Homemade Sugar-Free Ketchup
Thick, tangy, gently sweet ketchup made from tomato paste and pantry spices — tastes like the classic, minus the corn syrup.
Nutrition per serving
1 tbsp- Net carbs
- 1.5g
- Calories
- 9kcal
- Protein
- 0.4g
- Fat
- 0.1g
- Total carbs
- 3.2 g
- Fiber
- 0.4 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Curry ketchup (currywurst): Germany’s favorite street-food sauce: ketchup cooked with butter-softened onion, curry powder and sweet paprika. Spoon it warm over sliced grilled bratwurst.
- Melt the butter in the saucepan and soften the grated onion over medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and paprika for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Whisk in the remaining ingredients and simmer as written. Blend smooth if you like, and serve warm with a final dusting of curry powder.
From fresh tomatoes: A late-summer batch made from ripe garden tomatoes instead of paste. It takes longer to cook down and tastes brighter and fruitier.
- Simmer the chopped tomatoes with the vinegar and spices, partly covered, for 15 minutes, until completely collapsed. Blend smooth, then press through a sieve to remove the skins and seeds.
- Return to the pan with the sweetener and salt and simmer uncovered, stirring often (more often as it thickens), for 40–60 minutes, until reduced to about 1¼ cups and thick enough to mound on a spoon.
- Also add
-
½ cup waterleave out
Estimated cost $1.87 for 18 servings ($0.10 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small saucepan until completely smooth.
-
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Partially cover (it spatters) and cook 10–15 minutes, stirring often, until thick and glossy.
-
Taste and adjust: a splash more vinegar for tang, a little more sweetener for a classic diner flavor, salt to finish.
-
Cool completely, then transfer to a clean jar or squeeze bottle. It thickens further as it chills.
Tips for success
-
Allulose gives the smoothest, most authentic result; granulated erythritol can recrystallize in the fridge, so use a powdered blend if that’s what you have. - For an ultra-smooth texture, blitz briefly with an immersion blender after simmering.
- Quick sweet-and-sour dip: whisk ¼ cup ketchup with 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp tamari and 1 tbsp allulose — great with chicken nuggets.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 7 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Serve cold or at room temperature
Prep tip: It keeps up to 3 weeks in a clean, sealed jar, so one batch covers several weeks of burgers and dips.
Refrigerate in a sealed jar up to 3 weeks.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosCurry ketchup (currywurst)
FlavorGermany’s favorite street-food sauce: ketchup cooked with butter-softened onion, curry powder and sweet paprika. Spoon it warm over sliced grilled bratwurst.
- + 1 tbsp butter
- + ½ small onion
- + 1 tbsp mild curry powder
- + 1 tsp sweet paprika
1.8 g net · 17 kcal · 0.5 g protein · 0.7 g fat · ≈$0.15 per serving (+0.3 g net carbs vs the original)
From fresh tomatoes
SwapA late-summer batch made from ripe garden tomatoes instead of paste. It takes longer to cook down and tastes brighter and fruitier.
- tomato paste (6 oz) → ripe tomatoes
- no water
1.6 g net · 11 kcal · 0.5 g protein · 0.1 g fat · ≈$0.35 per serving (+0.1 g net carbs vs the original)
Save it for later
Pin this recipe to your keto board so it’s there when you plan next week.
Save to Pinterest
