I have to be honest. I’m not a big ketchup fan. Some may dip everything from fries to eggs to their fingers in the stuff, but not me.
I’m a mustard girl.
I’ve been getting so many requests for a sugar-free ketchup recipe, though, that I finally just buckled down and made the darn ketchup!
This is for you, Celeste, and all the other ketchup-lovers who challenged me to create this recipe.
My recipe is a whole lot healthier than regular Heinz, too. Just about every bottled ketchup you buy from stores contains added sugar, usually in the form of High Fructose Corn Syrup. Here is the ingredients list from the famous Heinz:
Tomato concentrate from vine ripe tomatoes, Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Salt, Spice, Onion Powder, Natural Flavoring.
The third and fourth ingredient of ketchup is sugar made from corn.
This ketchup isn’t exactly like the ketchup you buy in bottles, but personally, I think it is a whole lot better! It tastes more savory than syrup-y, and has a bit more of that vinegar tang. If you really want it to be sweeter like Heinz, try adding a couple drops of pure stevia extract.
I’ll actually dip my (sweet potato) fries in this ketchup….along with a whole bunch of mustard.
~Dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, vegan, paleo, corn-free, and sugar-free ketchup!
Ingredients
- 12 oz. tomato paste
- 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon mustard
- 1/4 cup+2 Tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and whisk until combined. You may wish to blend in order to ensure the spices are evenly mixed throughout.
- It is best to let the ketchup sit together in the fridge for a couple of hours, or overnight, before serving so that the flavors blend together well.
- Store in an airtight container in fridge.
Notes
Check the ingredients of your tomato paste. The only item listed should be tomatoes.
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http://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2012/04/12/homemade-sugar-free-ketchup/This recipe is linked to Allergy-Free Wednesdays.
Health Benefits:
- Tomato: Best known for its high lycopene content. Lycopene is a carotenoid that may reduce incidences of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration. Tomatoes are especially high in vitamin C and A as well.
- Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.
Ketchup for Fry-Dipping:
French Fries are the obvious pair for ketchup. Why not try these exciting twists on the classic?
Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:
Are you a mustard or ketchup person?
This is so simple, I love it! ^^ I’ve been wanting to make some sugar-free banana ketchup lately but I’ve been worried about the sugar content. Thank you so much for this recipe and lovely blog! ^^
This is genius! Although I have to say I’m much more of a mustard girl myself (in true Chicago fashion, haha). Although I may just have to give this a try, if it’s as good as it looks
This is AMAZING! I’m a huge ketchup fan, and could always used the challenge of making my own
Thanks, Alex!
Looks great! The only question I have is: Is the mustard in this recipe “prepared” or “dry”?
Tina,
I used prepared, regular yellow mustard. If you have dried mustard on hand, you can use that! Simply mix the dried mustard with the proportion of water (according to your label) in order to get the amount needed for the ketchup.
I’m a mustard girl, but can’t wait to try this with some fries. I do like ketchup with my twice a year fried!! I’ll probably leave out the salt too though since I have to watch that. Nice to have options.
Cindy,
Yes! You can experiment with it however you like to make it suit your needs.
never made ketchup before seems pretty easy
A bit of both, but mostly ketchup to be honest! I’m so happy you’ve given in and created this recipe
Do you have any idea of the expiry date for this please? Thanks again!
Hi Jenny,
It has been in my fridge for a few days without expiring. I’ll let you know when it does expire, though. I would say that it would stay for at least a week if not more. Make sure you keep it in an air-tight container, and if you won’t use it for a while, try freezing.
Thank you Alex!
Haven’t read many of the comments so apologies if this has been mentioned but have you thought about freezing it in an ice cube tray? That way you’ll have portion sizes. Giving this recipe a go now!
That’s a great idea, Joanne! Hope you like it.
Love both! Nice to have a recipe I can use even if my tomatoes fail again this year! They got Potato blight last 2 years, will use the front garden this time in hopes it’s free of it.
