Homemade Ketchup Recipe (and Sugar-Free!)
Our most popular condiment, ketchup seems like an innocent addition to our burger or to accompany our sweet potato fries, right? Well, it’s pretty full of sugar and sodium. Per tablespoon, ketchup contains 4 grams of sugar and 190 milligrams of sodium. Four grams of sugar may not seem like much, it all of it comes from added sugar rather than the natural sugar found in tomatoes.
Instead, make your own! It’s surprisingly easy, tasty and nutrition-packed with this homemade ketchup recipe.
Healthy Ingredients
- Sun-dried tomatoes: like tomatoes, they’re full of the powerful antioxidant lycopene
- Apple cider vinegar: can keep blood sugar in check and even amp up weight loss
- Raisins: when not overconsumed, raisins are a concentrated source of energy, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals
- Sea salt: rich in trace minerals (it’s difficult these days to get enough trace minerals from the foods we eat due to the lack of nutrient-rich soil)
How to Make Homemade Ketchup
You’ll be shocked to find out how easy it is to make your own ketchup. First, soak the sun-dried tomatoes for at least two hours in order to soften them up. Drain them after time’s up.
(You can also make your own sun-dried tomatoes … in the oven! Grab a pint of cherry tomatoes. Preheat oven to 250°F. Slice the tomatoes in half and put them open side up on a baking sheet lightly greased with coconut oil. Bake for 3 hours. That’s it!)
Next, simply add the drained tomatoes, vinegar, raisins, onion powder and salt to a power blender or food processor. Blend on high, adding a little bit of water to help blending and increase the creaminess of the texture.
Serve immediately or refrigerate. It will keep for at least a week.
With Fresh Tomatoes
Want to use fresh tomatoes? Then you need to switch it up a bit. Get 2½ pounds of tomatoes and slice them up, then add them to a stock pot along with the rest of the ingredients. Cook at medium heat for 30 minutes, then add to a blender (or use an immersion blender). Then add back to the pot and cook the mixture down for another 30 minutes or so.
Other Flavorful Sauces
- Chimichurri sauce
- Thai chili sauce
- Aioli
- Tzatziki sauce
- Hollandaise sauce
- Tartar sauce
- Béarnaise sauce
- Enchilada sauce
- Romesco sauce
Homemade Ketchup Recipe
- Total Time: 2 hrs 5 min
- Yield: 10 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Our most popular condiment, ketchup contains far too much added sugar to be considered healthy. Instead, make your own! It’s surprisingly easy, tasty and nutrition-packed with this homemade ketchup recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup soaked sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 2 hrs
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ teaspoon sea salt
- water, as needed to facilitate blending
Instructions
- Soak the sun-dried tomatoes for at least two hours, then drain.
- In a blender, add tomatoes, vinegar, raisins, onion powder and sea salt.
- Blend on high, adding water as needed to facilitate blending and increase creaminess.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Notes
Serve immediately or refrigerate. It will keep for at least a week.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 26
- Sugar: 4.2g
- Sodium: 363mg
- Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 0.8g
- Protein: 0.9g
Comments
Please keep comments under 200 characters.
Would like to have seen a printable recipe that uses fresh tomatoes.
An easy way for a natural low sugar ketchup recipe ! Thanks Dr Axe. 👍
Will this keep 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator? Sorry – could not resist …
The recipe says 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder. ((((confused))))
Enjoy the recipes
Can we use fresh tomatoes instead of sun-dried??
How would I do it with fresh tomatoes this summer? I don’t eat it but my husband does. p
Awesomeilltry this version,mine is healthy and fermented it,this one sounds good as well☕👌👌👌
Thank you for your wonderful recipes. Do the sun dried tomatoes need to be soaked in water or something else? Thanks
how long can be stored?
Can I use plastic bottle or mason jars and how many cup for it ? Thanks
How long it will be stay longer? Thanks again
If a person battles with candida and pretty much stays away from sugary fruits like raisins could you substitute stevia or xylotol or something else for the sweetness part in making ketchup.
I promise not to ask you how long it’s good for….. I see it is good for 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Thanks for the recipe.
Darker than I expected – I wonder if adding a few fresh tomatoes might lighten the color?
Quite a sharp taste, so I named it ‘electric ketchup’ – you can tell it’s packed with goodness and there’s no junk in there – wen’t REALLY well with the salmon patties – thanks Dr. Axe!
Can I use marinated sun dried tomatoes?
I’ve never tried it but I think it would work
What are the tomatoes soaking in?
Water
As a diabetic on a insulin pump what is the carb count for the serving size? And what is a serving size ? Thank you.
Doesn’t the use if raisins and dehydrated tomatoes keep the sugar level high any way? Mainly fructose?
Do you soak the sundried tomatoes in the apple cider vinegar, and, should you soak the raisins, also?
Soak them in water
Would love to get on your email list.
How long is the ketchup good for?
1-2 weeks refrigerated
Hi! Thanks so much for this recipe. Do you know how long it can be stored in the refrigerator without spoiling? (:
1-2 weeks
What do you soak the sun dried tomatoes in?
Water to soften them
where does it tell me to cook ketchup
It is not cooked
Why does it say for prep and cooking time: 2 hours :-o Shouldn’t we use already dried and packed tomatoes?
Sorry about that! I changed the time frame.
how long can this be refrigerated ?
1-2 weeks
Are the sundried tomatoes soaked in the apple cidar vinegar?
Soaked in water
Where can I find sulphite free sun dried tomatoes and also sulphite free raisins? Would you be able to suggest a few brand names that are sulphite free?
How long does this last in the fridge?
1-2 weeks
How does using sun-dried tomatoes impact the supposed positive Lycopene levels touted in organic brands?
Hi, what do you mean with sun dried tomato, is it the one organic jar with olive oil??
And what do you mean to soak it for 2 hours?
If it is already being soaked in oil, skip this step
Do I have to keep it in the refrigerator? And for how long. I mean when it expires??? Thanks
Yes, keep it refrigerated for 1-2 weeks
On the ketchup recipe- there are no other spices add to it?
You can add spices to taste! Let us know what you add and how it turns out!
Is there a substitute for the apple cider vinegar? I have an apple allergy.
Coconut vinegar
Do you think it would be ok to leave out the raisins? Or is that where the sweetness is from?
That’s where the sweetness is from
how long will it keep?
1-2 weeks refrigerated
How about an organic date instead of those raisins?
That may work but I haven’t tried it personally
Is there a substitute for the onion powder? I’m allergic to onions. Thanks!
Skip it and play with the other spice ratios to taste
How long will this keep in the refrigerator?
1-2 weeks
how long does it keep once made?
1-2 weeks
How long will this last in the refrigerator?
1-2 weeks
Sun Dried Tomatoes are in oil, so what do I “soak” them in.
If they’re in oil, drain them and skip this step
What is the shelf life? Would whey increase the self life?
1-2 weeks. No it wouldn’t
Lol! How many people do you think you actually read the comments before they ask you a question? Feeling for you!
On the ketchup recipe, is the amount right for onion powder? (1/4 cup)
Yes, 1/4 cup of onion powder is correct
It says teaspoon