Whip up a quick recipe of ketchup that you won’t feel guilty feeding your kids by the tablespoon. This quick and easy homemade ketchup recipe uses unrefined sugar and pantry ingredients you probably already have. It has no corn syrup, no preservatives, and can be made in under 2 minutes.

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Have you ever gone to serve hamburgers at a BBQ, only to find maybe a squirt of ketchup left in the bottle?

I have. I was living that moment. 

Unless there was a “Jesus and the Five Loaves” miracle, only one person was getting ketchup.

12 hungry people were seated outside on our porch. Hamburgers were done and starting to cool. 

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And I just stood there, refrigerator door wide open, staring at that bottle of nearly gone ketchup.

Then the thought came to me. Homemade ketchup. Is that a thing?

Suddenly I pictured whisking and blending, stewing over a pot of boiling ketchup.

There is none of that in this recipe of ketchup.

I found an easy, no cook ketchup recipe and whipped up ketchup in less than 2 minutes. I walked out to the porch without a noticeable delay and all the hamburger condiments, none the wiser.

(God bless the internet and this recipe of ketchup).

Read next: The absolute best gluten free pizza crust

Homemade ketchup

I adapted this recipe over the years to suit our preferences.

It’s my favorite because of the healthy ingredients, the squirtable consistency (yes, I’m a fan of squirtable ketchup), and the amount of money I save by making it at home.

All you need to make homemade ketchup is organic tomato paste, white or apple cider vinegar, mustard, water, sweetener (coconut sugar is my favorite, but maple syrup and honey are great as well), cinnamon, and cloves. 

You can also use whey from yogurt in place of some of the water to add probiotics in the ketchup (say what?! Kids will never know how healthy this ketchup is).

How to make ketchup

You can

To make your own ketchup, put 12 oz (2 6 oz cans) of tomato paste in the bowl of a large Pyrex measuring cup.

Add in the sweetener, spices, mustard, and then vinegar, whisking as you add in each ingredient. 

Slowly add water and/or whey into the ketchup, stirring constantly. 

You can make this whatever consistency you enjoy! If you like to use a butter knife to spread your ketchup, leave out some of the water. 

I like mine a little bit thinner so that it’s squirtable, but not runny. It reminds me of ketchup you buy in the store.

Which, ironically, I did just for the bottle. 

I bought some organic ketchup that was on sale and once we used it up I just refilled it with my homemade ketchup (and nobody even realized it).

You could also buy a reusable bottle like this one.

Now you can whip up some quick homemade ketchup in a pinch!

Even if you’re facing a crowd of people at a BBQ with an empty bottle. It’s so easy, you can make it before anyone realizes you’re out of ketchup.

Stay home, stay safe, and skip the grocery store. You can totally make your own ketchup instead.

How long does homemade ketchup last?

Homemade ketchup lasts about 3 weeks in the fridge, or 6 months in the freezer.

Can I use other sweetener?

Yes. You can replace the coconut sugar with cane sugar, honey, maple syrup, or stevia. If using stevia, start with ½ teaspoon, and add gradually until desired sweetness is reached.

Are your kids ALWAYS asking for you to make them something to eat?

Here are 20 healthy recipes that they can make by themselves!

Easy peasy.