Yes, you CAN make homemade ketchup with honey – and sweetened ONLY with a little honey – that your family will love. Plus, it’s made in just minutes with basic pantry staples! Find more great recipes on the Quick Healthy Recipes page.
Note: A Pantry Basic is anything we normally use and have in our pantries that most people buy from the store- and some (like me!) didn’t even know be made at home! See more pantry basics here.
Homemade ketchup (and other “pantry basics”) was one of the first recipes I published when I started AOC back in 2009. I loved the ease of making our own ketchup – and that I could control the ingredients, so I was excited to share the recipe I used.
Now that I’ve been making it – and experimenting with adaptations – for years, I thought I should share a new updated version that uses only honey as the sweetener (no processed sugars)- and uses a lot less!
Making family favorite recipes healthier is always one of my goals when cooking. I know some people have a “don’t mess with it” mindset, but I’m more of a “why not see if there’s a difference” type of person. If there is a marked difference and we don’t like the new version, I go back. But what harm is there in experimenting? You may have one not-as-good recipe or you may have a new life-changing way to enjoy it, like this ketchup!
Our whole family still loves it, and my kids continue to douse their food in it (teens and ketchup…) with no grumblings about any changes. That’s a good thing, right?
I hope you enjoy this updated recipe for:
MY LATEST VIDEOSHomemade Ketchup with Honey
PrintHomemade Ketchup With Honey
An incredibly easy ketchup that starts with tomato paste and uses honey as a sweetener!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 2-1/2 to 3 cups
- Category: Condiment
Ingredients
- 12 oz. tomato paste*
- 1/2 c. honey
- 1 c. vinegar
- 1/2 c. water (or more, for a thinner consistency)
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Combine until smooth in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes (you’ll need to partially cover because it will spit hot tomato out at even the lowest simmer).
- Keep refrigerated.
- If it thickens too much in the fridge, just add some water (a couple teaspoons at a time) to reach pouring consistency.
Notes
*The amounts are doubled from my original ketchup recipe because this is the amount I always make for our family. If you need less, cut everything down by 1/2 – and yes, that would be only 1/4 cup of sweetener for the half batch- can you believe it? That’s some good ketchup!
Other pantry basics you may like:
Homemade Chocolate Syrup Recipe
4 Vinaigrette Salad Dressings from 1 Basic Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Broth
Subscribe to Organize, Plan, Cook & Beautify Your Home with Free Printables
Subscribe to AOC's popular weekly Newsletter full of useful information, behind-the-scenes updates, and occasional offers AND get access to this printable in the VIP Subscriber Library that also includes eBooks, checklists, organizing helps, and recipes - with more added regularly. We'll never send spam - read our Privacy Policy here.
As i wrote to you before, best ketchup ever, i make this for my Grandson, he is Diabetic and wont eat any other ketchup. So i would like to thank you again, Have a very Merry Christmas to you and your Family.
I’m so glad to know this, Gail! Sure makes life easier, doesn’t it? 🙂
★★★★★
Sounds great! What is the shelf life of this ketchup ?
Here’s what I wrote to a commenter below:
A long time. How vague is that? 😉
But really, we’ve never had it go bad and sometimes it would be months before we’d use it up. So definitely months – maybe 2-3?
★★★★★
I started making this ketchup for my 20 year old Grandson and he loves it, thank you so much.
So happy to hear this, Gail – it’s great to be able to make it just like you want, isn’t it?
Hi there,
How long does this ketchup keep in the fridge? 🙂
A long time. How vague is that? 😉
But really, we’ve never had it go bad and sometimes it would be months before we’d use it up. So definitely months – maybe 2-3?
That’s helpful enough haha! Was looking for a month. My son is a ketchup monster so looking to eliminate the sugar! Thanks, will give it a try!
First, thank you from the kitchen of another Oregonian! I’ve been trying for nearly a year to come up with a database of recipes that I want to use for menus. I was making very slow progress, getting bogged down with trying uber new recipes all the time! Then I found you’ve done a lot of the footwork already and we seem to love what your family loves, so Zowie!
Shortcuts!! Thanks so much!
