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Creating the perfect keto ketchup recipe was no different than developing sugar free BBQ sauce and keto pizza sauce. After much trial and error, I perfected a sugar free ketchup that tastes just like the real deal and stays low carb enough for a keto diet. You can cross this one off your list of favorite foods you miss!
The official start of summer may be a few weeks away, but grilling season is definitely here — and, you’re going to need this low carb sugar free ketchup recipe for all your cookouts this summer. Your guests (or your kids) won’t guess it has no added sugar and is keto friendly. You might even forget it yourself. 😉
Is Ketchup Keto?
Traditional store bought ketchup is not keto. It’s made with added sugar, or even worse, high fructose corn syrup. There are some sugar free ketchup brands, but most of them use artificial sweeteners like sucralose.
Fortunately, there is still a way to enjoy ketchup on a low carb diet and avoid sugar. Just use my homemade sugar free ketchup recipe instead!
The key to making low carb ketchup or keto ketchup is really just the sweetener. Instead of sugar, or syrup, I used Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend, which dissolves easily and ensures that the ketchup is smooth, not grainy.
In fact, it tastes so much like the real deal that I included it in my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook, along with several other delectable sauces and spreads.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for the best sugar free ketchup, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Tomato Paste – Adds classic tomato ketchup flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, you can simmer tomato sauce until it reduces to a paste consistency.
- Water
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Some sugar substitutes work better than others, and this one is my top recommendation. Other sweeteners can crystallize or not fully dissolve, leading to a gritty texture. You can use a concentrated liquid sweetener if you prefer, such as liquid monk fruit extract or stevia, but keep in mind that these can create an aftertaste and you’ll need to use much less.
- White Vinegar – Use apple cider vinegar to make this homemade ketchup paleo friendly.
- Spices – To make this tomato ketchup taste similar to Heinz, you will need sea salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, ground cloves, and mustard powder.
How To Make Sugar Free Ketchup
This section shows how to make keto ketchup, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Combine. Whisk all ingredients in a small saucepan, until smooth.
- Simmer. Gently bubble over low heat, with a cover, until the sugar free ketchup thickens (reduces) to your desired consistency. Stir occasionally while simmering. Taste, and adjust salt and sweetener if needed.
- Blend. For the best keto ketchup that’s silky smooth, transfer the mixture to a high-powdered blender (this one is my favorite) and puree. This step is not required, but I highly recommend it for the smoothest texture that is most similar to the ketchup you’re probably used to.
TIP: Simmering time will vary.
The time can vary widely depending on the size of your pan and your stove temperature. Larger pans will need less time.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep keto ketchup in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. If separation occurs, give it a stir and it will return to normal.
- Freeze: Pour into an airtight container or freezer bag, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Ways To Use Keto Ketchup
Fries — which are not low carb — are probably the food that comes to mind when you think of ketchup. But don’t worry, there are alternatives and other tasty ways to enjoy keto ketchup in your favorite meals:
- Burgers – Use it to top your burgers sandwiched between low carb hamburger buns. Add some homemade mayo on them while you’re at it! If you’re making burgers for a cookout, serve your burgers with grilled cabbage steaks or a creamy cauliflower potato salad.
- Chicken – Dip keto chicken nuggets (pictured above) or crispy keto chicken tenders into sugar free ketchup. They just aren’t the same without the right condiment!
- Fries – Try my favorite keto french fries or even low carb cauliflower tots. You can also serve it with garlic parmesan fries for family members who aren’t keto.
- Meatloaf – Slather a layer on a keto meatloaf or a savory bacon wrapped turkey meatloaf.
More Homemade Sugar Free Condiments
Need a healthier alternative to store-bought condiments? Try your hand at these easy homemade condiments — all sugar free!
Recommended Tools
- Whisk – The ergonomic design and soft handle make it a breeze to use for just about any kitchen task.
- Saucepan – The pour spouts on this saucepan make it easy to pour the hot ketchup into the blender.
- Blender – With its high-powered motor, this blender can easily blend and break down any ingredients into a smooth puree.
Keto Sugar Free Ketchup
Sugar Free Ketchup (Keto)
This easy keto sugar free ketchup tastes just like the regular kind, with simple ingredients and just 2 grams net carbs. Everyone loves it!
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Whisk all ingredients in a small saucepan, until smooth.
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Simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat, with a cover, until the ketchup thickens (reduces) to your desired thickness. (Time will vary widely depending on the size of your pan.) Stir occasionally while simmering. Taste, and adjust salt and sweetener if needed.
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For the best consistency, puree the ketchup in a high-power blender for at least 30 seconds, until smooth. (This step is optional, but recommended for texture.)
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Readers Who Liked This Easy Recipe Also Made:
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 tablespoon
- Entire recipe makes 3/4 cup, or 12 tablespoons.
- Recipe from The Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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157 Comments
pilar valle
0Best recipe for ketchup that I have found. I double the recipe most of the time.
jojobe
0I’m not a ketchup fan as a rule but am using this recipe as part of the Shrimp Cocktail recipe. I added smoked paprika and ginger instead of plain paprika and cloves. I like the deeper complication of the smoke and I just didn’t have any cloves. The ginger works well.
