Homemade Sugar-Free Keto Ketchup

This is a recipe for homemade sugar-free ketchup which is easy to make and delicious to eat on just about anything. It’s only 1.5 NET Carbs per serving and is made with basic ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.

When we made Keto ketchup for the first time we had no idea what to expect but it came out super yummy. We were so relieved because when you go on a low carb or keto diet it’s hard to give up certain foods that you love, and we definitely wanted to keep eating ketchup.

I mean who doesn’t love ketchup? It’s so versatile that you can put it on just about anything. With this recipe you can load up a big juicy hamburger and low carb hamburger bun, making it a perfect keto meal.  

Not to mention it’s perfect for dipping your jicama fries or zucchini fries!

If you are a lover of ketchup on your food then you are going to love this sugar-free ketchup. You will not feel deprived anymore…enjoy!

Is Ketchup Healthy?

Ketchup can be healthy if you make it yourself. You will be surprised how easy it is to make, just put in a few common ingredients and you will have sugar-free ketchup with minimal carbs.

Ketchup is a low-calorie condiment, and relatively healthy, especially compared to its counterpart…mayo. So if you are on a diet, eating some ketchup is better than too much mayonnaise which is higher in fat and calories. 

• Ketchup Nutrition – 1 Tbsp has 20 calories, 0 fat and 5 net carbs
• Mayo Nutrition – 1 Tbsp has 90 calories, 10 grams fat, and 0 net carbs

But there are 2 ingredients in ketchup that can be a problem….190 mg of sodium and 4 grams of sugar. The grams of sugar would be better if it came from the tomatoes as natural sugar as opposed to added table sugar or high fructose corn syrup. 

Is Ketchup Keto-Friendly?

Normally the ketchup that you buy in the stores is not keto-friendly because of added sweeteners. However, we have created a recipe for ketogenic ketchup that will satisfy your desire to have it on top of your favorite burger.

Carbs in Ketchup

Normally store-bought ketchup is made with high fructose corn syrup which is not only high in carbs but unhealthy. Ours is made with a delicious, zero-carb sweetener that allows you to have ketchup without all of the carbs.

Most store-bought ketchups have at least 5 carbs per tablespoon, which can add up really fast because let’s face it, a tablespoon is not very much. 

Think about the last time that you had a burger and fries. Before you know it you have easily consumed 5 or 6 tablespoons without even giving it a second thought.

• Heinz ketchup has 10 grams of carbs and 8 grams of sugar for 2 tablespoons.
• Our keto ketchup has only 1.5 NET Carbs per tablespoon.

What Does it Taste Like?

Our recipe for keto ketchup tastes just like any ketchup that you can buy in the store. It has a rich tomato flavor, with a perfect combo of zero carb sweetener along with a touch of vinegar to give it a tartness and sweetness that is just sweet enough and yet just tart enough too.

Then we add some simple but delicious flavors with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt to enhance the flavor of your burger or hot dog which you will enjoy the next time you make them on the grill.

What Other Condiments are Keto-Friendly?

There are several condiments that are keto-friendly:

• Mustard – Stone ground, brown, and yellow. For 1 Tbsp there are 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 fat.
• Mayonnaise – Hellmans is the best. For 1 Tbsp there are 100 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 0 carbs.
• Relish – Dill…for 1 Tbsp there are 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 fat.

What Ingredients are in Keto Ketchup

• Tomato Paste – Thick tomato paste is the base ingredient.
• Water – This helps to thin out the paste to make the ketchup just the right texture.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – The best low carb and healthy vinegar which adds just a little bite like all condiments.
• Garlic Powder – A spice that compliments any tomato products.
• Onion Powder – It goes well with the garlic to help flavor up the ketchup.
• Salt – A little bit helps to enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
• Paprika – This gives the ketchup almost a smokey taste with a slight smooth kick.
• Swerve – Brown version that is a sugar-free sweetener with a zero carb sweetener, which in this case replaces real brown sugar.

How to Make Ketchup Sugar-Free

Sometimes when you buy things in the store, especially foods that you love and have been buying for years, you have no idea that they contain sugar unless you read the labels. I always associated sugar with desserts like cake, cookies, and candy and I never thought that something like ketchup would have sugar in it, but surprise it does. 

So, in order to make this keto ketchup sugar-free, you have to use another sweetener that doesn’t have the carbs that sugar adds to foods. 

There are several zero-carb sweeteners that will work such as:

• Monk Fruit – White or Golden, which are both granulated and look alot like sugar.
• Swerve – Confectioners or granulated or brown.

Use whichever one you prefer and the ketchup will come out great.

Best Tomatoes for Ketchup

The best thing to use as your base in making keto ketchup is tomato paste which is very concentrated and is very thick which is what you need to make this popular condiment.

Does Ketchup Actually Have Tomatoes?

You can use fresh or canned tomatoes in your homemade ketchup but the consistency will not be the same as the ketchup that you are used to eating. 

The flavor would be good, but the texture would not be right, so it’s best to use tomato paste instead. All of the work is done for you to achieve that thick and smooth texture.

Are Tomatoes Keto-Friendly?

Tomatoes are a keto-friendly vegetable but you can’t eat them to your heart’s content. In one medium tomato, there are about 3.5 NET Carbs. So be sure to count your carbs for the day. 

There are a lot of essential nutrients in tomatoes that you can’t pass up, so enjoy your tomatoes in moderation.

