smoky-sweet AIP barbecue sauce built on pumpkin, no nightshades, ready in 15 minutes

You open the pantry for barbecue sauce and the label stops you: tomato paste first, paprika second, 2 nightshades that strict AIP sets aside. If you grill or slow-cook, that is a real loss, and it is fair to feel it as one on a week when everything else already changed too.

This sauce gets you the same jar back without the 2 ingredients causing the trouble. Pumpkin puree stands in for the tomato, and along with it comes a real amount of fiber, tucked into a sauce nobody expects to have any. Ginger powder pulls its weight here as well, its gingerols linked in the research to steadier gut motility and less low-grade inflammation. A splash of coconut aminos and a hit of liquid smoke finish the flavor, so what comes out tastes sweet, smoky, and a little sharp at the back, the way barbecue sauce is supposed to.

It comes together in 15 minutes, which matters on a night when you do not have 15 minutes to spare for anything extra. Pour it into a jar, hold it to the light, and notice how much the amber color alone lifts the whole effort.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tsp fish sauce (clean-label, no additives)
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (or replace the salt with smoked sea salt)

Check the liquid smoke label before using - look for a short ingredient list of water and natural smoke flavor, with no caramel color or additives. A clean smoked sea salt is a reliable alternative if you prefer to avoid it entirely.

Method

1. Measure all ingredients into a small saucepan and whisk until smooth and fully combined.
2. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, whisking occasionally as it heats.
3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors come together.
4. Remove from heat and taste. Adjust salt or coconut aminos as needed.
5. Pour into a glass jar and let cool before sealing. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Use on grilled meats, as a dipping sauce, or brush over chicken or ribs in the last few minutes of cooking.

*Adapted from Lichen Paleo, Loving AIP*