Making your own sugar free ketchup is super-easy. This recipe is delicious, healthy, tangy and sweet. This keto ketchup recipe requires just 3 main ingredients plus spices!
Darling, would you like a spoonful of sugar with your chips?
Yes, seriously.
Shop-bought ketchup. Friends, most varieties contain a full teaspoon of sugar per serving!
And do you ever eat your burger, hot dog or french fries with just one serving of ketchup? On goes another dollop half way through, then one more on the plate for the chips. Once you're at it...
Of course, you can buy sugar free ketchup in the shops. However, many brands use artificial sweeteners, so be sure to check the labels. And even amongst the stevia sweetened varieties I have not yet found a single brand where I truly enjoyed the taste. There's always that strange aftertaste.
The solution is simple: Make your own homemade ketchup!
My keto ketchup recipe is so easy and tastes much better than your old Heinz. It is sweet, tangy and packed with deep tomato flavor.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 3 main ingredients plus spices
- 1 minute prep, ready in 30 minutes
- Authentic tomato ketchup flavor: Sweet and tangy
- Smooth texture
- Natural ingredients
- Keto-friendly: only 0.7g net carbs per tablespoon
Ingredients
In the picture below you can see all my ingredients!
- Tomatoes - A tin good quality chopped tomatoes or passata.
- Apple cider vinegar - This is milder than a white vinegar.
- Sugar substitute - I used a Golden Erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend, which is a brown sugar substitute. Allulose, xylitol or Bocha Sweet also work.
- Garlic - I used one fresh garlic clove, mashed. Or add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Mustard - My go-to is Dijon mustard.
- Spices: Onion powder, allspice, cinnamon
- Salt & pepper
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Variations
See this recipe as a starting point for your own flavor experiments.
First of all, you must decide how SWEET you like your sugar free ketchup. I think it's great even without sweetener. But if you prefer a sweeter finish, add more sweetener to taste.
Instead of the apple cider vinegar, you can also use white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar. You may need a little less, depending on the variety.
Here are some other spices and ingredients that you can add:
- ginger
- coriander / cilantro
- chili powder
- celery salt
- fresh onions (in place of the onion powder)
- Worcestershire sauce
- Sriracha
- roasted red pepper
- smoked paprika
Instructions
This section contains step by step instructions and photos that show how to make the recipe.
1.) Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Put the lid on and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring regularly.
2.) Puree the mixture with an immersion blender for a smooth consistency.
That's it!
Expert Tips
I make keto ketchup all the time. Here is what I have learned:
I recommend that you use good quality tinned chopped tomatoes or passata (blended tomatoes). My favourite is an Italian brand called "Mutti".
The budget brands often have a sour taste and you'll definitely have to add additional sweetener to balance this.
It's possible to use tinned whole tomatoes. Simply blend them before using.
You can even use fresh tomatoes for this recipe. It adds a little extra work, but would taste great if you use a sweet variety of tomatoes. The ones one the vine are normally quite good.
If you use fresh tomatoes, you may want to add some double concentrated tomato paste to enhance the flavour.
Make sure you blanch them first by pouring boiling water over them. Then remove the skins plus the hard green bit at the top. Cube them and proceed with the recipe as above.
FAQs
Yes. The carbs come from the natural sugar in the tomatoes. 1 tablespoon of this ketchup recipe contains only 0.7g net carbs. In comparison, 1 tablespoon of Heinz tomato ketchup has 3.5g net carbs.
Yes. Several brands, from Heinz to Real Good offer sugar-free ketchup. Check the label - some contain artificial sweeteners such as sucralose or aspartame.
Yes. If you choose quality tomatoes that are ripe and naturally sweet, this recipe tastes good without any additional sweetener.
Serving Suggestion
I always have a jar of ketchup and a pot of homemade keto mayonnaise in the fridge. Here are some recipes I use it with:
- Air fryer turnip fries - these are keto friendly "French fries"
- Keto chicken nuggets
- Keto hot dogs
- Hamburgers (check out this recipe for black burger buns)
- Keto chicken wings
- Keto onion rings
Storage
Refrigerator: The vinegar in the ketchup helps preserve it. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 3-4 weeks.
Freezer: Want to make a big batch? Freeze it in ice cube trays. This way, it keeps for 6 months or longer.
Fun ketchup facts
- The first recorded ke-tchup recipe was from China in 544 A.D. It called for the bladder, stomach and intestines of a yellow fish, shark and mullet to be mixed in a jar with plenty of salt and put out into the sun for 20 days.
- By the time British settlers in Fuji discovered ketchup, the recipe had been simplified into a pungent liquid made out of salted and fermented anchovies. Definitely keto, but keto ketchup?
- Early versions of western ketchup were made out of shallots, oysters, walnuts (Jane Austen's favourite) or even mushrooms.
- The first known written recipe for ketchup involving tomatoes was created by the horticulturist James Mease of Philadelphia in 1812. He called tomatoes "love apples".
- Because of its acidity, ketchup can be used to actually polish metal or silverware.
Related recipes
Take a look at my other sugar free condiments and sauce recipes:
- Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce Recipe6 Minutes
- Sugar Free Sweet Chilli Sauce Recipe15 Minutes
- Sugar Free Teriyaki Sauce (Keto)10 Minutes
- Low Carb Keto Bechamel Sauce8 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Sugar Free Ketchup
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 14 oz / 400g tin good quality chopped tomatoes or passata just tomatoes!
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon golden erythritol optional ***see notes
- 1 garlic clove mashed, or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 pinch ground allspice
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, cook on a low heat for 30 minutes.
- Stir frequently until sauce thickens.
- Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for circa 2 weeks.
Anne Atkins
Can a piece of onion be used instead of the onion powder please? And can whole tomatoes be used with the skin simply blended in?
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, of course. If you use fresh onion, I would saute it for around 10 minutes or until it is soft and translucent. And yes, if you blend the ketchup well you can keep the skins on.