives it a kick, and the cinnamon and allspice add more of a warmth. Because I wanted to let the blueberries take center stage, I tamed the spice level.

How do you store homemade BBQ sauce?

For proper storage, keep this BBQ sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Thanks to the sugars and apple cider vinegar, this BBQ sauce has its share of natural preservatives. You should be able to get a good three weeks out of this sauce.

Can you freeze?

You sure can. To freeze, store the BBQ sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. After that, the quality will begin to fade. When you’re ready to thaw, you can simply place it in the refrigerator overnight, or use the defrost setting on your microwave.

A jar of blueberry BBQ sauce with berries all around it and a plate of berries in the background.

Variations

Feel free to swap another fruit for the blueberries. Blackberries and raspberries would especially work well.

As mentioned, this is a mild BBQ sauce, but if you’d like a spicier kick, feel free to add more chili powder or even introduce some cayenne pepper to the mix.

This is a tangy BBQ sauce. If you prefer a less tangy sauce, you can use less apple cider vinegar or swap it for balsamic vinegar, which is sweeter and less acidic.

Expert Tips

Freeze ginger before grating: Frozen ginger grates much more easily. Unfrozen ginger can get stringy when grating, but frozen ginger shaves off beautifully with a microplane grater. I like to peel a bunch of ginger and then store it in the freezer to ensure it’s always on hand.

Watch your clothes and kitchen towels: Any kind of blueberry sauce stains easily. You may want to wear an apron. If not, be careful when pouring the sauce from the saucepan to the blender and the blender to your storage container. I also recommend using a kitchen-grade plastic spoon for stirring rather than a wooden spoon, which will stain.

Use fresh spices: After too much time in the cabinet, spices start to lose their flavor. For the most flavorful dishes, replace your spices every six months.

Perfect Pairing

You will love a Belgian strong dark ale with this sauce. The toffee and raisin backbone of the malt matches the rich molasses and brown sugar, and the fruity yeast esters complement the blueberries, cinnamon and allspice.

For a wine pairing, a merlot is great with this blueberry BBQ sauce. This wine is berry forward with soft tannins to keep it from clashing from the chili powder or any BBQ rubs you might use in conjunction with the sauce. Merlot also goes well with lighter meats as well as leaner beef cuts to give you some variety. If you’re not a merlot fan, try a pinot noir.

If a cocktail is more your style, you can’t go wrong with this blueberry bourbon smash. You will love how the sweet, caramel-like bourbon notes match with the berries and warm spices. 

Let’s upgrade your summer barbecue with a batch of this fresh blueberry BBQ sauce. With those very berry notes and touch of spice, this BBQ sauce will be a new summertime favorite recipe.

Cheers!

A spoon dripping off BBQ sauce over the jar with blueberries all around it.

More Summer Barbecue Recipes

  • A cast-iron skillet filled with smoked baked beans on burlap with fresh thyme to the side.
    Smoked Baked Beans (With Optional Bourbon)
  • A salmon-avocado burger on a wooden plate with chips.
    Salmon-Avocado Burgers With Lime-Sriracha Aioli
  • A plate of grilled Jamaican jerk chicken with peppers, rice and green onion.
    Jamaican Jerk Chicken (Grilling and Oven Methods)
  • Looking down on a wooden bowl filled with the pesto tortellini salad.
    Pesto Tortellini Salad

If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, and you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.

📖 Recipe

A jar of blueberry BBQ sauce on a white board with a spoon full of sauce in front of it.

