low fodmap ketchup
Most ketchup bottles are a trap. Onion powder, garlic powder, sometimes both, buried in the ingredient list. You flip it over, hopeful, then put it back. Every time.
If you’re eating low FODMAP, you already know this dance. And it’s exhausting.
This low FODMAP ketchup recipe fixes that. No onion. No garlic. No bloating 20 minutes after your burger. Just a thick, tangy, slightly sweet ketchup that tastes exactly like what it’s supposed to taste like.
Why Store-Bought Ketchup Usually Fails FODMAP
Onion and garlic are high in fructans, which are fermentable carbohydrates that wreck sensitive guts. Even “small amounts” of onion or garlic powder are enough to trigger symptoms in people with IBS or other digestive issues.
Standard Heinz? Onion powder, third ingredient. Hunt’s? Same. Most organic brands? Worse, actually. They load up on “natural flavors” that often include allium derivatives.
Your options have basically been: eat plain food, or suffer.
This low FODMAP ketchup gives you a third option.
What Goes Into It
The base is canned crushed tomatoes. 400g gets you a solid batch. From there:
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (the tang)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar (the sweet)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Half a teaspoon smoked paprika
- Quarter teaspoon allspice
- Quarter teaspoon cloves
- Small pinch of cayenne if you want a little heat
No garlic. No onion. The spices carry the depth that garlic usually fakes.
The thing most people miss: cloves and allspice are what give ketchup that “ketchup” flavor. Most people think it’s garlic. It isn’t. Pull those 2 spices out of any ketchup recipe and it tastes flat. Keep them in and you get that familiar, slightly mysterious warmth that makes ketchup taste like itself.
low fodmap ketchup recipe
How to Make It
Dump everything into a saucepan. Medium heat. Stir it together.
Let it simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens. You’re looking for it to reduce by roughly a third. When you drag a spoon through the bottom of the pan and it holds a trail for a second before filling back in, you’re there.
Pull it off the heat. Use an immersion blender directly in the pan (or transfer to a regular blender) and blitz until smooth. Taste it. Adjust salt or vinegar if needed.
Let it cool completely before jarring. It keeps in the fridge for 3 weeks.
That’s the whole low FODMAP ketchup recipe. 30 minutes, one pot, no special equipment.
Texture Notes
Some people like ketchup thicker, some like it pourable. If yours is too thin after blending, simmer another 5 minutes. Too thick? Add a tablespoon of water and stir.
The consistency depends a lot on your tomatoes. San Marzano-style crushed tomatoes tend to be denser. Regular store brand tends to be more watery. Neither is wrong, you just might need to adjust cook time.
Swap-Outs That Work
No apple cider vinegar? White wine vinegar works. Red wine vinegar is a little bolder but still good.
Want it sweeter? Go to 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Want less sweet, more tangy? Keep syrup at 1.5 and bump vinegar up.
Smoked paprika does something regular paprika doesn’t. If you only have regular, use it, but add a tiny pinch of cumin to compensate for the smokiness.
Who This Is For
Specifically: anyone on a low FODMAP diet who’s tired of plain food, anyone with IBS managing trigger foods, anyone who reacts badly to onion or garlic even if they’re not formally on any protocol.
But honestly, this low FODMAP ketchup recipe is good enough that you don’t need a digestive reason to make it. It tastes cleaner than most store-bought versions because it actually is. No corn syrup filler. No mystery natural flavors.
Also Read: Low FODMAP Stuffed Baked Potatoes Recipe ( Full Guide)
One More Thing
The first time you make this, taste it before it fully cools. Warm, it tastes almost savory-forward. Once it chills in the fridge, the sweetness comes out more. Both versions are good. But knowing that gap helps you calibrate while you’re cooking.
Make it once. You probably won’t go back to squinting at ingredient labels.
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