Homemade BBQ Sauce

I love BBQ sauce...so I was seriously bummed when I discovered that ALL my favorite brands had corn syrup in them. (which is also on my no-no list) I found a couple brands without it, but they were just *meh* AND they cost more. (deal breaker!) So...I did some recipe searching and a little experimenting, and came up with this recipe...a sweet, tangy, smoky, Kansas City style BBQ sauce with a kick. It's so good, I don't think I could ever go back to the bottled stuff. Winner-Winner BBQ Chicken Dinner! :)

2 cups ketchup (corn syrup free)
2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups raw sugar
1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons mesquite powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar, molasses and butter. Season with mesquite powder, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed. Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water if necessary.