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Dip your favorite foods in ketchup without all the sugar and additives by making this Homemade Ketchup with Tomato Paste. It’s made with 7 pantry-staple ingredients, comes together in just 5 minutes, and only has 4 grams of sugar.
Quick Summary: Homemade Ketchup with Tomato Paste
- Why You Will Love It: Healthy homemade ketchup made with tomato paste, low-calorie, additive-free, and sweetened with maple syrup instead of processed sugar.
- Nutrition: 26 calories and only 4 grams of sugar per serving
- Diet: Vegan, Paleo, Low-Calorie, Gluten-Free
- Time: 5 minutes
- Method: No Cooking Required
- Best for: Make Ahead
- Tip: Taste the ketchup after storing it while it’s still cold to adjust the flavor. The flavor softens as it chills slightly.
When it comes to weight loss, I never recommend my clients give up foods, but instead find ways to make those foods healthier. This homemade ketchup recipe uses pantry staples to create a low-sugar and low-calorie sauce for dipping your foods in.
The best part is that it takes barely any time to make, and you can freeze portions so you always have a healthier ketchup on hand!
If you like low-sugar sauce recipes, you will love my low-calorie BBQ sauce and cranberry sauce from frozen cranberries!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 5 Minutes: This simple recipe consists of whisking together ingredients for a few minutes. It takes hardly any time and yields 2 cups of ketchup!
- Only 7 Ingredients: There are no complicated ingredients in this low-sugar ketchup recipe, just tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, water, and spices.
- No Additives and Less Sugar: Unlike other ketchups, there are no additives in this version, and it’s sweetened with maple syrup instead of refined sugars.
Table of Contents
- Quick Summary: Homemade Ketchup with Tomato Paste
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Homemade Ketchup vs. Store-Bought Ketchup
- Low-Calorie Ketchup Variations
- How to Make Healthy Homemade Ketchup
- Expert Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Homemade Ketchup with Tomato Paste Recipe FAQs
- More Delicious Sauce and Dressing Recipes
- Homemade Ketchup with Tomato Paste Recipe
Ingredients
- Tomato Paste: It’s important to use tomato paste and not sauce because the flavor is already concentrated. It eliminates the need for cooking down the ketchup.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: A splash of vinegar adds the signature tangy flavor to your ketchup. I prefer apple cider vinegar, but you could use white wine vinegar as well.
- Maple Syrup: Skip the refined sugar and add maple syrup to sweeten your ketchup. You could also use your favorite zero-calorie sweetener if you prefer.
- Onion and Garlic Powder: Onion and garlic give ketchup its savory flavor, and the flavor is more concentrated in a powder.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Homemade Ketchup vs. Store-Bought Ketchup
I get asked all the time whether making your own ketchup is actually worth it nutritionally, so I pulled the labels and did the math. Here’s how a 2-tablespoon serving of this recipe compares to what’s probably in your fridge right now.
| Per 2 tbsp | This recipe | Heinz Tomato Ketchup | Heinz No Sugar Added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 26 | 40 | 20 |
| Total carbs | 5 g | 10 g | 2 g |
| Total sugar | 4 g | 8 g | Less than 2 g |
| Sodium | 205 mg | 360 mg | 380 mg |
| Sweetener | Maple syrup | High fructose corn syrup | Sucralose |
- Sugar comparison: This homemade healthy ketchup recipe has about half the sugar of regular Heinz and a third fewer calories. The no-sugar-added version does beat me on sugar mainly because they use an artificial zero-calorie sweetener, while I use maple syrup.
- The big winner for the homemade is the sodium: Both store-bought options have nearly twice what mine does. That’s the number I’d pay attention to if you’re watching more than just sugar.
- Bottom line: Making homemade means know exactly what’s in it, you can dial the sweetness up or down depending on who’s eating it, and you’re not stuck with whatever the bottle decided for you.
Looking for more homemade sauces you can make instead of buying them? Try my low-calorie ranch dressing using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
Low-Calorie Ketchup Variations
- Make It Spicy: Add cayenne pepper or a chipotle seasoning to your Paleo ketchup to make it a little spicy. This creamy salsa dressing is another spicy homemade condiment you may love.
- Use More Vinegar: If you prefer tanginess over sweetness, you can add a little more vinegar to your ketchup to reduce the sweet flavor.
