
This is a simple and easy recipe for the absolute best (kid-approved) homemade ketchup. 9 simple pantry ingredients. 15 minutes. Gluten-Free. Paleo. Keto. Low-Carb.
Click the “Jump To Recipe” button above to skip right to the recipe card, don’t be too hasty - the post contains all the tips and tricks.

Can I Have Ketchup On The Keto Diet:
As with the majority of store-bought condiments - the answer is no (unless you make it yourself). There are very few store-bought condiments that are allowed on any whole food diet. So, we decided to take matters into our own hands.
Instead of asking "what can I eat instead of ketchup?" now that we're on a keto diet, we asked "how can we make ketchup OK for a keto diet?".
We’ve been slowly, but surely phasing out all store-bought sauces and dressings from our lives. An important one was mayonnaise - and we’ve sorted that one out long ago with our delicious Homemade Mayonnaise recipe.
A more difficult one to replace is Ketchup (or Tomato Sauce as we call it in South Africa). We’ve tried countless recipes found online and in healthy cookbooks, but none of them really tasted right.
As much as we love ketchup, we’d rather go without it than eat ketchup that tastes like a “healthy ketchup”.
We want something that tastes the real deal, that actually tastes good. Instead of looking high and low for a keto store-bought substitute for ketchup, or turning a blind eye and eating unhealthy ketchup anyway - we made our own.
So, after a lot of trial and error, we’re pretty sure we’ve come up with a homemade keto ketchup recipe that doesn’t feel like a compromise at all. In fact, it tastes just like ketchup should.
A super important part of anything homemade is that it should be easy. When you’re running low on ketchup, you don’t want to dread making the next batch. So, that’s why our recipe is as easy as can be, with simple pantry ingredients that you can always keep on hand.
How To Make Homemade Ketchup:
Now that we have our ultimate homemade ketchup recipe finalized, we ensure that we always have these things in the pantry:
- Tomato Puree
- Tomato Paste
- Onion
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Honey
- Ground Cloves
- Oregano
- Salt and Pepper
Start by sautéing the onions and garlic until the onion is soft and translucent.

Next, add all the rest of the ingredients, mix it well and allow it to come to a boil.

Now, you need to allow it to simmer until it reaches your desired consistency. For us, this takes about 10 minutes of simmering.
We usually allow the ketchup to cool down to room temperature in the pot, before adding it to a glass jar and finally, refrigerating. (One batch of our healthy keto ketchup never lasts more than a week in our house, so I know it lasts at least that long in the fridge.)
There really is nothing to it and there are no excuses for NOT making your own ketchup at home. Yes, it does take longer than choosing a bottle from a rack in a grocery store, but the little extra time it takes is investing in your health and future.

If you’re looking for more delicious homemade sauces and condiments, go check out some of our other quick and easy recipes:
- Simple 5 Minute Homemade Marinara Recipe [Low-Carb, Keto, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole 30]
- Simple Homemade Mayonnaise [Paleo, Whole 30, Low-Carb, Keto, Gluten-Free]
- Easy Blender Romesco Sauce
- Celery Ranch Dressing
- Red Chili Tomato Sauce
Simple Homemade Keto Ketchup / Tomato Sauce Ketchup Recipe and Nutritional Facts/Calories:
📋 recipe

Homemade Keto Ketchup
Ingredients
- 1 can tomato puree
- 120 g tomato paste
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon honey
- ⅛ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ onion (finely minced)
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Lower the temperature and allow to simmer until it reaches your desired consistency. We usually let it simmer for approximately 10 minutes.
- Allow to cool down before pouring into a jar. Keep the ketchup refridgerated.
Tammy Holbrook says
What can you use instead of honey? I'm allergic to honey
Roche Woodworth says
Any keto approved sweetener will be fine!:)
Paige says
How large of a can of the tomato purée? In the states, we have different size cans of the purée.
Roche Woodworth says
Hi, we used a 400g can which converts to approximately 14oz. I’ll add this to the recipe card. Hope it helps.
Yvonne says
Easy to make, a nice healthy substitute for store bought ketchup