Vegan Kansas City Spice Rub
Bold, smoky-sweet, and built entirely from pantry staples, this spice blend brings serious Kansas City energy to whatever you're cooking. Coconut sugar and maple sugar granules create that signature caramelized crust when heat hits, while Ceylon cinnamon adds a gentler, more complex warmth than the standard variety. Turmeric, ginger, garlic, and onion powder layer in savory depth, and dried thyme and oregano round everything out with a subtle herbal backbone. Store-bought rubs often sneak in honey, Worcestershire, or other animal-derived ingredients, so mixing your own is the cleanest way to keep things fully plant-based without sacrificing any of that classic BBQ character. A quick whisk, an airtight jar, and you've got a blend that keeps for up to three months — ready to go whenever the grill calls. Press it firmly onto tofu, tempeh, jackfruit, or vegetables before roasting or smoking and watch it transform into something genuinely crave-worthy.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup granules sugar or maple sugar
Ingredient noteA small number of producers use animal-fat-based defoaming agents. Most maple syrup is fine, but you can look for brands labeled vegan to be certain.
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- 1
Combine the coconut sugar, maple sugar, turmeric, ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, thyme, and oregano in a small bowl and whisk until evenly blended with no visible streaks of turmeric.
- 2
Transfer to an airtight jar and store at room temperature for up to 3 months.
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