Barley Free Whole30 Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce
That tangy-sweet punch you get from a great sweet and sour sauce is hard to replicate at home without reaching for a bottle full of questionable additives — but this version nails it with nothing but clean, whole ingredients. Unsweetened pineapple juice brings natural tropical sweetness, while apple cider vinegar cuts through with just the right amount of brightness. Coconut aminos stand in for soy sauce, delivering that savory depth without any grain-based ingredients, which makes this a genuinely worry-free option for anyone avoiding barley or its derivatives. Tomato paste, garlic powder, and fresh grated ginger round out the flavor so the sauce tastes layered and complex, not flat. Arrowroot starch whisked into cold water creates a silky, glossy thickener that sets up beautifully — just pull it off the heat as soon as it coats the spoon, since arrowroot can thin back out if you let it go too long. The result is a vibrant, restaurant-quality sauce that works over stir-fries, as a dipping sauce, or drizzled on just about anything you want to make a little more exciting.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 cup 100% pineapple juice (unsweetened)
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 2 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- 1
Whisk together the pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, tomato paste, garlic powder, grated ginger, and salt in a small saucepan until the tomato paste is fully dissolved.
- 2
Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to bubble around the edges, about 4–5 minutes.
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