Ketchup is one of children’s favorite foods. Some kids (mine!) will eat anything with ketchup (including liver). Unfortunately, most store-bought versions contain mystery flavoring and high-fructose corn syrup.
It’s really worth making your own tomato sauce. The taste, texture, and flavor blows store-bought tomato sauce out of the water! My kids love how delicious it is and when we have a batch in the fridge they smear tomato sauce on everything. This is a favorite seasoning in our family.
The spices are so good!
In a healthy kitchen, condiments cannot be ignored. Dried herbs and spices in seasonings and condiments bring antioxidant benefits and flavor to the table. It’s also a great way to add variety without reinventing a tried and true diet plan.
It gets fun again when sweet potato fries, grain-free fish fingers, or chicken fingers are served with ranch sauce instead of BBQ sauce, or when served with ketchup! Plus, there are classic American hot dogs and burgers (grass-fed beef, of course).
PS Want a healthier tomato sauce but don’t want to make it? Try Primal Kitchen’s organic, no-sugar-added version!
How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce
Thankfully, this tomato sauce recipe is one of the easiest condiments to make at home with basic ingredients. It doesn’t require fancy equipment, either. All you need is a blender or food processor.
Some homemade tomato sauce recipes call for cooking the tomato sauce on the stove with spices and brown sugar. I find that simply mixing everything together and letting it melt in the refrigerator also gets that classic tomato flavor.
I make tomato sauce every few weeks so I can add it to a dish or eat it with almost any meat or vegetable (fruit might be too much…).
Tomato Sauce Recipe Ingredients
I used raw honey as my sweetener of choice, but you could also use maple syrup or some stevia for a lower sugar version. It helps mellow the acidity without adding a ton of corn syrup (I’m looking at you Heinz ketchup!). Homemade ketchup tastes better than most grocery store ketchup.
Our family also likes to add a little cayenne pepper to this recipe to give it a little heat. You can substitute black pepper or red pepper if you wish. If your family really doesn’t like spicy food, then skip this ingredient. However, it has a subtle spicy flavor and even my young kids enjoyed it.
Storing Tomato Sauce
This recipe will keep in the refrigerator like regular tomato sauce for about a month.
And a bonus: As with most homemade recipes (whether laundry, beauty, or food), you’re doing the world an extra bit of good by skipping the plastic packaging and using recyclable, reusable containers. Not to mention your refrigerator won’t be cluttered with condiment bottles since you can make as many condiments as you want.
I usually keep mine in a mason jar, but I found some really cute glass shakers here too.
Ready to try homemade tomato sauce?
Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipe
A natural and easy homemade tomato sauce recipe that kids will love.
32 Serving Size (2 tablespoons)
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Place chia seeds in a blender or food processor and grind on high speed for 30 seconds or until finely ground.
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Add all remaining ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
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Place in an airtight quart jar and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight to allow flavors to meld.
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Store in the refrigerator and use like regular ketchup.
nutrient content
Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipe
Serving size (1 serving)
Calories twenty three
Calories from fat1
% Daily Value*
fat 0.1g0%
Saturated fat 0.02g0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated fat 0.03g
sodium 200 mg9%
Potassium 185 mg5%
carbohydrate 5 grams2%
Fiber 1g4%
4 grams of sugar4%
protein 1 g2%
Vitamin A 245 international units5%
Vitamin C 4 mg5%
calcium 11 mg1%
iron 1 mg6%
*Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Can be stored in the refrigerator for at least 1 month.
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Other Homemade Condiment Recipes
Just one condiment isn’t enough…here are some other favorite staples your family might love. Use these recipes as a base and adjust the flavors to suit your family’s tastes by adding a pinch of this or a pinch of that.
Maybe challenge yourself to try a new one every month!
- Mayonnaise – Mayonnaise made like Julia Child (ok, ok, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself), made with all real food ingredients and no nasty processed vegetable oils
- Sriracha Mayonnaise – A custom mayonnaise for taste buds that like a little heat, it’s delicious as a dip in these healthier onion rings
- Italian Dressing – a classic salad dressing with no artificial additives or preservatives
- Ranch dressing – my personal favorite! Cool, creamy, rich…everything ranch should be!
- Asian Ginger Vinaigrette – Asian flavor with a hint of Thai.Drizzle over fish, stir-fry, or in this Asian Color Explosion Salad
- Honey Mustard Sauce and Dressing – This 5-ingredient dressing stores well in the refrigerator, so make a big batch!
- Lacto-Fermented Salsa – Expensive probiotic supplements aren’t the only way to fill your gut with good bacteria. Fermented salsa lasts longer and has great health benefits!
Ever made your own condiments and seasonings? What is your favorite thing to do? Please share below!
