If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the grocery store aisle, hemming and hawing over which bottle of barbecue sauce to grab, this recipe is for you. Ditch the store-bought sauce and make this homemade version instead. It’s sweet, spicy, thick, and has just a hint of apple and whiskey flavoring. For sure, it’s a total game-changer with chicken and pork, but if you’re feeling a bit wild, try slathering it on top of meatloaf. After trying this barbecue sauce, you’ll never look at those store-bought bottles of BBQ sauce the same way again.
My family’s holiday traditions have done a complete 180 over the years. Some things are still set in stone, like our Christmas morning ritual of eating breakfast before we ever so sloooowly open gifts one at a time, and then, only after all the wrapping paper has been gathered up and thrown away, do we finally open up our greeting cards to each other. But Christmas dinner? Oh, y’all, that has become a whole new thing altogether. This past Christmas, B.O.B. Bob and I decided to shake things up and fire up the Big Green Egg for some good old-fashioned pork barbecue. And instead of grabbing a ho-hum, boring store-bought barbecue sauce, I raided the stash of apples my Uncle Ray gifted us at Thanksgiving to whip a thick, sweet, and spicy batch of homemade apple and whiskey barbecue sauce. And let me just tell y’all now, I think we may have stumbled onto our newest family tradition. Barbecue for Christmas, with this amazing homemade BBQ sauce. On a plate piled high with homemade cornbread, a scoop of Baked Barbecued Beans with Bacon, a mound of Dried Cranberry Creamy Chipotle Coleslaw, a spoonful of potato salad from our local barbecue joint, and a few Yellow Mustard Seed Giardiniera Deviled Eggs, honestly, how could anyone say no? Not me, and honestly, not a single soul at our Christmas table, either. After we’d already snacked on a small mountain of Christmas cookies and split a generous wedge of my Dad’s legendary boozy homemade fruitcake, it’s a miracle any of us had the energy left to take on one of my family’s newest and most cherished holiday traditions. Scratching off a seemingly never-ending pile of lottery tickets. P.S. Just in case you’re curious if any of us struck it rich this year, let me save you the suspense. The answer is a resounding heck no. Sure, a few of us walked away with a couple of extra bucks, but I think it’s safe to say the real winner this Christmas was the Virginia Lottery.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 3 Cloves of Garlic, Peeled & Finely Minced
- 3 Crisp, Sweet Red Apples, Peeled, Cored & Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Ketchup
- 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/3 Cup Whiskey
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 3/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
- Place the olive oil in a medium-sized stainless-steel or nonreactive metal saucepan over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the diced onion and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add all of the other ingredients. Once the mixture starts to bubble, cook it for an additional 20 minutes, stirring often.
- Decrease the heat to low and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes.
- Using a traditional blender or an immersion blender, blend the mixture into a smooth sauce.
- Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight glass container.
Suggestions:
- Make sure to stir the sauce often so that it doesn’t burn.
- You can use this sauce immediately, or refrigerate or freeze it for future use. The sauce will taste best after a day or two, when the flavors have time to meld.
- Since this barbecue sauce contains vinegar, store it in an airtight glass container. You can use a plastic container, but it will most likely stain the plastic.
Improvements:
- Replace the whiskey with bourbon or spiced rum.
- Use molasses in lieu of honey.
- Make these 5 Ingredient Barbecue Deviled Eggs with this barbecue sauce.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 3 Cloves of Garlic, Peeled & Finely Minced
- 3 Crisp, Sweet Red Apples, Peeled, Cored & Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Ketchup
- 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/3 Cup Whiskey
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 3/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
- Place the olive oil in a medium-sized stainless-steel or nonreactive metal saucepan over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the diced onion and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add all of the other ingredients. Once the mixture starts to bubble, cook it for an additional 20 minutes, stirring often.
- Decrease the heat to low and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes.
- Using a traditional blender or an immersion blender, blend the mixture into a smooth sauce.
- Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight glass container.
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In 2024, we cooked and baked our way through the alphabet with several of our food blogger friends. Every other Wednesday, we shared a new recipe featuring a consecutive letter of the alphabet, starting with A in January and ending with Z in December. CLICK HERE to find all of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge recipes.
In 2025, we cooked and baked our way through the alphabet with several of our food blogger friends. Every other Wednesday, we shared a new recipe featuring a consecutive letter of the alphabet, starting with A in January and ending with Z in December. CLICK HERE to find all of the 2025 Alphabet Challenge recipes.
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This Dried Apple & Bourbon Oven-Baked Sauerkraut is a simple yet delicious side dish that combines the tanginess of sauerkraut with the sweetness of dried apples and brown sugar plus the bold and smoky flavor of bourbon. It’s the perfect side dish to add some variety to your meals and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for any game day, cookout, or holiday gathering. If you’re looking for a new way to enjoy sauerkraut, be prepared to be blown away by this delicious sweet and tangy version.
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In 2026, we’ll be cooking and baking our way through the alphabet with several of our food blogger friends. Every other Wednesday, for the 2026 Alphabet Challenge, we’ll be sharing a new recipe featuring a consecutive letter of the alphabet, starting with A in January and ending with Z in December.
“A” – Homemade Apple & Whiskey Barbecue Sauce
“B” – Small-Batch Blue Cheese Dip with Dried Herbs
“C” – Dill Pickle & Mustard Seed Cream Cheese Spread
“D” – Parmesan & Cheddar Pimento Corn Chip Dip
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Please make sure to check out the other great “A” recipes below. A huge thanks to A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting this 2026 Alphabet Challenge event.
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- Aloo Bhaji & Poori by Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Amygdalopita by A Messy Kitchen
- Anday Aur Subzi Pulao by Sneha’s Recipe
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- Apple Pork Chops by Blogghetti
- Arancini – Italian Rice Balls by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Argentine-Style Burgers with Chimichurri Sauce by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Atchara: A Pickle from My People…and My Grandmother by Culinary Cam
- Artichoke Spinach Rolls by Magical Ingredients
- Homemade Apple & Whiskey Barbecue Sauce by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Magic Pan Orange and Almond Salad by Palatable Pastime