Newscarver
0I don’t like monkfruit nor any of the alternative “sugars”. I bought Primal Kitchen Organic and Unsweetened Ketchup and it tastes great. It’s very expensive though. Tomato paste, however, is cheap. I think I will tweak this recipe and just omit the sweetener. I may need to add some water if the result is too acidic.
Judy
0Hi! Thank you for the recipe. I will be making it today. Can you tell me how long it lasts in the fridge? Thanks again! Judy
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Judy, This should last about a week.
Janet
0This is the best ketchup recipe. I will never buy a prepared ketchup ever again. I have made this time and time again, always comes out perfectly. I love to use a brown sugar as well. Thank you so much for all your amazing suggestions and information. It certainly helps making eating healthy even more delicious!!
G G
0I used Rotel tomatoes instead of tomato paste, because we love spicy! I used Stevia for sweetener.
Delicious for meatloaf sauce!
Bryan
0Erythritol has zero nets carbs. Because erythritol is a sugar alcohol, the carbs aren’t able to be processed by the body.
Tris
0Some people, such as myself, cannot handle the erythritol. Allulose is also 0 n net carbs. There are natural sugars in the tomato paste.
jojobe
0Erythritol is not recommended to those of us with heart conditions or high blood pressure.
Sally
0The cloves killed it. I will make again but leave the cloves out then I think it will be my favorite ketchup recipe.
Tris Elftman
0Cloves are what makes ketchup taste like ketchup but I definitely understand having any aversions. I hope it worked out!
Susan
0I think the carbs might be miscalculated.According to carb manager 1/4 cup of Besti Powdered Erythritol is 36 total carbs. That ingredient alone would make it 3 total carbs per the 1 tablespoon serving. With the carbs in the spices, it adds 3.1 more total carbs. For a total of 39.1 total carbs or 3.3 per 1 tablespoon serving. Please advise.
Recipe tastes very good.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Susan, Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. If you have questions about calculations or why you got a different result please see our nutrition policy.
jojobe
0I used monk fruit sweetened honey and it added no sugar alcohol and no carbs. The flavor is sweeter than sugar so I was careful and there is no obvious sweetness just a balanced flavor.
Susan
0I loved this recipe! I’ve already written it down and put it in my family recipe box. I plan on mixing the dry ingredients to keep on hand so I can make a quick batch when needed. The ground cloves added a nice dimension to this recipe; it was the perfect amount.
Mi
0Love it. So glad I found this. I also made the meatloaf that went along with it. Loved it also.
Sharon
0Just wondering how long it keeps in the fridge, please 😀 If its not used straight away, what is the best way to store it?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sharon, There is a whole section in the article on how to store the sugar free ketchup.
Heather Collins
0Love this recipe and your BBQ sauce is to die for. Can I freeze these? We don’t use a lot of either sauce but I hate wasting anything.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Heather, I have never tried to freeze this because I am not sure if it would be good after thawing due to the vinegar.
Haleigh
0Very excited to make this thanks!
Brian
0LOVE this ketchup. It’s all we use now… and my stepson even said he was “giving up H***z,” which used to be the only brand he’d eat. Just finished up a batch scaled up for a #10 can (6 lb 15 oz) of tomato paste. Made just over 6 quarts, 5 of which I put in a water bath for 15 minutes. I’m no expert, so don’t quote me on it, but as the pH was around 3.5, I figure it should be fine.
Nancy
0Love this recipe. I replaced erythritol with 4 dates (they cooked down and blended in perfectly). Plus, I added 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper to add a bit of a kick.
sam
0This is truly the best keto ketchup recipe, it far exceeds anything you can buy in the store. Thank you for sharing!
Beverly Brooks
0Can you make this salt free or there’s something else to substitute for salt?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Beverly, There are several salt-free products you can use in place of salt. Potassium chloride is commonly used as a salt substitute.
Nifrey Tero
0If using liquid monkfruit, what quantities do we use for this same recipe?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nifrey, Sorry, I have not tested that. Let me know how it goes if you do.
Sharla
0So good! I made this the first tine when I was out of Primal Kitchen ketchup. Making it again today. Taste is great!
Yayra Gunu
0Tried this for the first time and it’s really YUM
Keto_Creed
0Thanks for the recipe. Where do I get the tomato paste from? Do I need to buy it or make it myself?
Wholesome Yum M
0If you are in the US, you can find tomato paste in any grocery store. It’s with the canned goods, but can be found in a tube as well. If you are located outside of the US, then you will want to look for a concentrated tomato product. It should have a thicker consistency than a tomato soup or tomato sauce products. I hope this helps to clarify what you are looking for!
Stacey
0This ketchup is my go to, and we love it in our house. What is the shelf life for this recipe when refrigerated? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Stacey, This recipe is good for a week+ in the fridge. Enjoy!
Maureen
0I’m a little bit of a ketchup snob and this is bar none the BEST homemade ketchup I’ve ever made
Nancy Blanchard
0Love, love this ketchup…tastes amazing and I always make a double batch!
