How to make Keto Low Carb Sugar-Free Ketchup

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Skip the store-bought ketchup and make your own at home! This Keto Ketchup has absolutely no sugar and much more flavor than the carb-loaded commercial version. Packed with tastebud-teasing spices, it’s perfect on a keto burger bowl, or as a dip for meats or even veggies. This homemade sugar-free ketchup recipe is perfect for the paleo or vegan diet as well.

This post was originally published on September 30th, 2021.

I must admit, I’m a ketchup fan! Not to the point where I’ll pour it over absolutely anything (I like the taste of real food and their flavors too), but as a dip for roasted veggies, keto fries, or in recipes like my homemade meatballs for Keto Meatballs & Gravy, or my Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff, ketchup is really versatile and delicious. I’ve been working on this low carb ketchup recipe for a few months on and off, and I think this final version really hits the spot.

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

• Simple ingredients: This low carb ketchup recipe is made will all-natural ingredients. unlike traditional ketchup, there is no high fructose corn syrup here, and there are zero grams of sugar!
• It’s quick: Using sumac instead of vinegar halves the cooking time, making the sauce nice and thick in just minutes. (You can switch it for vinegar if needed though!).
• It’s good for you! It consists of mostly tomatoes which are high in vitamin C, cumin which contains antioxidants (apigenin and luteolin), sumac which is also rich in antioxidants and also may stabilize blood sugar and relieve muscle pain, and also black pepper which has anti-inflammatory properties.
• It goes with everything. Well, maybe not dessert, but it can easily be served beside a breakfast fry-up, with a lettuce-wrapped burger, hot dogs, french fries, or with meat and roasted veggies as a dipping sauce. I even like to mix it with my Keto Mayonnaise…yum!
• It’s vegan and kid friendly making it perfect to share with friends at BBQs or if you have company over with children.

🗝️ Key ingredients

• Passata: For a bold tomato flavor I used one large jar of passata (690g) for keto ketchup which comes to about 2.5 cups. You can substitute 2.5 cups of canned tomato sauce, or even blend the same amount of canned diced tomatoes with an immersion blender. I have tried all 3 types and they each work well, however, I find passata most convenient, with a deliciously smooth texture.
• Sumac: This is one of the main ingredients and such a great hack for making condiments! Instead of adding vinegar to bbq sauce or ketchup, I love to use sumac. Sumac is a citrusy berry that is super tart and almost lemon-like. It cuts down on the cooking time significantly and tastes just as good. If you don’t have sumac on hand, feel free to use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar instead. Around 1 cup should be plenty, but start with 3/4 cup and add more to taste. You’ll need to cook the ketchup for longer until it thickens to your desired consistency.
• Fresh spices & herbs: I’ve added allspice, cumin, sweet paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add some cayenne pepper for a little kick.
• Sweetener: The best sugar substitute that I have found is Erythritol as it is a natural sweetener (I like to avoid artificial sweeteners), perfect for a low-carb diet, and is also easy to buy online. Either white or brown sugar erythritol works well. Feel free to use your favorite natural sweeteners like monk fruit sweetener or stevia.

🥣 How to make Keto-Friendly Ketchup

1. Prepare the pan: Place a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat.

2. Add it all: Add all of the ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring well.

3. Stir: Stir occasionally until it’s thick, about 15 minutes.

🫙 Storage instructions

I like to store my sugar free ketchup in an airtight container like a glass jar. Keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

❓ Is ketchup allowed on the keto diet?

It is, in fact, regular ketchup has 3.5 grams of net carbs per tablespoon. However, I think that is a lot of carbs for such little sauce especially when you’re trying to stay under 20g net carbs per day. This keto ketchup recipe comes in at 1.1 g net carbs per tablespoon, saving you 2.4g – that’s LOADS! You can also buy reduced sugar ketchup in the supermarket which comes to around 1.8g net carbs per tbsp. Still not as low carb as my original recipe.

🤷‍♀️ What is the healthiest ketchup to eat?

As with all condiments, the healthiest ketchup to eat will be the one you make from scratch at home, as it will avoid extra ingredients like sugar, food coloring, and fillers like wheat. Not only is making your own ketchup the healthiest option, but it also has much more flavor, and you can easily add things like hot paprika or cayenne pepper to turn up the heat. If you must be store-bought, Primal Kitchen is a decent paleo brand to try.

😋 More sauces and dips to check out

• How to make Sugar Free BBQ Sauce with Sumac
• Stout BBQ Sauce
• Easy Whiskey Sauce (without cream)
• Keto Mayonnaise
• BEST Avgolemono Sauce

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📖 Recipe