Sugar Free Ketchup
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My sugar free ketchup recipe is sweet, tangy, and tastes so good, you won’t miss the sugar. Keto friendly, low in carbs, and using just 3 ingredients.
Mainstream ketchup brands pack their sauces with copious amounts of sugar and, worse, high fructose corn syrup. Luckily, my sugar-free version tastes just as good as store-bought ketchup but with a fraction of the carbs and calories.
When developing this recipe, I wanted to keep the ingredient list as short as possible, so I started with a base of tomato paste and thinned it out with a combination of vinegar and spices to make a ketchup that is thick, rich in tomato flavor, and with the right amount of sweetness.
It’s since become our go-to- even though most grocery stores now stock sugar-free ketchup, none of them taste as good as this, and most contain a laundry list of artificial sweeteners.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Tastes like the real thing. Most sugar free ketchups have a chemical aftertaste from artificial sweeteners. Using keto brown sugar instead of stevia is what gives this version an authentic flavor.
- Ready in 11 minutes. Unlike store-bought versions that sit on shelves for months, this is made fresh and keeps in the fridge for one month.
- Guilt-free. At 8 calories and 1 gram of net carbs per serving, this is a game-changer for those of us on a low carb diet or trying to cut back on added sugar.
- It goes with anything. From air fryer french fries to healthy burgers and keto chicken nuggets, you can use this ketchup exactly as you would regular ketchup.
You may also like sugar free BBQ sauce and sugar free honey mustard.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Tomato paste. Not tomato sauce or passata. Tomato paste is super concentrated and gives plenty of tomato flavor.
- White vinegar. I used a combination of apple cider and white vinegar, so the apple flavor would not be overpowering.
- Sweetener of choice. Either keto brown sugar or powdered sugar substitutes. I prefer the former, as it gives the ketchup a more authentic flavor, but any store-bought or homemade sugar-free sweetener will work.
- Onion and garlic powder. A little of both for added flavor. Do not use onion salt and garlic salt, or the ketchup will be too salty.
- Water. To thin out the mixture to your desired texture.
How to make sugar free ketchup
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Simmer: Start by mixing all your ingredients in a small saucepan. On medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer. Once it has simmered, reduce to very low heat and stir regularly for 10 minutes.
Step 2- Chill: Remove from the heat and let cool completely, to thicken.
Recipe tips and variations
- Taste as you go. Taste-test the ketchup while you are stirring it up. If it is too thick, you can add more water to thin it out. Also, if you prefer sweeter ketchup, add extra sweetener.
- Do not use stevia or stevia blends of sugar. They are renowned for having a bitter flavor.
- Use other spices. I sometimes add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for some heat, or a pinch of oregano for more Italian flavor.
- Store in a squeezable bottle. I use a standard condiment squeeze bottle. They’re inexpensive and make the ketchup feel just like store-bought.
How to store leftovers
To store: Leftover ketchup must always be refrigerated, as it doesn’t contain added preservatives and isn’t safe at room temperature. If kept in an airtight container, it’ll stay good for up to 1 month.
To freeze: Place the ketchup in a freezer-friendly container and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then mix before enjoying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brands like Heinz and G Hughes are the most widely available sugar free ketchups. I prefer G Hughes as it tastes the closest to regular ketchup.
Homemade ketchup has nothing artificial in it. However, store-bought sugarless ketchup does. They contain aspartame and sucralose.
When made as written, my recipe has 1 gram of net carbs per two tablespoon serving.
Technically, low-carb ketchup should be suitable for diabetics, but it’s important to talk with your doctor to ensure it’s safe for you.
Sugar Free Ketchup (Keto)
Ingredients
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar substitute
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add all your ingredients and mix until combined.
- On medium heat, warm up the saucepan and its contents. Once it begins to simmer, reduce the heat to low and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and add either more sweetener or more salt, depending on taste.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
More sugar free sauce & dips
- Keto mayonnaise– This honestly tastes better than regular mayo.
- Keto teriyaki sauce– Same sweet and tangy flavor but with only 2 grams of net carbs per serving.
- Keto guacamole– Thick, creamy, and guaranteed to surprise even your non-keto friends.
- Keto hummus– Made with cauliflower instead of chickpeas, it’s my family’s favorite hummus recipe.
Has anyone had luck using coconut brown sugar for this recipe?
Hi Naomi- that will work. I adapted this recipe off a brown sugar ketchup recipe I learned in culinary school 🙂 Coconut brown sugar will have a more richer flavor (think a cross between BBQ sauce and ketchup). Let me know how you go!
I have never liked ketchup so I never have it on hand. But there are many recipes that call for it so found this recipe. Changed my mind about ketchup as I love this recipe. Has more flavor and a bit more like barbecue sauce. Yum!
Great recipe and loved the taste.
Really easy, inexpensive and good! I just had to add a little more vinegar and 1/2 tsp of paprika. Yum.
Love your keto recipes, so easy and taste great.
Winner winner!
This is a surprisingly easy recipe and makes the best tasting ketchup! I’m not a big fan of garlic so I just used a very light sprinkling. I also “cooked” it in the microwave for 6 minutes at 50% power. Perfect! Thanks so much for all your great recipes.
Good base, but must have cinnamon and cloves for classic ketchup flavor.
I have never liked ketchup and didn’t see why there are those who use it on everything. But after making this recipe, I am hooked. I absolutely love this ketchup recipe!
This recipe was easy to make and easy to customize. I will use less brown sugar substitute next time. I also added a little chili powder and cayenne pepper to make the ketchup spicy for sloppy joes.
oooo I would do that too!
The flavor is great, I like it better than store bought.
I didn’t have the brown sugar substitute, so I used white sugar substitute.
Love the simplicity here. I replaced all refined ingredients with ‘el fresco’: ‘brown sugar substitute’ replaced by 1 heaping tablespoon smoked real maple sugar from Quebec🍁, all apple cider vinegar (no white), fresh pressed garlic.
Made it with brown sugar instead of sugar free. Delicious. Everyone thought it tasted great
Fabulous! I used Xylitol as the sweetener. Tastes like and has the texture of regular ketchup. Used it to make my famous baked bean recipe, and everyone thought it was the best ever. No one knew it was low carb. Glad I made a triple batch!
This is a really good starting point for ketchup. Another reviewer said clothes and cinnamon, and I do add about an eighth of a teaspoon of each of those. I also use a sweetener, which I’ve been using for everything now, from joy-filled eats. You should really try it. excellent recipe tastes delicious. Wonderful
Made this this morning. It’s really great. I did add a little less than 14 tsp of cloves. I happen to like cloves. But even without the cloves it wonderful, My children asked to make it sweeter. So I added 2 Tbs. of allulose, because that is all I had. Thanks for the great sauce!!! Love your recipes.
Easy, tasty and economical. Thanks