Thank you so much,
Nancy
Tonya Courchesne
0This ketchup is perfect. I prefer to any store bought brand which seem bitter. Thank you for creating this!
James
0I didn’t see any comments about making with stevia. What would the proper amount be? Thanks for posting this, can’t wait to try it.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi James, You definitely can make this recipe using liquid stevia. Check this sweetener calculator here to figure out the correct amount.
Mary
0I would give this ketchup recipe 10 stars if it were available. Excellent taste and texture. The apple cider vinegar gives it a boost in flavor.
Billie
0We make a quadruple batch of this once a month for our teenagers so they can use it with keto chicken tenders, burgers, hotdogs and what ever else they think task better with ketchup.
It is super easy to make we did reduce the vinager to 3tbs for the whole thing insted of the 12tbs. it would normally want for that much because the kids said it was to vinagery.
This is so much more cost effective than the store bought suger free ones!
Edie
0your recipes are easy & delicious. You make keto foolproof, thank you!
Tina Horner
0This is the best ketchup I’ve ever had!!!
Paddy Jonas
0The cloves were cloying. So have omitted
Nelda R Owens
0This tasted wonderful right after I mixed it up. After it cooked! Wow! Delicious!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Makes Keto even easier with people like you coming up with great recipes.
Nancy
0I have granulated Monk Fruit sweetener that came in a large amount and since there is only me, I need to know if there is some way to use this in place of the powdered. Doesn’t it melt when heated like sugar does? I really don’t want to buy another large container in the powdered form if I can somehow substitute the granulated.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Nancy, It doesn’t dissolve the way sugar does, the gritty texture will remain. If you have a blender, you can try powdering it yourself, but it may still result in a gritty texture.
Gerald
0If you have a coffee grinder it powders it great that’s what we do. “The monk fruit”
shanila
0A real Keto life saver. Have made this a few times now. I add a little more vinegar as we like our ketchup tangy.
Caril
0I liked the flavor and instead of using tomato paste I used tomato sauce and omitted adding the water.
I was out of paste but it still turned out great.
Linda
0This recipe was amazing – way better than store-bought and low carb to boot! I live in the coastal south and would really love it if you would create a cocktail sauce recipe using this ketchup as a base or starting point.
LInda
0I’m not sure if she made a cocktail sauce recipe yet but I make my own using the above and ground prepared horseradish, it adds a tiny bit of extra carbs but it’s so good. The brand I buy is Silver Spring Fresh Ground Prepared Horseradish at Walmart and it has 1g carb in 1sp. I’m sure you could purchase fresh horseradish and grind it yourself but I haven’t tried it.
Sarah williams
0Fantastic, easy and very very tasty
Betsy
0Easy to make and we like it better then Heinz. Will never go back to store bought again! Excellent ketchup and so simple to make. Thank you!
Lalala
0How is this Keto?! Tomato Paste has TONS of sugar! 🙁
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lalala, This ketchup only has 1 gram of sugar per serving. As long as you enjoy it in moderation, it can fit nicely into a keto diet.
John
0Just as good as the “real” thing, I use this as the base for Sloppy Joes.
Delight Schwartz
0I’m trying this today and am a!so going to try what I also do when making my homemade salad dressings and mayonnaise last , I mix the contents of one probiotics capsule into the finished mixture right when I’m storing them, it acts as a natural preservative. Since I make 1 quart of mayo each month, it stays good up to and over 30 days in the frig, provided I pasteurized my eggs beforehand. I bet it might work with this recipe too. It’s discouraging to just see all the sugar content in American processed foods, especially since I was raised on Best Foods and love that brand, until I read the label. So much bad sugar and hydrogenated oils which we keto dieters cannot tolerate. I think we can do better than that and make our own. Thanks for posting.
Adrian Mendoza
0We lover this recipe! It tastes just like Whataburger ketchup!
Claudia
0Delicious! I didn’t have all the ingredients so I had to make small changes like using whole cloves, yellow mustard, different sweetener and a little more vinegar.
Mel
0Wow. This tastes like real tomato ketchup. I didn’t have mustard powder so I used Dijon mustard. Easy to make and delicious.
Ralph
0Loved this recipe! Great flavor!
Brenda
0Just one of many recipes I have borrowed from you. I have not found one that I would not use again.
Thank you.
Connie
0I made this ketchup yesterday and it was delicious. The only thing I did different was to heat up the tomato paste to almost boiling prior to adding the remaining ingredients. It took all the bitter taste out of the paste, was so easy to whisk smooth. Then I continued as directed, Thank you so much for this recipe
Becca
0Thanks for the great recipe. I’ve not been able to find a sugar free ketchup and I’m happy to have this in my recipe book.
Julie
0Hi, Maya! I was wondering if all of the ingredients could be put in the blender BEFORE heating it on the stove. In so doing I could see if I needed additional (for example) sweetener, or other ingredient. I also think it would also be easier than pouring the ketchup into the blender after it’s simmered on the stove. Just my 2 cents. Thanks so much for all of the great recipes!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Julie, I think that could work. Please report back and let us know how it went!