Blueberry BBQ Sauce

Give your smoked and grilled meats the most delicious finishing touch with this blueberry BBQ sauce! Bursting with fresh blueberry flavor, this fruit BBQ sauce features the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and tangy notes. In about 15 minutes, you can have a homemade sauce that will elevate every summer meal on the table. Don’t be surprised when this sauce makes an appearance at all your summer barbecues.
5 from 81 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 24 people
Calories: 27kcal
Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • Medium saucepan
  • Blender or food processor

Ingredients

  • 4 cups blueberries fresh or frozen, no need to thaw frozen berries
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses not blackstrap
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, add the blueberries, apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, ginger, molasses, salt, chili powder, cinnamon and allspice. Stir together to combine over medium heat.
  • Bring the berries to a boil and then turn the heat down to simmer. Continue cooking until the blueberries break down, and the mixture turns mostly saucy with a few whole berries remaining. Stir every so often to prevent burning. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
  • Pour the contents of the saucepan in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Keep this BBQ sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last for about three weeks. 
  • Freeze ginger before grating. Frozen ginger grates much more easily. Unfrozen ginger can get stringy when grating, but frozen ginger shaves off beautifully with a microplane grater.
  • This is a mild BBQ sauce to better show off the blueberry flavor. If you'd like more spice, feel free to add more chili powder or even cayenne pepper to taste.
  • Any kind of blueberry sauce stains easily. You may want to wear an apron. If not, be careful when pouring the sauce from the saucepan to the blender and the blender to your storage container. I also recommend using a kitchen-grade plastic spoon for stirring rather than a wooden spoon, which will stain.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 27kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 38IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BurrataandBubbles or tag #burratandbubbles!

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jeff says

    March 06, 2023 at 4:57 pm

    I've never responded to a recipe before. This one was GREAT. I added a little honey to sweeten it up slightly and only used 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar.
    I tried other versions with ketchup and more apple cider vinegar and while good the blueberries only added color. This one has the blueberries out front! What a concept for blueberry bbq sauce.
    I may try to substitute pineapple for apple cider vinegar.
    Thank you for this recipe

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 06, 2023 at 7:21 pm

      Thanks so much for that review, Jeff! I’m so glad you thought the blueberries were prominent. That was my goal. Appreciate it!

      Reply
  2. Sanders says

    January 13, 2023 at 1:53 pm

    How can I make it sweeter even after substituting balsamico vinegar

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      January 13, 2023 at 2:04 pm

      You could add some real maple syrup to taste. That will mix right in. Otherwise, you’ll need to heat it up again to add more sugar. It would need the heat to dissolve the sugar.

      Reply
  3. Christi McCoy says

    July 30, 2022 at 7:55 am

    Can this be canned for future use?

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 30, 2022 at 8:45 am

      I don’t do canning, so I can’t say for sure since it’s my understanding that it depends on the pH level, which I haven’t tested. But you can freeze it!

      Reply
  4. Lisa says

    July 22, 2022 at 8:41 am

    How much does this sauce make? Thanks

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 22, 2022 at 9:41 am

      I get about 3 cups or so when I make it. You definitely get a good amount. Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Tara says

    July 18, 2022 at 9:26 pm

    5 stars
    Loved how it was full of sweet and tangy flavors. This BBQ sauce is perfect for any grill night!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 20, 2022 at 9:20 am

      Thanks, Tara!

      Reply
  6. Sara says

    July 18, 2022 at 8:38 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my, we loved the flavor of this sauce and it will certainly be making an appearance at our next bbq! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 20, 2022 at 9:20 am

      So glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  7. Tavo says

    July 18, 2022 at 8:07 pm

    5 stars
    The BBQ sauce was fantastic! I loved how the blueberries really did come through. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 20, 2022 at 9:20 am

      You're very welcome!

      Reply
  8. Liza says

    July 18, 2022 at 7:20 pm

    5 stars
    This BBQ sauce is BERRY tasty! I love trying new grilling sauces, and your dee-licious blueberry sauce will have a permanent place on our picnic table!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 20, 2022 at 9:18 am

      Haha, this makes me so happy!

      Reply
  9. Aimee Mars says

    July 18, 2022 at 7:13 pm

    5 stars
    My husband is several years into smoking meat now and I can just imagine how incredible this bbq sauce will be on his next recipe. I can't wait to make a batch for him.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      July 20, 2022 at 9:18 am

      Definitely try it on some pork and chicken!

      Reply

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A headshot of Amanda, the owner of Burrata and Bubbles, holding a beer.

Hi, I'm Amanda, a Denver-based lady who believes life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor.

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