Vegan BBQ Sauce With Fresh Plums

This vegan BBQ sauce is made with fresh plums from Chile! A versatile sauce, brush it on veggies, use it as a tofu marinade, or on pizza.

This post was sponsored by Fruits From Chile, however all views and opinions are my own.

We love fresh plums in our house, and thanks to the country of Chile, they’re available from December through April. This means we can enjoy fresh juicy plums pretty much year-round!

Chile has been exporting fruit for hundreds of years and is recognized not only as the largest fruit exporter in the Southern Hemisphere, but also as one of the world’s premier fruit suppliers. Chile exports more than 2.6 million tons of fruit annually to more than 100 countries across the globe.

One day at the grocery store I was brainstorming a recipe for homemade BBQ sauce. In the condiment aisle I checked the ingredient lists of different BBQ sauce brands. With corn syrup and other not-too-healthy-sounding ingredients at the top of the ingredient lists it struck me — why not make homemade BBQ sauce at home?

At home later that day I roughed out the recipe for this vegan BBQ sauce. It has some of the usual suspects you’ll find on the store shelves — brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar. Other than that it stands alone! Loaded with fresh Chilean plums, this recipe contains no ketchup or corn syrup. As they say in Spanish, “¡Increible!”

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Method
• Notes & Tips
• Substitutions
• Recipe

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.

Ingredients

Method

Heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped plums to the preheated pan.

Cook the plums until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. If the plums begin to brown, reduce the heat.

Carefully spoon the hot cooked plums into the bowl of a small food processor or blender. Purée the plums until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

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You can proceed with the recipe using the food processor if you want. I like to transfer the puréed plums to a bowl and whisk in the ingredients by hand so I can easily taste the seasonings.

Add all of the other ingredients to the puréed plums.

Process or whisk everything together until well combined.

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to suit your taste — you may like your plum BBQ sauce a bit sweeter, or maybe spicier. Use the recipe as a base and then make it your own!

Store vegan BBQ sauce in a glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to one week. Use it anywhere you would any other BBQ sauce.

Notes & Tips

Choosing Fresh Plums

• Plums come in all kinds of colours and shapes! They might have smooth skin or slight bumps; Dark plums can be almost blue-black or purple-black in colour.
• Chilean plums have a firmer, crunchier texture during the spring.
• Plums shouldn’t be super soft to the touch. A slightly firm plum yields the best texture. 
• If your plums are too firm and not quite ready to eat, place them in a brown paper bag for 1 to 2 days at room temperature.  
• Storing plums in the fridge slows down the ripening process. At the end of Chilean plum season (April/May), it’s best to keep plums on the counter until they’re ready to eat. They ripen quickly, so keep an eye on them.
• You can freeze plums! Lay sliced plums on a baking sheet, and place the sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the plum slices to a large zip-top bag for up to two months.

If you don’t have, or don’t want to use liquid smoke, simply omit it from your vegan BBQ sauce. Keep in mind, however, this recipe has been tested with the flavour of liquid smoke balanced with all of the other ingredients.

The colour of your BBQ sauce is dependent on the plums you use.

Store vegan BBQ sauce in a glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to one week.

Substitutions

Any light, neutral-tasting oil will work in this vegan BBQ sauce recipe, however, coconut oil adds a touch of flavour I really like.

Any mix of fresh plums from Chile will work for this recipe.

Garlic powder can be substituted for onion powder. I prefer using onion powder for its more subtle flavour, and find garlic powder can sometimes be overpowering. Another seasoning option is to chop half a clove of fresh garlic and process it with the plums.

Use Vegan BBQ Sauce With These Great Recipes

Roasted Chickpea Tacos

Smoky & Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Crispy Fried Southern Tofu

Quinoa & Greens Patties

Did you make this recipe? If yes, I would love to know how you made out in the comments below! You can also tag me on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or use the hashtag #kellyneil.