Homemade ketchup is made with fresh tomatoes and vinegar, perfect for hot dogs and fries. Without corn syrup, it’s a healthier, tastier option.
Learn how to make the best homemade ketchup with fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, and apple cider vinegar. This easy recipe has less sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, and a thick consistency—perfect for french fries, hot dogs, and more.
Why Homemade Ketchup Is the Best Homemade Ketchup Choice
Store-bought ketchup often hides high fructose corn syrup and other fillers in its ingredient labels—bottled stuff like Heinz ketchup might be convenient, but it’s not always the healthiest. This easy homemade ketchup recipe gives you back control with real ingredients—fresh tomatoes or Roma tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato puree, tomato-based ketchup alternatives, and apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar, if preferred)—all blended into a thick consistency condiment that redefines the favorite way you enjoy French fries, veggie burgers, onion rings, hot dogs, or ranch dressing.
Imagine dipping air fryer sweet potato fries or regular French fries into your own ketchup—no more confusing ingredient labels or too much sugar. Whether you choose apple cider vinegar for deeper flavor or white vinegar for classic tang, add maple syrup for complexity or stick with brown sugar for affordability, this own homemade ketchup recipe elevates every plate while staying simple, healthy, and customizable. It’s the perfect homemade ketchup, your favorite way to enjoy tomato-based condiments, and a recipe you’ll return to time and again.
Why This Is the Best Homemade Ketchup
- A healthier, tangy, slightly sweet, slightly spicy version—the best homemade ketchup that tastes even better than your grocery store favorite.
- Real ingredients only—no high fructose corn syrup.
- Texture and tang customizable—control the amount of sugar, the amount of vinegar, and the spice level.
- Options for fresh tomatoes or a quick paste-based version.
- Tools like an immersion blender, a food mill, a wooden spoon, and a glass container make this both user-friendly and premium-feeling.
- Multipurpose: perfect on French fries, a plate of fries, onion rings, hot dogs, burgers, veggie burgers, and even with ranch dressing.
- Make a large batch (in a large pot) and freeze portions in ice cube trays or freezer bags for long shelf life—a great way to have ready-to-use homemade ketchup.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The best part of this easy homemade ketchup recipe is how customizable it is. You can adjust the sweetness, vinegar, and spices depending on whether you like a classic tomato ketchup, a sweet ketchup, or something with a little kick. Here are the core ingredients and their variations:
- Tomatoes: Use fresh tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, or other paste tomatoes from your vegetable garden for the freshest flavor. If you don’t have fresh on hand, tomato paste, tomato sauce, or tomato puree are excellent shortcuts from the grocery store. Even canned tomato products work well.
- Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds depth and natural sweetness, while white vinegar gives a sharper tang. Adjust the amount of vinegar to control the brightness of your ketchup.
- Sweetener: For a classic flavor, stick with brown sugar. If you want less sugar, swap in maple syrup or honey. Want a sweet ketchup? Use a little more sugar. Want a healthier spin? Use half the sugar or a mix of natural sweeteners.
- Spices: A blend of garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, and celery seed (or celery salt) gives ketchup its signature taste. Add a pinch of ground cloves for warmth or a dash of cayenne pepper or hot sauce for a bit of heat and a spicy ketchup variation.
- Salt and Pepper: A touch of black pepper and salt rounds everything out. Adjust to your taste.
- Olive Oil (Optional): Adds a smoother texture and richer flavor, but can be skipped if you prefer a lighter sauce.
Fun Variations
- Healthy ketchup: Reduce the sugar and use apple cider vinegar.
- Spicy ketchup: Stir in hot sauce, cayenne, or chili powder.
- Sweet ketchup: Increase brown sugar or try maple syrup for a rich sweetness.
- Smoky ketchup: Add a pinch of smoked paprika or liquid smoke.
This flexibility is the best way to create your own ketchup recipe, tailored exactly to your taste buds and your favorite things—whether that’s dipping French fries, topping hot dogs, or slathering on veggie burgers.
