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This recipe for sugar-free keto tomato sauce is full of flavor and can be used in so many recipes. All while only using 5 ingredients!
While tomatoes are keto-friendly, store-bought versions of tomato sauce can be full of hidden sugars, carbs and who knows what else that isn’t good for you.
This is a simple keto tomato sauce recipe that you can use in any way you like. Use this sauce on a cauliflower pizza crust, low-carb eggplant parmesan, or a keto pizza casserole.
The sauce can easily be prepared ahead, saving you time in the kitchen.
How to make keto tomato sauce
Step 1: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil. Saute for a minute until the garlic is fragrant. Make sure the garlic doesn’t brown and become burnt.
Step 2: Turn the heat down and add the tomatoes, oregano, vinegar, and salt to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 – 40 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken.
Step 3: Use the sauce immediately if desired or store for later use.
Make a batch and store it!
You can use this sugar-free tomato sauce immediately if desired or it can be stored for later use. To store the sauce, allow it to cool to room temperature first. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze the sauce after it has cooled to room temperature. Freeze in bags or a container for up to 6 weeks. Defrost before use.
Spicing it up!
Because this keto marinara sauce only uses 5 simple ingredients, it’s a great base that you can add other flavors to.
It tastes fantastic as it is, of course, but you can change the flavor profile by adding additional spices such as basil or parsley. You can also adjust the heat by adding red pepper flakes or even chopped chili peppers.
A sweet sugar-free tomato sauce?
The fact that this sauce is sugar-free doesn’t mean that it can’t be a little sweet! There are many no-carb sweeteners that you can eat on a keto diet.
I have made this sauce with a little bit of Stevia sweetener and it turned out great. Monkfruit sweetener is also a great option. Just be careful and add a little at a time as both sweeteners are quite strong.
Other healthy low-carb recipes to try
If you liked this recipe, here are some other low-carb recipes you might enjoy:
Keto Gravy
Keto Ranch Dressing
Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
You can also check out the roundup I created ofHealthy Dinner Recipes for Diabeticsfor even more great recipe ideas.
When you’ve tried this keto tomato sauce recipe, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Keto Tomato Sauce
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This is the best recipe for a keto tomato sauce that is full of flavor and can be used in so many recipes. All while only using 5 ingredients!
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil. Saute for a minute until the garlic is fragrant. Make sure the garlic doesn’t brown and become burnt.
Turn the heat down and add the tomatoes, oregano, vinegar, and salt to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 – 40 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken.
Notes
You can use this tomato sauce immediately if desired or it can be stored for later use. To store the sauce, allow it to cool to room temperature first. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze the sauce after it has cooled to room temperature. Freeze in bags or a container for up to 6 weeks. Defrost before use.
Baking soda plus acidic tomatoes equals sweeter tomato sauce. One of the differences between Roma and San Marzano canned tomatoes is acidity levels. Lowering the acidity of any old canned tomato is as simple as adding a pinch of baking soda to the sauce. Baking soda is an alkaline – and the opposite of an acid.
Tomato sauce can be incorporated into a ketogenic diet but in very moderate amounts due to its high carbohydrate content. The key to using tomato sauce on a keto diet is strict portion control and balancing it out with other low-carb, high-fat foods.
A little sugar can make the rest of the flavors shine a little brighter, akin to adding vanilla to a chocolate cake. The goal is to amplify the natural sweetness of the tomatoes, not to turn the sauce sugary, so start with a pinch and work up if needed.
Using honey instead of sugar for the sweetener gives a greater depth of flavor. Serve this delicious sauce over pasta or use as a pizza sauce. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
If the reason you're wanting to “sweeten” the sauce is because the tomato is too tart [highly acidic] then a pinch of baking soda should do the trick. Or if you really like your sauce sweet for the sake of sweetness, then add a carrot or bit of sweet potato while it's cooking.
So can you have ketchup on Keto? Yes, but you have to select an option that has no added sugar and the nutritional value is naturally low in carbs. Heinz Tomato Sugar-Free Ketchup is a great option.
You can use either white or brown sugar. Personally, I prefer packed brown sugar, but experiment to see which gives you the best results. I also make sure to add a dollop of butter to my pasta sauce.
Be the hero at dinner with Prego® Traditional No Sugar Added Pasta Sauce. Versatile and delicious, this classic red sauce features the rich, sweet taste of vine-ripened tomatoes balanced with flavorful herbs and seasonings, perfect for any recipe.
Can you eat tomatoes on the keto diet? "Tomatoes are keto," says Abby Langer, R.D., author of Good Food, Bad Diet. "They're low in carbs, so they fit perfectly into keto." One whole medium tomato contains roughly 5 grams of carbohydrates, of which 1.5 grams are fiber and 3 grams are sugar.
Keto practitioners incorporate a variety of different condiments into their diets, including hot sauce, low-carb BBQ sauce, sugar-free ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing, mayonnaise, guacamole, soy sauce, sour cream, and more.
However, although tomatoes are technically a fruit, one medium-sized tomato (about 120 grams) contains only 4-5 grams of carbohydrates and only 3 grams of sugar, making it fine to include in a keto diet.
It is widely held that Italian immigrants began adding sugar to their sauce to make up for the overly acidic tomatoes they were forced to work with in their new home. But the history of sugar in pasta sauce actually goes back to Italy itself.
You know how your grandmother's recipe for spaghetti sauce calls for sugar? Try grated carrots instead. Their natural sugars bring just the right amount of sweetness (and a dose of vitamin A and beta carotene)—with no added sugar.
Diluting a sweet tomato sauce will dull its sweetness, so you can add water or chicken or vegetable broth, a little at a time until the sauce tastes better. Or, if you like spicy food, you can try spicing the tomato sauce with some crushed chili flakes, which should help balance out its sweetness.
Adding spices can enhance the taste of food. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice, mace, cardamom and star anise are commonly associated with sweetness. These spices are often used in baked goods and pair especially well with fruit dishes. Vanilla extract can also make food seem sweeter, perhaps due to its aroma.
Sweeteners or sugar substitutes, such as aspartame, sucralose, and stevia derived substances, are ingredients used to sweeten and in some cases enhance the flavor of foods. Some sweeteners are much sweeter than table sugar, and smaller amounts are needed to achieve the same level of sweetness as sugar in food.
Add some lemon juice: The tartness of lemon can help cut through the sweetness. Squeeze in a little lemon juice and taste as you go until you achieve the desired balance. Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar can also work wonders in reducing sweetness.
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