Make your own ketchup with this easy recipe made from pantry ingredients! It offers classic ketchup flavor with a thick texture, perfect for dunking. Recipe yields just over 1 cup.
Recipe by Cookie and Kate on September 24, 2025
Prep time: PT5M
Total time: PT5M
Rating
5 stars ( reviews)
Keywords
homemade ketchup
Ingredients
6 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon fine salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder (not granules)
½ teaspoon mustard powder (optional)
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Finely ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons runny balsamic vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
¼ cup water, more if needed
Categories
Condiment
Cuisine
American
Steps
Place the tomato paste in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or glass jar. Add the salt, garlic powder, mustard powder (if using), cinnamon, and about 5 twists of black pepper. Use a small whisk to stir the ingredients together until they’re evenly combined.
Add the vinegar, and whisk until combined. Add the water, and whisk again until you have a smooth, even mixture. Season to taste with additional pepper, if desired. If you’d prefer a thinner ketchup, add more water by the teaspoon until you reach your desired consistency.
For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour before serving. This homemade ketchup will keep in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
Calories: 15 calories
Carbohydrates: 3.2 g
Protein: 0.4 g
Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 303.3 mg
Sugar: 1.9 g
Reviews
Amy on 2025-10-01 (5 stars): SO good and SO easy to make! I could (okay, I do) eat this stuff with a spoon. I used Trader Joe's organic balsamic vinegar (not white but it seemed runny enough?) and followed another's suggestion and swapped the cinnamon for allspice. I added 2T more water at first. It seemed to thicken up as it sat in the fridge, so I added a spoonful of water here and there to loosen it up a bit. I am reducing my sugar intake and this is so tasty I prefer it to the store bought stuff anyway! Thank you Kate!
Regan Brown on 2025-10-04 (5 stars): Amazingly simple and perfect for dipping baked potato wedges!! Thank you!
