This easy keto pizza sauce recipe is full of flavor and ready in just 15 minutes! Use it on homemade Fathead, almond flour or cauliflower crust pizzas. My low carb pizza sauce also doubles up as a sauce for keto pasta and lasagna, enchiladas or any recipe where you need a really tasty marinara sauce.
When I started eating a low carb diet, I was so relieved to find out that it's possible to enjoy pizza without piling on the carbs. Because I love it!
There are so many options for a gluten-free, keto-friendly pizza base. My current fave is this crispy almond flour pizza crust. It tastes just like an authentic Italian pizza.
Well, this is the homemade tomato sauce I top my pizza with. It's the best sauce you'll ever find - rich, herby and packed with tomato flavor. My whole family adores it.
It tastes so much better than a no cook pizza sauce (which is made with tomato paste, seasoning and water to thin it out). Trust me, spend the extra 10 minutes it takes to make a REAL keto marinara sauce like this one.
You'll thank me for it later!
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Rich tomato flavor
- Smooth, creamy texture
- Uses simple pantry staples
- Quick - ready in 15 minutes
- Great for meal prep and freezable
- For pizza or any recipe that calls for tomato sauce
- Dairy-free and keto-friendly
Ingredients
Here are our ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Canned tomatoes, chopped
- Tomato paste
- Fresh basil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Seasoning: Dried oregano, sea salt and black pepper
Personally, I think fresh basil, onion and garlic taste the best. But if you don't have it to hand, simply use it dried - onion powder, garlic powder or dried basil will still help produce a delicious sauce.
Also, the brand of canned tomatoes has a huge impact. I have discovered a brand called Mutti. I get it from Waitrose, but it's also available on Amazon. The taste is exceptional.
Note - use chopped, tinned tomatoes for ease over whole. You can also use fresh tomatoes if you prefer, but they will take 10 minutes longer to cook down.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Step 1: Heat olive oil in a pan. Begin by gently frying the chopped onion and then the chopped garlic until softened.
Step 2: Add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to the boil, then simmer on a low heat. This reduces the liquid and thickens the sauce.
Step 3: Stir in the basil and blitz the sauce with a hand blender. Or leave it chunky - however you prefer it!
Expert Tip
Use a lid, slightly ajar, when simmering the sauce as it will spit. This will save your tiles being covered in tomato sauce.
Variations
Optional ingredients for a sweet and awesome lift: Add 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos or a powdered sweetener such as erythritol or allulose.
If you like a bit of heat, consider adding a few red pepper flakes.
Pour in 60ml or ¼ cup heavy cream or mascarpone for a creamy variation.
Uses
This sauce is incredibly versatile. Apart from slathering it over keto pizza, here are a few more ideas where you can use it.
- As a simple keto marinara sauce over low carb pasta. We like it with palmini noodles or sauteed spiralized zucchini.
- In calzone.
- As a dipping sauce for zucchini fries or cauliflower popcorn.
- In zucchini or eggplant parmesan - a casserole bake with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
- Spread it over portobello mushrooms, add grated cheese and broil until the cheese is melted
- Make my husband's favourite snack, a 5 minute grilled cheese "pizza" sandwich using 90 second keto bread.
- Try this cottage cheese pizza bowl!
FAQ
Tomatoes contain a fair amount of natural sugar - 2.6g in 100 grams. This is about 1 small tomato. Therefore, technically there is no such thing as a sugar free tomato sauce.
Only if you make it at home. Store-bought sauces often include added sugars. This extends their shelf life and also enables the manufacturers to use low quality tomatoes. (If you ever buy canned tomato sauce, read the labels!) In contrast, my keto pizza sauce contains only 2.7g net carbs per ⅓ cup.
Storage
I always make a large batch of homemade pizza sauce. We use it all the time and it also freezes well.
Refrigerator: You can store it in an airtight container or in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 6 months.
Tip: Before freezing, think about whether you'll be using the sauce in large or small portions. For smaller batches, freeze it in ice cube trays!
Related Recipes
- Low Carb Keto Pizza Rolls45 Minutes
- Low Carb Pizza18 Minutes
- Crispy Low Carb Keto Pizza Bites10 Minutes
- Keto Garlic Bread30 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
The Ultimate Keto Pizza Sauce
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
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tins tomatoes chopped (800g / 28 oz total)
- ¼ cup tomato puree 50g
- ⅓ cup chopped basil leaves 15g - or 1 tablespoon dried basil plus 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 small onion finely chopped (50g) or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the onion in olive oil for 2 minutes on a medium heat. Add the garlic for 1 further minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and dried herbs if using. If using fresh, add at the end. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.
- Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Reduce down to concentrate for 10 minutes with the lid ajar slightly to prevent splattering all over your kitchen. Stir through torn basil leaves if using fresh.
- Blitz with a hand blender or leave chunky if you prefer.
Laurence
I’m going to try it, sounds very good. I buy my Mutti chopped tomatoes in Sainsbury’s.
Katrin Nürnberger
I use the keto diet app
Colleen M
Loved it.Thank you for yet another 5star tasty recipe.
Clare Allan
I thought I knew how to make a good tomato sauce, but this is completely delicious! And thanks for the tip re Mutti tomatoes. You are right – they really are sensational.
Katrin Nürnberger
I was so happy when I discovered the brand. I'm glad you agree 🙂
Diane
It came together quickly, though I simmered it longer than the recipe just in case. It has a very earthy flavor and I miss the sweetness of sauce I buy at the store... Would it be weird to add a little sweetener? It's still fine in my pizza though.
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Diane, the sweetness of homemade sauces depend very much on the quality and ripeness of the tomatoes. I use a brand called Mutti here in the UK which is just incredible. My advice would be to find a good brand of tinned tomatoes. And you can always add a little golden erythritol if you want it even sweeter.