Tiny note: the link to pantry basics on this page doesn’t work for me. If nothing else, it proves how I’m skimming everything I can from your amazing blog and adding it to my own database, Paprika! I’m sorry to let you know and yet I realize that you want to know.
Thanks so much, Heidi! I’m really happy that you seem to be a kindred spirit, menu-wise. 🙂
And I DO appreciate being told about broken links! It is an ongoing issue with established websites like mine, unfortunately.
Can you can this ketchup?
It’s not tested for canning, Debbie, so I can recommend that. At least for water-bath canning since it’s so thick. Pressure canning might be okay, but I’d compare it to some tested tomato-paste based ketchup recipes to be sure (it’s really the thickness of this that would make it iffy to can).
Can you keep this ketchup in the cabinet? does it have to be refrigerated?
Gee, I’ve never really thought of that, Christine, since we’ve always just refrigerated most condiments (mustard doesn’t need to be refrigerated either, but we usually do). But yes, you can store it on a shelf since there are no fresh herbs or garlic and contains the cup of vinegar.
I use a recipe pretty much like this (Taste for adjustments), but the best part about it, not only being simple, but there is no point in heating it up, it mixes well cold 🙂 No reason to spend money and energy if you don’t need to, right!? 🙂
I’ve never tried that – I’ll have to!
I have to say I had a few doubt’s about this recipe but I tried it anyway, didn’t have white vinegar so I used apple cider,I didn’t have onion powder, but I used a bit more water and stuch a cinnamon stick in there ,let is simmer a bit and wow! How wonderful! I bet you could can it between the salt and acid in it! No expert but have done a lot of canning. I’d def look into it!
Glad you liked it with your modifications, Wendy! I haven’t tested it for canning and since it’s so thick I’d only think pressure canning would work for this.
Just wondering if the ketchup can be pressure canned.
It has not been tested for canning safety, Vicki, so I can’t recommend it – sorry!
No need for so much sweetener in a recipe lke this; we need to stop sweetening everything we put in our mouth. Tomato paste has a certain amount of natural sugar in the fruit itself. Honey is still a sugar to the body. Learn to unsweeten and give your Pancreas a break.
That’s why I love making things myself, Kathleen – you can customize recipes to your own tastes! As for this recipe, I was trying to appeal to my kid’s love of ketchup and this has a LOT less (and more quality) sweetener than commercial. My goal was to get them to see that healthy can be good, too – and dipping your fries in tomato paste wouldn’t really do it. 🙂 If that works for your family, that’s terrific!
Yum. Made this with raw stevia (home grown and dehydrated). It’s a keeper.
I made a very good bbq sauce by making a few easy modifications to this recipe. 1) Used apple cider vinegar. 2) Replaced the honey with molasses. 3) Added allspice, a touch of cayenne, and a touch of clove. My family loves it on ribs or in pulled pork sandwich.
★★★★★
Wonderful idea, Nicholas! I’ve used the ketchup as a base for quick bbq sauce, but never like you did – I’ll have to try it. 🙂
Just made this in the thermomix!
To easy, thanks for sharing
I needed a recipe using tomato paste as I usually make sauce with fresh tomatoes but it’s winter here in Melbourne so no tomatoes in the garden!
Thanks Jami, I use many of your recipes!
Linda
So nice to read that you are using my recipes, Linda! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
I see that you don’t reccomend canning, but what about freezing?
This freezes great, Nicole!
What does c stands for given in the measurements?
It’s an abbreviation for cup, Asha.:)
can you can this to preserve and make a larger batch..?
I don’t know if this is safe to can, Paula – maybe pressure canned only?
I’m making this right now. I couldn’t wait for it to be done to try it, so I dipped my fry in the pot and it tastes great! I’m happy to have come across this recipe! I’ll buy a bottle for it as soon as I can! Delicious!!!
Yeah – glad you like it, Katie!!
Hi. Was wondering if apple cider vinegar would work. Hope to try this soon!
Yes, it’s perfect in this!