Homemade Ketchup Step by Step
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh tomatoes
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard powder
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
Peel and core the tomatoes. Cook gently until the ingredients are broken down, about 1 hour, stirring often.
Over medium heat, combine cooked tomatoes with the tomato puree, apple cider, brown sugar, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed, mustard powder, ground cloves, salt, and a bit of black pepper.
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to low and simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.
Use an immersion blender or food processor to achieve a velvety texture.
Pass through a fine food mill or strainer to remove any seeds or bits, yielding a really polished final product.
Let the ketchup cool completely, then transfer it into airtight containers or glass bottles. Keep in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Homemade Ketchup Leftovers
Storage: After your ketchup has cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight container or glass bottle and store it in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for about 3 weeks and maintain that perfect tangy flavor and thick consistency.
Freezing: If you made a larger batch, freezing is a great way to extend the shelf life. For easy portions, spoon cooled ketchup into ice cube trays, freeze until solid, then transfer cubes to freezer bags. This makes it simple to grab just what you need for a plate of fries or to spread on hot dogs and veggie burgers. Frozen ketchup will last up to 6 months, and thawing overnight in the fridge gives you a final product that tastes just as good as the day you made it.
Recipe
Originally Published On: June 8, 2026
Homemade Ketchup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh tomatoes
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard powder
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Peel and core the tomatoes
- Cook gently until the ingredients are broken down, about 1 hour, stirring often
- Over medium heat, combine cooked tomatoes with the tomato puree, apple cider, brown sugar, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed, mustard powder, ground cloves, salt, and a bit of black pepper
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to low and simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes
- Use an immersion blender or food processor to achieve a velvety texture
- Pass through a fine food mill or strainer to remove any seeds or bits, yielding a really polished final product
- Let the ketchup cool completely, then transfer it into airtight containers or glass bottles
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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I’ve wanted to try my hand at making ketchup for quite some time now! This recipe looks fantastic, and it would be so much better to have something I know has fresh ingredients.
This is important and timely, as my hub is a diabetic. Catsup is a big no no. They do make bottled catsup with no sugar added but I am going to try this recipe. thanks.
Steph, your homemade ketchup recipe makes healthy cooking approachable, offering delicious flavor without additives while making it easy to make.
This sounds delicious! I love the idea of making ketchup from scratch with simple ingredients and without all the extra additives found in many store bought versions. There’s something so satisfying about creating homemade staples that the whole family can enjoy, and I bet this would taste amazing with burgers, hot dogs, and fresh fries. Definitely adding this to my list of recipes to try!
If I’m feeling ambitious one day, I might make my own ketchup. This sounds tasty! I just have to feel inspired one day to do this instead of reaching for an already made one in a bottle.
Holy. Cow. This is far and away better than anything you will ever get out of a bottle I might not ever buy ketchup again!
Heinz has been getting away with it for years and we just accepted it. Not anymore! Thanks for this awesome recipe.
My mother made homemade tomato ketchup, and store-bought is just no comparison! Homemade is better no matter what it is.
I didn’t imagine it could be so easy to make at home! It turned out really well, and the kids loved it!
Thanks for the tip about the simmering process and why it thickens naturally over time. Never try to make my own ketch up but I think I will try it next time and see how it turns out!
I remember when I first learned that you could make ketchup on your own. I felt like I discovered a whole other side to the sauce. I started adding garlic powder and paprika. It’s really fun what you can do.
Well, thi sis one thing I never really thought of making. But love the idea of using less sugar and using brown sugar instead.
I’m just impressed by your effort because this is not a short or quick and easy recipe for an every day condiment. I like ketchup but I rarely use it and I have tried a number of variations. They even have organic ketchup for purists. Enjoy it!
Oh wow, yes please. I’m trying to make more from scratch these days and would rather not have to rely on shop bought sauces. Homemade normally tastes much better and means you avoid preservatives and other ingredients you don’t want in your foods. Looking forward to giving this a go!!!!!
I’ve never really thought about making my own ketchup since it’s something that’s so easy to buy and readily available in the market.
Thank you for sharing the recipe. This is really good to know, and I’m happy to learn that we can actually make a healthier version at home.