This post contains affiliate links.
This easy Homemade Ketchup recipe uses pantry ingredients and is better than anything you can buy at the store! It is healthier and more delicious too!
Looking for more homemade condiments/sauces? Try my Orange Marmalade, Enchilada Sauce, or the BEST Homemade BBQ Sauce!
Why I love this recipe:
- Easy – Whip up this tomato ketchup in under 30 minutes then store in the fridge! It's a simple, one pot recipe!
- Pantry Ingredients – Out of ketchup? Chances are you already have everything you need to make this, and I promise it will be worth it!
- Delicious – This easy ketchup recipe tastes fresh and better than anything that you can buy at the grocery store! It has no artificial ingredients or corn syrup, so it's healthier too!
Ketchup Ingredients:
- Tomato Paste
- Tomato Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Water
- Salt & Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cinnamon
- Optional: Crushed Red Pepper or Hot Sauce
How to make Ketchup:
Simmer Ketchup: Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring well. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Sweeteners and spices can be adjusted, to taste.
Serve: The options are endless with homemade ketchup! But I love to serve it with Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Homemade French Fries, Classic Juicy Hamburger, or this Turkey Burger.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: This easy ketchup recipe can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Just store in a glass pint jar or other glass container with a lid.
To Freeze: I suggest homemade ketchup freezing in ice cube trays, then once frozen, store the cubes in a freezer Ziploc bag for easy access and quick thawing.
Recipe Variations:
- Tomato Paste: You can make tomato paste from scratch. If you’d like to use fresh garden tomatoes for ketchup, I suggest this recipe, or this one for home canning https://www.pickyourown.org/ketchup.htm.
- Sugar: Can substitute honey, Stevia, Splenda, Agave, or leave it out, depending on taste and dietary preferences. Keep in mind that each will alter the flavor (especially honey).
Use Ketchup With:
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Sweet Potato Fries or Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Homemade French Fries or Air Fryer French Fries
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Turkey Burgers
- Classic Juicy Hamburger Recipe
- Quinoa Burger
- Mini Meatloaf
- Easy Grilled Chicken Burgers
- The BEST Black Bean Burger
- Instant Pot Meatloaf
- Popcorn Chicken
- Meatloaf
- Breakfast Potatoes
Follow me for more great recipes
Homemade Ketchup
Ingredients
- 6 oz can tomato paste*
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar*
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar*
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2/3 cup water
- 3/4 tsp salt, , or more, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, , or more, to taste
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- ground cinnamon, , dash
- optional: dash of crushed red pepper or hot sauce
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring well.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat.
- Store in a glass pint jar or other glass container with a lid, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Sweeteners and spices can be adjusted, to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Text me new recipe ideas!
Simple, tasty ideas sent once a week. No spam.
Follow Me
I made this last night and it turned out great! My husband loves it. I just steadily added the sugars & AC vinegar to avoid overdoing them. I had a little of each left at the end. Next time I’ll be doubling the recipe so I can freeze it. Thanks!
Amazing, simple, delicious
This is quite easy and has good ingredients that are handy. When I made it, however, the vinegar was way too strong. I used apple cider. I added another can of sauce and more paste, and it was still too vinegary. Is that just my taste or did I make a mistake somewhere? 1/3 cup did seem like a lot … ?
⅓ cup can taste strong, especially with apple cider vinegar. Nothing you did wrong! Next time, try using 2–3 tablespoons and adjust to your taste. Hope that helps!
Thanks! I’ll try that. In the meantime, the vinegar batch made excellent sloppy Joe’s with a bit of Worchestershire added. 🙂
We will never purchase ketchup again. With a few pantry staples you can make the most fabulous ketchup. I took some of the comments into consideration when adding sugar. I personally used 2 tbsp of brown sugar and 1½ tbsp white sugar and a ½ tsp of salt. It was absolutely perfect. Thank you!!!
Loved it! I did not find it too sweet, I have saved recipe to make again. Thank you!
As written, this is VERY sweet, like way sweeter than store bought Heinz sweet. I doubled the recipe to keep some plain (for onion rings) and to make a batch of cocktail sauce and I found myself doctoring the hell out of both just to tamp down the sugar. My bad for following the recipe. Clearly you can adjust for taste. I would recommend starting with half the sugar called for and then adding more if you like it that way. It’s just really hard to take the sweetness away once you have added it.
Could this ketchup be canned instead of frozen?
This homemade catsup is phenomenal on grilled hotdogs & buns w creamy pnut butter on half of toasted bun w homemade catsup on other half. I hadn’t had dogs like this in quite a few years and the flavors go well together! Don’t knock it till you try it!
Thank you for your hard work.
Dante’s garden and needs recipes to help me. Glad I found your site. Thank you.