5-minute homemade ketchup recipe

Tomato ketchup is one of the children's favorite foods. Some kids (mine!) will eat anything (including the liver) with ketchup on it. Unfortunately, most store-bought versions are filled with mystery spices and high fructose corn syrup.

It really pays to make your own ketchup. The taste, texture and aroma blow store bought ketchup out of the water! My kids love how tasty it is and put ketchup on everything when we have a stash of it in the fridge. This is a very beloved spice in our house.

Spice is beautiful!

Spices should not be ignored in a healthy kitchen. Dried herbs and spices in sauces and seasonings bring antioxidant benefits as well as flavor to the table. It's also a good way to add variety without reinventing the tried and true meal plan.

Sweet potato fries, boneless fish sticks or chicken fingers are interesting again when served with ranch instead of BBQ sauce… or with ketchup! Plus, there are the ever-classic American hot dogs and hamburgers (from grass-fed beef, of course).

PS Want healthier ketchup but don't want to make it? Try this organic version, without sugar from Primal Kitchen!

How to make homemade ketchup

Thankfully, this ketchup recipe is one of the easiest condiments to make at home with basic ingredients. It doesn't require fancy equipment either. All you need is a blender or food processor.

Some homemade ketchup recipes call for cooking tomato sauce with spices and brown sugar on the stove. I've found that just mixing everything together and letting it thaw in the fridge works just as well to get that classic tomato flavor.

I make this ketchup every few weeks so that I have it on hand to add to dishes or to serve with almost any meat or vegetable (fruits can take a lot away…).

Ketchup recipe ingredients

I use raw honey as my sweetener of choice, but you can also use maple syrup or some stevia for a low-sugar version. It helps soften the acidity without adding tons of corn syrup (I'm looking at you Heinz ketchup!). The homemade version has an even better ketchup flavor than what you'll find in most grocery stores.

Our family also likes just a pinch of cayenne pepper in this recipe to give it some heat. If you want, you can use black pepper or red pepper. If your family really doesn't like spicy, then skip this ingredient. However, it is a subtle spicy flavor and even my younger kids love it.

Storing your ketchup

This recipe keeps in the fridge for about a month just like regular ketchup.

And another bonus: as with most home recipes (whether for laundry, beautyOR the food), you do the world the extra favor of skipping plastic packaging and using recyclable and reusable containers. Not to mention your fridge won't be overflowing with bottles of spices because you can make as little or as much as you want.

I usually store mine in a mason jar, but I also found some really cute ones glass spice bottle here.

Ready to try your hand at a homemade ketchup?

Easy recipe for homemade ketchup

A natural and easy homemade ketchup recipe that kids love.

32 Serving (2 tablespoons)

Grind the chia seeds in a blender or food processor on high speed for 30 seconds or until finely ground.
Add all remaining ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes.
Place in an airtight quart jar and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight for the flavors to meld.
Store it in the fridge and use it like regular ketchup.

Nutrition facts

Easy recipe for homemade ketchup

Amount per serving (1 serving)

Calories 23
Calories from fat 1

% Daily Value*

Fat 0.1 g0%

Saturated fat 0.02 g0%

Unsaturated fat 0.1 g

Monounsaturated fat 0.03 g

Sodium 200 mg9%

potassium 185 mg5%

Carbohydrates 5 g2%

Fiber 1 g4%

Sugar 4 g4%

Protein 1 g2%

Vitamin A 245 IU5%

Vitamin C 4 mg5%

Calcium 11 mg1%

Iron 1 mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

It can be stored in the refrigerator for at least 1 month.

Do you like this recipe? Check out my new cookbookor get all my recipes (over 500!) in a custom weekly meal planner here!

Other Homemade Spice Recipes

Just one spice is not enough… here are some other food favorites that your family can enjoy. Use these recipes as a base and adjust the flavors to your family's taste by adding a pinch of this or a pinch of that.

Maybe challenge yourself to try a new one every month!

Mayonnaise – Made mayonnaise like Julia Child (ok, ok maybe I'm getting ahead of myself) with all real food ingredients and no nasty processed vegetable oils
Sriracha Mayonnaise – Custom mayo for taste buds that like a little heat, delicious to dip this healthier version onion rings
Italian clothing – Classic salad dressing, without additives or artificial preservatives
Ranch clothing – My personal favorite! Sweet, creamy, gooey… all the things a farm should be!
Asian Ginger Vinaigrette – Asian with a Thai twist. Pour over fish, fry or this Salad with Asian colors
Gravy and honey mustard dressing – This 5-ingredient dressing keeps well in the fridge, so make a big batch!
Lacto Fermented Salsa – An expensive probiotic supplement is not the only way to fill your gut with good bacteria. Fermented salsa lasts longer and has great health benefits!