Summer is coming and so are barbecues. I can hardly imagine a summer without a nice backyard barbecue, inviting friends, family, and neighbors, and enjoying a nice afternoon together. And hurray, inviting vegans is no problem. Like I explained in one of my previous posts, there are a lot of plant-based options that can be thrown on the grill and are just as delicious.
So, how about barbecue sauces?
There are, of course, the usual ones, like marinades, guacamole, sweet and sour, Hawaiian, hickory smoke, and so on, but we can also add some interesting ones, like mango sauce, vegan bacon-bourbon sauce, and not spend too long in the kitchen making them.
Surprised to read about “vegan bacon”? Well, the bacon flavor is in the spices, like with all meats. Flavor is achieved by adding herbs and spices, not by simply frying a slab of meat. And I have had some really good vegan bacon. I’ve seen some astonished faces when people realized how mouthwatering, finger licking good vegan food really is. 🙂 Yes, sorry, I keep on repeating that in my posts, I am a food lover after all 😉
So, why not amaze yourself a little more and find out what else I’ve got up my sleeve? Who doesn’t love surprises? OK, wrong question, I know that some people absolutely hate surprises, but I love them. And I’m talking about the good surprises, the ones that make you smile.
Good food always makes me happy. Good food outside, with nice, warm weather is more than having a great meal, it is having a wonderful day.
Are Not All Barbecue Sauces Vegan?
Most of them are, but not all. There are a few that have the following ingredients, which are not vegan:
- honey
- anchovies
- milk products
- sugar
Milk products are rare in barbecue sauces, and some vegans still consume honey. I avoid buying any products that have honey as one of the ingredients. I did buy organic honey from a local rancher years ago, but I stopped. Anyway, that’s another discussion 😉
What’s the deal with sugar? White sugar has been processed with animal bones and it is that particular sugar that is used in most products, So definitely not vegan. If a product has sugar, it is up to you to decide if you’re fine with it and if you want to buy it anyway.
Which Brands are Safe for Vegans?
A whole lot, lucky us 🙂 Let’s start with the following.
- Organicville Organic Barbecue Sauce: gluten free, sweet and tangy. Original Sweet and Smoky Barbecue flavors
- Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce: tangy sweetness, that sounds like the perfect combination. You can pour it on anything that comes off the grill, and it would even taste good on fries
- Smoky Date Paleo Whole 30 BBQ Sauce: no sugar, it is sweetened with California-grown dates and figs, yummy! It’s not only vegan, but also paleo, soy free, and diabetic friendly.
- Guy’s Award Winning Sugar Free BBQ Sauce: sugar free, gluten free, trans-fat free, and it has low sodium. And – wait a minute, the taste is awesome! Award-winning, what else is there to say?
- Triple Crown Organic BBQ: gluten free and certified organic, classic flavor and cayenne flavor. Excellent reviews.
- Simple Girl Carolina Organic Kick BBQ Sauce: low calorie, MSG free, no chemicals, no trans-fats. They got me with the no chemicals 🙂
All these sauces are available on Amazon.
And here are some vegan meat substitutes (also available on Amazon and at great prices). Both brands are excellent. I’ve had Morningstar and Gardein products before, and I absolutely love them. Great taste and texture.
- Gardein Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Wings: Gardein is one of my favorite brands and I highly recommend it.
- Morningstar Farms Veggie Dogs: Morningstar is another brand that has delicious burgers and sausages, and it’s definitely worth trying.
There you go, don’t worry about what to get your vegan friends for your summer barbecue. There are so many options available. And if you like to cook and prepare the food yourself, there are many more suggestions in ” my Vegan BBQ Ideas “. You could also impress your guests and make your own vegan BBQ sausages. This recipe is easy and doesn’t take long.
And just in case, don’t forget to get that grill ready 🙂 And if you’re camping, portable grills make a barbecue possible wherever you go. I especially love that option.
If you have any questions, please let me know. And if you know any other good vegan brands that I haven’t mentioned, I would love to hear about them. Please share any questions, comments, ideas, or suggestions in the comment form below this post. I’m looking forward to reading them.
Thank you for reading my article.
Thank you for sharing the post. It is an attractive, intelligent, and informative article. I’m a cook, so you gave me a lot of new ideas, and I’m in a hurry to try new kinds of BBQ sauces. Mainly I’m interested in Smoky Date Paleo Whole30 BBQ sauce( my husband is diabetic).
Thank you again for the article.
Hello, I also like the Smoky Date Paleo Whole30 sauce. It’s great that there are diabetic options.