HI,
This recipe looks like something I’ve been looking for for a long time. One question though. Can you add the honey after you cook it down, so you don’t destroy all the natural enzymes in the honey? I am wondering if that would change the consistency,,,
Thanks,
Oh, I don’t see why not, Carol, as long as the tomato mixture is still hot enough to melt the honey it should be fine, since honey is a bit thicker. But I haven’t tried it, so I can’t tell you from experience – if you try it, let us know how it works for you, as other’s might be interested in this, too. 🙂
Thank-you! I have to avoid sodium and hubby won’t touch HFCS, so this is great! Most name brand tomato pastes ONLY list tomatoes as an ingredient. Nothing else, so this sounds great.
Val
I’ve never made ketchup before and I am going to give it a whirl. Is the honey added for anything other than just to sweeten it? I use my home made stevia for sweetener. I keep several jars of honey on hand that I buy from the Amish and don’t want to use it all. I can only get the honey a couple times a year. Store bought “honey” is not good quality and I’ve read somewhere that now it isn’t even honey. Curious minds want to know~
You can use anything to sweeten the ketchup, Beth! I use honey to try and stay away from more processed sugars, plus it’s sweeter than sugar so I can use less. By all means – experiment! If you think about it – come back and let us know how it turned out. 🙂
I ran out and seen this online and realized I had everything to make it so I gave it a shot. I changed it a little, I doubled the garlic and added half a teaspoon of mustard powder. Tastes great
Sounds like good additions, Damion – I don’t think you can go wrong with upping the garlic in anything, really. 😉
thank you ! this is sooooo good. I’ve shared this on https://www.facebook.com/groups/151242385018152/ if that’s ok, linked it right back here. I used dehydrated tomato powder made into paste and this turned out great!
Oh, wonderful to hear it turned out with dehydrated tomato powder! I may have to try that out – and thanks for linking to my site, Mary!
How long does this keep?
I’ll have to add this to my post, Jeri, as I keep getting the question. 🙂 It has been in our fridge a couple months, at the least, and been fine – we don’t use it very often, but I haven’t actually kept official track. The vinegar keeps it well, I think.
Nice recipe but where did you get the nice bottle from?
Ha, Enid! So many people have asked me that. 🙂 Do you remember when Martha Stewart had a line of products at Kmart? This bottle was one of the kitchen items.
Can this be canned for longer storage?
It hasn’t been tested for safely canning, so I’d have to say no. Since it mixes up so quickly with canned tomato paste, I’ve never really felt the need, either.
If I made this and stuck it in the fridge, how long would it last? We don’t use ketchup too terribly often, but I am intrigued to try this recipe out.
It lasts a really long time, Heather. I probably should write down the next time I make it and find out for sure how long it’s in our fridge, but I haven’t yet. 🙂 We don’t eat ketchup nearly as much as we used to, so I would safely say months and it’s been fine that whole time.
Hi Jami! Thanks for sharing your recipes using honey instead of sugar! I’m really trying to cut down on using sugar, since we keep bees and will have plenty of honey this year! Have a nice weekend! Blessings from Bama!
This will be our go to recipe for ketchup! I had my ketchup loving 4-year try this w/out telling him what he was going to be trying…He was super happy to be tasting “KETCHUP!” Thank-you!
How long does this keep in the fridge? We don’t eat a lot of it, and I am tired of my homemade canned salsa going mouldy in the fridge because we don’t eat it quickly enough.
Goodness, salsa going moldy with all the vinegar or lemon juice added? You really don’t use it often, lol. We actually don’t eat ketchup much anymore, either and I’ve yet to find mold and it’s definitely months, though I haven’t counted how many. 🙂
Hmmm, seems like I cut down on the vinegar, maybe that’s why!
I am going to try your ketchup and mayo recipes. In my ongoing effort to eat healthier (reading food labels makes one want to give up eating altogether)and recycle as much as possible, I have been searching for recipes just like these – I can make just the amount I need and I can store in glass jars that can be wash and reuse. Thank you so much for sharing.
I am looking to can ketchup, do you think your recipe would be able to be canned and if so, any idea on time in hot water bath?
Unfortunately, Loma, this recipe has not been tested for home-canning, so I can’t recommend it. I’m not sure it has the right ratio of vinegar to tomato. There’s a recipe in the Ball Blue Book that starts with tomato puree which might come pretty close- have you seen that?
