• Recipes
    • Recipe Index
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Poultry
  • Seafood
  • Lamb
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Poultry
  • Seafood
  • Lamb
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Poultry
  • Seafood
  • Lamb
×
Home » Sauces

Sweet Molasses BBQ Sauce

↓ Jump to Recipe

"Hello, my name is Andrew, and I’m a sauceaholic and condiment hoarder."

At least that’s what my wife would lead you to believe. Sure, I did have to buy a second refrigerator for all the extra condiments I'd purchased (when I started this project?), but that’s beside the point. I admit to having a weakness for buying new sauces when I run across them, and “collecting” new ingredients to try. What can I say? I’m always on the lookout for a great new flavor. One thing that remains a constant over the years, I love a sweet sticky sauce on my ribs and chicken.  If you like your BBQ sweet, you are going to love this sweet molasses sauce I created.

A glistening rack of Smoked St.Louis Pork Spare Ribs rests on a cutting board.

People have strong opinions about sauce

Kansas City, Memphis, Texas, the Carolinas, and even Kentucky believe it or not, have their own signature flavor profile.  Most of the time this manifests itself in the form of a distinctive sauce or dry rub.  For my personal tastes I love the flavors of the Carolinas on my pulled pork.  Whether that’s a vinegar-based flavor profile from North Carolina or a mustard-based profile from South Carolina, I find them amazing on a fresh pulled pork sandwich.  For beef, particularly brisket, I’m a no sauce kinda guy.  Give me a spicy dry rub and I’ll let the beef do the rest.  For chicken and ribs my favorite is something sweet and smoky, what I would consider a Kansas City or Memphis flavor profile.  This flavor profile is what led me to develop this sweet molasses BBQ sauce.

Wooden spoon stirs a hot pot of bbq sauce

The process

The process is very simple.  In a medium saucepan combine 1-½ cups of ketchup, 1 cup of Molasses, 4 TBS of Horse drawn sorghum press operated on a farmThe taste and smell instantly bring me back to my childhood.  Sorghum is not as easy to find as molasses so keep that in mind when shopping for ingredients.  If you can find it I encourage you to try it.  Sorghum is one of those awesome local ingredients that haven’t been spoiled by a huge agribusiness.

Mason jar of bbq sauce sits on a table next to a decorative towel.

Sweet, Sticky molasses BBQ sauce bubbles in a pot stirred with a wooden spoon.
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Sweet molasses BBQ sauce

Sweet, sticky, and smoky, this molasses BBQ sauce is amazing on chicken and ribs. Grab a napkin and get ready to lick your fingers.
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 20 minutes minutes
Author ilovemeat.com

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 cup Molasses or Sorghum
  • 4 TBS of Classic BBQ rub
  • 1 TBS Liquid Smoke
  • 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan combine 1-½ cups of ketchup, 1 cup of Molasses, 4 TBS of Classic BBQ rub, 1 TBS of liquid smoke, and 1 TBS of Worcestershire Sauce.
  • Continue to stir until sauce starts to bubble.
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

BBQ sauce being poured into a Mason Jar.

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook

Related

More Sauces

  • Lamb BBQ Sandwich with a glass of bourbon
    Kentucky Style Lamb BBQ
  • Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters dripping with Alabama White Sauce sit on a plate next to a small bowl of pasta salad.
    Smoked Chicken with Alabama White Sauce
  • chili peppers submerged in a jar of honey
    How to make Hot Honey
  • Creamy Texas Green Salsa in plastic containers.
    Texas Green Salsa

Comments

  1. Amanda says

    April 26, 2014 at 8:34 pm

    5 stars
    Hey Andrew!

    I just wanted to say that I stumbled upon your site via tastespotting (whole red snapper), and I've been reading through your posts. Love it! I'm very excited to try your BBQ sauce recipe (above) with summer coming, and everything else looks amazing!

    Thank you for sharing. 🙂

    Cheers.

  2. Andrew Armstrong says

    April 27, 2014 at 11:32 am

    Thanks, Amanda! Keep checking back. I'll have lots of summer grilling recipes coming out soon!

  3. martin hicks says

    March 31, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    Andrew, how long does this keep refrigerated. It probably wont last long, but I was wondering in case I made too much.

    • Andrew Armstrong says

      March 31, 2015 at 4:18 pm

      Martin, The flavors will start to drop off after 2 weeks. I'd toss it if you have any left after a month in the fridge.

      -Andrew

Welcome!

I’ve cooked meat for a living, a hobby, and occasionally to make my know-it-all neighbor jealous — and I’ve learned a thing or two along the way.

More about me

Popular

  • Juices drip from a freshly sliced piece of smoked pork belly.
    Complete Guide to Smoked Pork Belly (Step-by-Step)
  • Warm bowl of southern style collard greens rests on a cutting board.
    Southern Style Collard Greens
  • Top-down view of a bowl of white chicken chili.
    White Chicken Chili | Creamy, Rich, Indulgent the Ultimate Comfort Food
  • Sliced smoked turkey breast drips juices on a wooden cutting board.
    Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe: Easy, Juicy, and Packed with Flavor

Seasonal

  • A hot bowl of beef stew with a side of cornbread.
    Beef Stew - The Ultimate Comfort Food
  • Golden brown boudin balls rest on a cutting board flanked by hot sauce and creole mustard.
    Deep Fried Boudin Balls
  • Cajun Boudin links stacked up on a butcher block. Uncased boudin rests on a cracker in front of the links.
    Cajun Boudin Sausage
  • Beautiful Shepherds Pie with a bite taken out of it sits on a white plate.
    Easy to make Shepherd's Pie

Newsletter

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2026 I Love Meat

 

Loading Comments...