Different Variations & Substitutions

If you are looking for some other variations of this keto ketchup recipe, things to add, substitute, or ingredients to omit, then here are some ideas:

• You can omit the garlic or onion powder if you don’t want one of them.
• Change out the regular paprika for smoked paprika if you want the ketchup to have a smokey flavor.
• Add some grated horseradish to the ketchup after it’s cooled off to make a nice cocktail sauce to dip your shrimp cocktail into.
• If you are not crazy about the taste of apple cider vinegar, then substitute it with white vinegar.

How to Make Sugar-Free Keto Ketchup

Making keto ketchup is very easy to do. Just follow these step-by-step instructions:

1. Add all of the ingredients together in a medium saucepan.
2. After turning on the stove to medium heat, the first thing to add to your saucepan is the tomato paste and then the water, begin to blend them together as the pan heats up.
3. As the ketchup heats up add your spices, vinegar, and sweetener.
4. Cook on low heat, stirring often for about 30 minutes until it reaches your desired consistency.
5. Remove from the stove and allow to cool for a few minutes until it is cooled off enough to refrigerate.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

FAQs & Best Tips  

You may never have thought of making your own ketchup so you probably have some questions. Don’t worry, we can answer them for you and also supply you with some helpful tips and tricks of the trade, to make the process easy:

• Be sure to stir the ketchup often when it’s on the stove. If it’s too thick you can add more water a little at a time.
• If you want your ketchup a little sweeter, then just add a touch more sweetener.
• Do not use stevia products because they will make the ketchup bitter.
• Feel free to change out the spices by adding some extra or omitting some.
• Make sure to store the ketchup in the refrigerator, not in a cabinet.

How to Make Ketchup Thinner or Thicker?

There are a couple of simple ingredients to help you when you are making your keto ketchup and you notice that it is either too thick or too thin.

• To Make it Thinner – Add some extra water. Start adding one teaspoon at a time until it reaches the proper consistency.
• To Make it Thicker – Add some extra tomato paste. Add one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

Why is Ketchup Called Ketchup?

Ketchup comes from the Chinese word “ke tsiap”, which means pickled fish sauce, and was used mainly as an added ingredient to season a dish rather than for use as a condiment. It was then adapted into English and still used today.

Is Ketchup the Same as Tomato Sauce?

Even though ketchup and tomato sauce are both tomato products, they are totally different. 

Ketchup is tart because of the vinegar in it and is used as a condiment that can be spread on foods such as burgers and can be used for dipping foods into things like french fries and chicken nuggets.

Tomato sauce is used on our favorite things like pasta, chicken parm, eggplant parm…etc, or can be used for dipping your favorite mozzarella sticks into or covering your favorite pizza crust.

How to Use Sugar-Free Ketchup?

If you are a true ketchup lover then you will have to agree with me that there are so many foods that you can think of off the top of your head that go well with ketchup. In fact, you may be one of those people that can’t eat certain foods without tons of ketchup all over them.

Some suggestions of foods that go well with ketchup:

• Burgers
• Hot dogs
• Fries
• Jicama Fries
• Eggs
• Keto Chicken Nuggets
• Low Carb Meatloaf
• Roast Beef
• Turkey Breast

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For

• Keto/Low Carb – There are only 1.5 net carbs in each tablespoon.
• Nut-free – There are no nuts or nut products in ketchup.
• Dairy-free – There is no dairy in ketchup.
• Sugar-free – It’s nice to have a sugar substitute for our ketchup recipe.
• Paleo – Our keto ketchup is a paleo-approved recipe.
• Vegan – With only a few ingredients this fits the accepted foods.
• Vegetarian – It’s always nice to be able to have a recipe that can be used for our vegetarian followers.
• Gluten-free – Happily there is no gluten in our keto ketchup.

How to Store Homemade Ketchup

Your homemade keto ketchup can be stored in the refrigerator for about a month in an airtight plastic container or glass jar. 

Do not leave it out on the counter or in a cabinet or else it will go bad because it doesn’t have any preservatives in it.

Can You Freeze Ketchup?

Homemade ketchup will freeze well and last for about 6 months if you store it in an airtight container. For double protection, I also use a Ziploc freezer bag over the container.

To thaw it out just stick it in the refrigerator overnight, then stir before serving.

Tools to Use

• A medium-size saucepan to cook the ketchup in.
• A spoon to stir it.
• A container to store it in.

Where Can I Buy Sugar-Free Ketchup?

You can find sugar-free ketchup at the grocery store in the health food section. Also at stores like Whole Foods that specialize in all kinds of foods that focus on healthy eating.

Primal Kitchen makes a lot of sugar-free condiments, sauces, and dressings that focus on good ingredients without sugar…etc. You can find these online or in some grocery stores now since more people are becoming more conscious of eating a keto/low carb diet.

So in a pinch, some of these would be good to keep on hand to help you out when you’re trying to stick to a low carb diet, but making your own is so easy to do and doesn’t take a lot of time. With only a few ingredients, In 30 minutes it is cooked and can be cooled off in the refrigerator.

Also, on Amazon.com you can purchase a bunch of primal kitchen condiments that specialize in organic, no sugar…products.

Other Low Carb Sauce Recipes

Here are a few of our other easy and delicious sauces that you may also like to make.

• Classic Basil Pesto
• Keto Spaghetti Sauce
• Keto BBQ Sauce
• Creamy Tzatziki Sauce
• Homemade Salsa
• Keto Pizza Sauce

All of them are easy to make, Keto-friendly, and will have your friends and family raving!

Print