• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
    • Featured On
    • Meet the Team
  • Food
  • Family
  • Fun
    • Travel
    • Holidays
  • Check Out Our Shop

Our WabiSabi Life

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
    • Featured On
    • Meet the Team
  • Food
  • Family
  • Fun
    • Travel
    • Holidays
  • Check Out Our Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
      • Featured On
      • Meet the Team
    • Food
    • Family
    • Fun
      • Travel
      • Holidays
    • Check Out Our Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Food

    Dark Cherry Homemade BBQ Sauce

    By Debi Leave a Comment

    This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This site also accepts sponsored content

    Jump to Recipe

    Looking for a great homemade BBQ sauce? This homemade BBQ sauce for ribs is so good, it will become your go-to BBQ sauce. You’ll never want to buy store bought BBQ sauce again.

    dark cherry BBQ Sauce

    Making your own BBQ sauce is so much better than store bought. You know what it is made from, it tastes better and it is easy to do. This homemade BBQ sauce for ribs is great on anything you like BBQ sauce on.

    How do you make your own barbecue sauce?

    Barbecue sauce is easy to make. This recipe for homemade BBQ sauce is made in the Instant Pot. It is easy to change this recipe to be made on the stovetop. It is best to make this homemade barbecue sauce beforehand so that the flavors can meld together.

    How Do You Make BBQ Sauce From Scratch Without Ketchup?

    While there are plenty of recipes that feature ketchup as the base of the bbq sauce, I personally like a BBQ sauce without ketchup. This recipe for dark cherry BBQ sauce uses tomatoes as the base instead of ketchup. This gives the homemade BBQ sauce a much better taste.

    How can I thicken my BBQ sauce?

    When you are making homemade bbq sauce, you want a nice thick sauce. Sometimes, the bbq sauce doesn’t get as thick as I would like. If you need to thicken BBQ sauce, it is easy to do. Cornstarch or flour is used to thicken BBQ sauce and it doesn’t change the flavor of the sauce. When using cornstarch to thicken barbecue sauce, you want to use 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp cold water per cup of sauce you want to thicken. If using flour, add 2 tbsp of flour with 1/4 cup of water.

    How to Make Homemade BBQ Sauce for Ribs

    This flavor-packed BBQ sauce combines the natural sweetness of cherries and maple syrup with the welcoming warmth of the ginger, cinnamon, and rosemary. Dark Cherry BBQ Sauce is perfect over Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs.

    dark cherry homemade BBQ sauce

    Homemade Dark Cherry BBQ Sauce

    For best results, prepare this recipe one or two days in advance. Although it can be enjoyed immediately, this sauce really comes into its own when the flavors are given time to fully develop.

    Does your Instant Pot Say Burn? Learn what the message means and how to prevent it.

    Prep time: 5 minutes
    Cook time: 10 minutes + time to come to pressure
    Serves 6-8

    Ingredients:

    2 T. extra virgin olive oil
    1 medium shallot, finely chopped
    3-4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
    2½ c. fresh or frozen dark cherries pitted
    1 10-oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies, with liquid
    3 T. apple cider vinegar
    2 t. fresh ginger, finely minced
    1½ t. ground cinnamon
    ½ t. smoked paprika
    3 T. maple syrup
    1 T. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
    2 t. liquid smoke (optional)
    Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

    Directions:

    1. Add olive oil to Instant Pot and select the “Sauté” function on the high-temperature setting. Add shallot and garlic and sauté until soft and slightly golden, approximately 3-4 minutes.
    2. Turn Instant Pot off and add remaining ingredients, including the liquid from the tomatoes and the liquid smoke, if using. Stir to combine and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
    3. Add lid and lock into place. Make sure the valve is set to the “Sealing” position and set the “Manual” setting to high for 10 minutes. After a brief pause, the Instant Pot will automatically start building pressure.
    4. When finished cooking, do a quick release (QR) of the pressure according to the manufacturer’s suggestions before unlocking and removing the lid.
    5. Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.

    Note: For a thicker sauce, return to the Instant Pot and bring to a low boil using the “Sauté” function set to high. Heat, stirring frequently until the excess liquid is reduced and the sauce reaches the desired consistency.

    dark cherry homemade bbq sauce

    More Recipes You Might Enjoy

    • Red Beans and Sausage Pressure Cooker Recipe
    • 225 Best Pressure Cooker Recipes
    • Instant Pot Beef Stew
    • Garlic Parmesan Shrimp
    • Roasted Garlic Dip
    dark cherry homemade BBQ sauce

    Homemade Dark Cherry BBQ Sauce

    Looking for a great homemade BBQ sauce? This homemade BBQ sauce for ribs is so good, it will become your go-to BBQ sauce. You’ll never want to buy store bought BBQ sauce again.
    No ratings yet
    Print the Recipe Save Go to Collections
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 medium shallot finely chopped
    • 3-4 cloves fresh garlic finely minced
    • 2½ c. fresh or frozen dark cherries pitted
    • 1 10- oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies with liquid
    • 3 T. apple cider vinegar
    • 2 t. fresh ginger finely minced
    • 1½ t. ground cinnamon
    • ½ t. smoked paprika
    • 3 T. maple syrup
    • 1 T. fresh rosemary finely chopped
    • 2 t. liquid smoke optional
    • Sea salt and black pepper to taste

    Directions
     

    • Add olive oil to Instant Pot and select the “Sauté” function on the high temperature setting. Add shallot and garlic and sauté until soft and slightly golden, approximately 3-4 minutes.
    • Turn Instant Pot off and add remaining ingredients, including the liquid from the tomatoes and the liquid smoke, if using. Stir to combine and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
    • Add lid and lock into place. Make sure the valve is set to the “Sealing” position and set the “Manual” setting to high for 10 minutes. After a brief pause, the Instant Pot will automatically start building pressure.
    • When finished cooking, do a quick release (QR) of the pressure according to the manufacturer’s suggestions before unlocking and removing the lid.
    • Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.
    • Note: For a thicker sauce, return to the Instant Pot and bring to a low boil using the “Sauté” function set to high. Heat, stirring frequently, until the excess liquid is reduced and the sauce reaches the desired consistency.

    Notes

    For a thicker sauce, return to the Instant Pot and bring to a low boil using the “Sauté” function set to high. Heat, stirring frequently, until the excess liquid is reduced and the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Food

    • creamy chicken thighs with mushroom sauce
      Creamy Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Sauce
    • slow cooker baked beans
      Slow Cooker Baked Beans
    • thai chicken thighs
      How to Make the Best Instant Pot Thai Chicken Thighs for Dinner
    • 5 Simple Tips to Make Your Online Taco Orders Seamless and Satisfying

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Debi!

    Welcome to my world. I am a 40 something year old mom to a lot of kids and a lot of pets. When I am not busy with the kids, grandkids, or animals, I love to do crafts and read.

    I love to knit and can often be found working on a project.

    More about me →

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    Popular

    • cinco de mayo
      Our Cinco de Mayo Celebration with La Posada and Felix’s Cantina
    • Motherhood’s Hidden Hats: 5 Surprising Roles You Never Knew You’d Play
    • Unique Etsy Father's Day Gifts That Will Wow Dad
      Unique Etsy Father’s Day Gifts That Will Wow Dad
    • Steps to Care for an Aging Parent

    Patriotic

    You must use the category name, not a URL, in the category field.

    As seen in

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Media Kit

    AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE, I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES.

    Our WabiSabi Life is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

      Buy fashion girls boots from DHgate.com

    Copyright © 2025 ·Our Wabi Sabi Life· ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy