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Cookouts, backyard grilling, and BBQs are for everyone — and yes, that even includes vegans. Understandably, when most of us hear the term “BBQ,” the connotation is far from plant-based, bringing to mind racks of grilled meat and drippy, saucy platters of pulled pork. But as the interest in plant-based dining continues to grow, there are increasing options for vegans to still get in on cookout culture — with grillable “meat” substitutes like tofu or even jackfruit. And when it comes to the sauce itself — which is responsible for so much of the classic sweet and smoky BBQ flavor we know and love — luckily, most of the options from one of America’s best-selling BBQ brands are completely vegan-friendly.
Sweet Baby Ray’s, a mainstay on grocery store shelves and at backyard grilling stations, makes a wide range of bottled BBQ sauces and other condiments. Most of the brand’s zesty, smoky sauces are inherently plant-based and vegan, made only with basics you’d expect in a BBQ sauce, like vinegar, tomato paste, sweeteners, and added spices and seasonings. There are exceptions to this rule when it comes to certain Sweet Baby Ray’s products, but the staple flavors like the Original, Sweet Golden Mustard, as well as the sugar-free Original, Sweet & Spicy, and Sweet & Smoky flavors are made with zero animal products, making them condiments you might not have expected to be vegan.
Though most BBQ sauces tend to be vegan, always check labels
When the average person hears “vegan,” they might think of restriction, substitutions, and the laundry list of off-limits foods. The truth is though, vegan meals, snacks, and condiment options are more plentiful than you may realize — you just have to know where to look. Think fast food chains with surprisingly inclusive menus (like Taco Bell, where you can veganize almost anything) or the ever-growing list of “accidentally vegan” delicacies, which includes Oreos, countless candies you didn’t know you could eat, and yes, most BBQ sauces.
Having said that, not all Sweet Baby Ray’s or other brands’ BBQ sauces are vegan-friendly. For instance, Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Mustard Dipping sauce contains egg (though surprisingly, no actual honey is listed — just natural honey flavor.) Other sauce options, whether homemade, restaurant-made, or store-bought, do tend to be inherently vegan, but can be made with animal-derived honey or in some cases anchovies for some briny tang. Traditional white sugar is also a common ingredient, although Sweet Baby Ray’s products mostly use artificial or corn syrup instead. Depending on personal stance, boundaries, as well as the type or brand, white sugar isn’t always technically considered vegan as it’s often processed with bone char, but organic sugar is a safe bet. Always give the label a scan to be safe or just stick to Sweet Baby Ray’s classic or sugar-free BBQ sauce flavors to ensure no one’s left out of the backyard BBQ fun.
