Advertisement

5 weird and wonderful uses for ketchup in sweet treats

Bottles of H.J. Heinz Co. Tomato Ketchup on February 15, 2013 in London, England. (Getty Images)
Bottles of H.J. Heinz Co. Tomato Ketchup on February 15, 2013 in London, England. (Getty Images)

Ketchup: it’s been gracing our hamburgers, meatloaves and grilled cheese sandwiches with sweet, tomato-y goodness for decades. It’s no secret that the condiment is a North American staple, used by young and old at almost any and every meal of the day. But most of us have also experienced those cringe-worthy “You put ketchup in WHAT?” moments. As an ode to the odd, we’ve rounded up five of the most bizarre recipes that include ketchup – and yes, they’re all arguably desserts and sweets.

Heinz Ketchup Cake (via Heinz)
Heinz Ketchup Cake (via Heinz)

Great Canadian Heinz Ketchup Cake

Believe it or not, this recipe is actually featured on the official Heinz website. It’s a play on red velvet cake and was meant to be a featured recipe in honour of Heinz celebrating 100 years in Canada. It seems like a perfectly normal red velvet cake recipe – with the addition of ketchup. Yum?

Ketchup Macarons (via David Lebovitz)
Ketchup Macarons (via David Lebovitz)

PierreHermés Ketchup Macarons

When I hear “macarons”, I think of colourful, dainty little French cookies served at a classy bridal shower. But ketchup and chopped up cornichons? Yikes. This seemingly frightful recipe was adapted by David Lebovitz from the book, “Macarons” by renowned French pastry chef, Pierre Hermé. I mean, if you’re adventurous enough to attempt making macarons, you might as well try them with ketchup filling.

Heinz Apple Pie (via Heinz)
Heinz Apple Pie (via Heinz)

Heinz Apple Pie

You read that correctly apple pie with ketchup. It’s just a tiny bit of ketchup, but it’s in there. Apples, cinnamon, sugar… Ketchup. Tomatoes might technically be fruits, but that shouldn’t be grounds for them to appear inside a classic apple pie. Or should they? We dare you to give it a try.

Heinz Carnival Cream (via Mid Century Menu)
Heinz Carnival Cream (via Mid Century Menu)

Heinz Carnival Cream (Ketchup Ice Cream)

Just in case you weren’t satisfied with cake, cookies and pie, ketchup can also be added to ice cream! This totally bizarre recipe is featured on the Mid Century Menu site and was originally part of a Heinz marketing campaign in the ‘50s. Mrs. Frank Flynn, homemaker, submitted this gem to Heinz in 1959 for a prize of $100. Unfortunately for Mrs. Flynn, I don’t think you could pay me $100 to try it.

Chicken Gizzard Candy with Ketchup and Coke

Frankly, anything with chicken gizzards would be questionable for many. But this baked gizzard “candy” involves a sauce featuring ketchup and Coke and that makes the whole recipe extra strange in my books. Despite “candy” in the name of the recipe, we’re still unsure if this should be classified as a dessert, an appetizer or something to serve at your next Halloween bash.

If you thought you loved ketchup before, give these recipes a try to achieve ultimate fandom. (And remember to have your camera ready when serving these treats up to unsuspecting guests.)