I have made this twice now and love it! my hubby thought it was strange at first but i caught him bragging to a friend about it! 🙂 my question is, can i substitute tomato sauce for the paste and water or will that change the flavor? thanks!
Hi Jessica! Glad you all have liked the ketchup. 🙂 Using sauce instead of paste will just make for a very runny ketchup (tomato paste starts out as sauce and then is cooked for a VERY long time to thicken it). That would be no-no in my house, but you try what you’d like – the problem is you could leave out the water, but you need the vinegar for that ketcup-y flavor and that would make the sauce even runnier. Let me know what works out for you!
I have made this 2x now and love it! Can I substitute sauce for the paste or will it change the flavor? I am planning to try to make a big batch and can it if I can substitute cause I can get a bulk can. Thanks!
We love this! Thank you. So so yummy!
Heather- I use regular vinegar mostly, or sometimes cider vinegar. But now that you mention it- a flavored vinegar would be nice, maybe thyme ketchup? 🙂
Oh, I forgot to ask about what type of vinegar do you prefer to use in this recipe? I’m going to buy the ingredients tomorrow 🙂 🙂 Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather 🙂
Oh Jami, I’m so going to try this this weekend and let you know how it turns out 😉 🙂 I LOVE ketchup. So does my dad 😉 🙂 This looks really easy, too!!!! This brings back a memory from childhood, too. I used to stay at a state-run daycare center when my mom would go to work. I remember the old ladies in the kitchen who would make our food. They were cool. They made homemade ketchup for us kids once. It was really good. Oh, great memories…Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather 🙂
I’ll be trying this recipe soon! Sounds fabulous!
Faun
ThanX for the recipe. I’ve been buying Trader Joe’s brand, because it doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup. Q? How long does this keep in the fridge?
Chris Ann & Steph- Isn’t the bottle cute? I got it probably 10 years ago- it was a Martha Stewart Everyday item at Kmart. I sure loved her line there- the bottle was only about $3. We use recycled dressing/condiment glass bottles as well.
Also, lets just say I’m probably not the most qualified to talk about retirement savings..uh,um… Here is a site that has some good information: getrichslowly.org
Dixymiss- Well, the longest we’ve had it- at least three weeks, but I’ve never had it go bad. Then again, I’ve got those teenagers… 🙂
Thanks for posting this….I’m going to try this. 🙂
I love a cranberry katchup Great with Beef, Pork and kids cant get enought Hope it will be good picking this year. Take care…..
Yum! I’ve been looking for a good ketchup recipe…I have a four/almost five year old son who would put ketchup on pancakes if I let him.
Your ketchup bottle is super cute!! Where did you find it?
I will need to try this recipe.
Is the cute little bottle that I assume was sterilized, is it recycled? If not would you just use jelly jars?
You amaze me with your willingness and creativity in crafting a wonderful life for you and your family in a joyful,smart and frugal way.
Will you be sharing any tips in the future on
saving for retirement?
Thank You,
Chris Ann
Years ago–like over 20 yrs, lol!–I made homemade ketchup. Not sure why I quit doing it. Probably something to do with having 5 kids! I never have liked the fact that most ketchups have HFCS. Hunts now makes one that doesn’t have that and it regularly goes on sale for $1 (24oz. bottle).
Your recipe looks easier than what I remember doing in the past. I just may have to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m going to try it. ~Have a wonderful day~
mountain mama- It’s not hard, it just takes a LOT of time to cook down to the thick consistency of a paste. 🙂 Some use the slow cooker for this, but I’ve found it imparts a bitter flavor when I tried it, so I usually just buy paste.
If anyone has a technique they use to make tomato paste, please share!
what I want to know is, does it taste like Heinz, that is my favorite.
Hey, Regina – do a taste test and let us all know if you think it does! 🙂 Though if you use the honey version, it probably won’t, ’cause you do taste the honey.
Run cut-up raw paste tomatoes (Roma) through a food mill. Pour the purée into a clean pillow case (with no holes!). Place pillow case in a large colander over a bowl and let drip overnight until super thick. Scrape out the remaining paste and cook as normal.
Gord
I never thought to make paste the same way we make jelly – great idea, Gord!
ohhh… i love me some ketchup!
is it easy to make tomato paste from the garden’s bounty?