Carol,
Oh no! I hope your tomatoes do better this year!
Believe it or not, ketchup was one of the hardest things for me to give up. Seems like it just made everything taste good. This looks amazing! Someday I’d love to learn how to preserve things so I could jar this up and always have it on hand.
I am the happiest girl in the world right now – thanks for making my Friday! I’ll be making this tonight
Celeste,
Enjoy! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Alex, this looks like the perfect homemade ketchup!! Go you. Gonna share on FB now
Thanks, Marla, and thanks for sharing!
I don’t care for ketchup, either, but I do use it as a base for barbeque sauce, and I would love to use this stuff instead of bottled! Especially after I read somewhere that the average American eats 2 pounds of sugar from condiments alone every year.
Karina,
I also have a bbq sauce recipe here: http://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/05/26/beware-of-the-bbq/ If you want to give it a try…
But 2 pounds just from condiments? Wow! I believe it, though, with all the sugar they put in salad dressings, ketchup, and any other spread.
[...] Homemade Sugar-Free Ketchup [...]
This is awesome!! I am a ketchup lover
[...] fries pack so much flavor I can even enjoy them without ketchup! Though there is a recipe for sugar-free ketchup I read at Spoonful of Sugar Free that I wouldn’t mind trying… Share [...]
I’m a mustard girl all the way!! but my kiddos and husband LOVE ketchup so I’ll be making this asap
I really love this, eager to try it and put it over on the kids!! I am featuring this recipe this week on AFW!!
Tessa,
Yay! I hope they enjoy
I am also featuring this awesome homemade condiment on AFW this week
Laura,
Yay! So glad
Thank you for sharing your recipe with us last week on AFW! Be sure to check back this week for reader favorites and hostess picks.
Be Well,
–AFW Hostesses
Wooh so excited about this! Ketchup all the way–when I was little I refused to eat chicken unless I had ketchup to dip it in haha
Emma,
Enjoy
[...] Homemade Sugar Free Ketchup @ Spoonful of Sugar Free: Making my own sounds good to me! Easy and more control on the sugar. [...]
[...] Condiment: Sugar-Free Ketchup @ Spoonful of Sugar Free Please visit the other 6 Allergy-Free Wednesday hostesses (blog links [...]
When I was in high school I came home to my mom making ketchup from scratch and our entire house smelled like the stuff… She handed me a big spoonful and said “here try it!” Now, I like ketchup and all but I’m not going to eat it with a spoon!! I like your recipe for homemade ketchup better, it looks so easy! My husband is a ketchup guy for sure. I bought him a shirt that says “I put ketchup on my ketchup” haha
Crystalyn,
hahaha…that is too funny! I was never a ketchup fan, either. I might have gagged if you put a spoonful down my throat!
I just made it, and it tastes wonderful. I would cut down on the mustard just a smigin (I used prepared mustard)because I can taste the mustard. I had gastric bypass and can not have sugar so I am very grateful for this site and I can’t wait to try more things.I have tried a BBQ sauce from a different site and it doesn’t taste quite right. yours is so much simpler and I cant wait to make it.
Sherry,
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know
My husband made this tonight – he added onion powder (same amount as garlic powder, and two packets of stevia (he also cut the recipe above in half). Everyone loved it!
So glad everyone enjoyed it, Jenna!
FYI – This is NOT sugar-free. This is no sugar added. The tomato paste is about 60% natural sugars.
That being said – it’s pretty good, and a good way to cut the actual sugar content from regular ketchup.
I eat ketchup almost everyday, and have recently been cutting back on how much sugar I consume daily. So I decided to opt for a homemade sugar-free recipe and this one was just perfect. It made the transition really easy as it still has that tomato flavor except it tastes less sweet and more rich with spices. After a few weeks, I think I even like it more! The rest of the household enjoys it as well. Thank you for sharing.