- Add a Pinch of Cinnamon: Give your healthy ketchup a more complex flavor by mixing in a little cinnamon or allspice into the ketchup.
How to Make Healthy Homemade Ketchup
This low-calorie ketchup is incredibly simple to make because it doesn’t require any cooking and mixes in just 5 minutes. All you need to make it is a bowl and a spoon or whisk.
- Step 1: Combine Ingredients. Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir them together until it is smooth.
- Step 2: Transfer to a Jar. Pour the ketchup into a mason jar to store it in the refrigerator or enjoy it immediately. They’re great with scrambled Greek yogurt eggs for breakfast.
Expert Tips
- Add Water 1 Teaspoon at a Time: This recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of water, but I recommend that you add the water one tablespoon at a time to avoid making the ketchup too thin or watery.
- Taste It Cold: After you mix the ketchup and store it in the refrigerator, the flavor becomes a bit muted. It’s best to taste the ketchup when it’s cold to adjust how sweet, acidic, or savory you want your ketchup to be.
- Store in Glass: Don’t store your ketchup in plastic containers. The acidity of the tomato paste will stain them. Instead, store the ketchup in a glass jar.
- Storing: Store ketchup in a glass jar in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months. To freeze, pour the ketchup into an ice tray or silicone tray to freeze it. Then transfer the frozen cubes to a plastic bag. This way you can grab one cube at a time and enjoy perfect portions without thawing everything.
Serving Suggestions
Ketchup is one of those staple condiments that so many people enjoy on a variety of foods. You can use this low-carb ketchup along with other dishes that align with your health and weight-loss goals to ensure you can still enjoy the foods you love while losing weight.
- Name a better combination than ketchup and fries?! These low-calorie sweet potato fries are the perfect fry option for your homemade ketchup.
- Make my healthy meatloaf recipe and use this ketchup instead of store-bought ketchup to reduce the sugar and additives.
- Turkey or gluten-free chicken burgers are a leaner, low-calorie alternative to regular burgers, and this ketchup is the perfect addition to them.
Homemade Ketchup with Tomato Paste Recipe FAQs
Your ketchup is probably lumpy because it needs to be stirred more. I like to use a whisk to ensure it’s smooth.
This recipe doesn’t use a lot of maple syrup, but the tomato paste also brings some sweetness to the ketchup. If you find it tastes too sweet for you, add a little more vinegar to balance the flavors.
The vinegar and water can thin out the ketchup. Be sure to add the water one tablespoon at a time so you can manage the thickness better.
More Delicious Sauce and Dressing Recipes
If you tried this Healthy Homemade Ketchup recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Homemade Ketchup with Tomato Paste
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Tomato Paste
- 4 tablespoons White Vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons Water
- 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup, or sweetener of choice
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir together until smooth. Note, you may add more water to get the desired consistency you want.
- Transfer to a mason jar and serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator and enjoy as needed.
Notes
- Add the water one teaspoon at a time to better control the consistency of the ketchup.
- Taste the ketchup cold because the flavor changes once it chills.
- Store the ketchup in a glass container because the acidity in tomato paste will stain plastic and change the flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Would love to try this! How long will it keep in the fridge?
2 to 3 weeks. You can also freeze it.
I’m trying this tomorrow! I’ve been looking for a low sugar ketchup recipe but everything uses artificial sweeteners and I just can’t get around the fact that natural sweeteners, in moderation, seem to be a much more a balanced choice.
I’ve just began a new lifestyle with natural foods! I cannot wait to make this ketchup recipe, because I just happen to love ketchup with my baked fried and with scrambled eggs as well!! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome. Enjoy!
YUM YUM! I am a weirdo who eating spinach and ketchup ALL THE TIME. I eat sugar-free ketchup because the typical stuff is just LOADED with sugar and it’s crazy to me! I must try your version but find a maple syrup replacement! I am on it 🙂
Hey friend! I’m sure you could sub dates in this one. Just need to pop them in a blender with the other ingredients.
Thanks so much for this recipe. Yup, finding ketchup w/o high fructose corn syrup in particular is difficult, but the absence of THAT puts a lot of sugar in its place. I’ll make this for sure!
Hope you like it. Remember it’s customizable so you can add as much or little as you want!
That does look easy! I used to get the splenda sweetened version when I first started eating healthier, turns out that’s just as bad!
The things we’ve learned along the way!