This Whole30 and Paleo meatloaf is packed with classic flavors and topped with Whole30 ketchup sweetened with dates! It’s the ultimate cozy comfort food that everyone will love. Gluten free grain free, dairy free, no added sugar. 
I’ve been holding onto this recipe entirely too long! I was waiting for the stars to align, and then force me to make dinner at 9am, you know, to take the pictures for the recipe. There is just something about making a meatloaf at 9am that, most days, just doesn’t seem as appealing as making cookies, muffins, or lemon curd tartlets.
Anyway, along came a day when I found my motivation (AKA had zero time to make dinner in the evening), and so, here we are, talking Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf! I hope you’re excited, because despite my procrastination, this is a DANG good recipe. Not that I’m partial, it just happens to be a fact.
I discovered my own version of Whole30 friendly ketchup during the January Whole30 that Adam and i completed. He actually isn’t much of a ketchup fan, but, I have to admit, I like to dip almost anything in it. Not ashamed at all, it’s delicious!
Way way back, I made a low FODMAP chipotle ketchup with maple syrup, and, to not make myself think TOO hard, I simply tweaked that recipe to include dates as the sweetener instead of maple, added a bit of onion and garlic powder and omitted the chipotle pepper to get an authentic tasting ketchup that you wouldn’t guess contains no added sugar! By the way, if you like spice in your life, by all means add that chipotle – I’ve done it, it’s good. Just not so kid friendly 🙂
The meatloaf itself is very straightforward, and, what I would consider to be a “classic” style meatloaf. I know from reading the internet that there are about 10,000 versions of “classic” anything, so all I can say is this is my personal classic.
The recipe is in our weekly rotation (okay fine, bi-weekly, only because it takes an hour to bake!) and my kids somehow, by some miracle of meal creation, do not complain about the onions or garlic “pieces.” All I can make of it is that the meatloaf is good enough for them to overlook the serious matter of the invasion of chopped onions. How many recipes can we really say that for, mommas?!
Don’t worry though, I picked the parsley off before serving it to them, heaven forbid we have onions plus green leaves hanging around for no good reason…
One more highly desirable quality of this paleo meatloaf? It’s perfect for leftovers! Heck, you can even make & bake the entire thing the day before (or at 9am if you’re like me) and it reheats just fine. No dryness, possibly thanks to those yummy onions and garlic which you’ll sauté in ghee to get them extra flavorful. The 85% lean ground beef definitely doesn’t hurt either! I get mine from U.S. Wellness Meats, but you can typically find 80-85% lean grass fed ground beef now at most grocery stores.
It’s time to make this meatloaf – are you with me? I hope you and your family love this one as much as we do! Let’s cook!
Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf {With Whole30 Ketchup!}
Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf {with Whole30 Ketchup!}
Ingredients
For the Ketchup:
- 1/3 cup medjool dates pitted, soaked in hot water to soften, and drained (use 1/4 cup if you want it less sweet)
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 3 tbsp water in addition to soaking the dates
- 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Optional 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper for spice
For the Meatloaf:
- 2 lbs 85% lean grass fed ground beef
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 3 Tbsp Whole30 ketchup see recipe above
- 1 small onion or half medium one minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp ghee for cooking onion and garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp mustard check label for Whole30 compliance
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/4-1/3 cups Whole30 ketchup for top of the loaf
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the Ketchup First {this can be done ahead of time}
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In a food processor or high speed blender, process/blend all ingredients on high speed until pureed, scraping the sides to incorporate all ingredients evenly. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator until ready to use, leftovers can be refrigerated for 1-2 weeks.
Prepare the Meatloaf:
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
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In a medium skillet, sauté the onions in the 2 Tbsp ghee (or other cooking fat) until soft, add the garlic, sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt and continue to cook, stirring, for about one minute, then remove from heat.
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In a large bowl, combine the beef, eggs, almond flour, 3 Tbsp ketchup, cooked onion and garlic with ghee, salt, mustard, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Mix with your hands until well incorporated but try not to over-mix, since this will toughen the meat.
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Transfer the meat mixture to a 9 x 5 loaf pan (or 8.5 x 4.5) and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove and spread 1/4-1/3 cup of the ketchup over the top of the loaf, return to oven and continue to bake for 40-45 more minutes until center is cooked (an internal temp of 160 degrees F)
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Allow the loaf to rest for 10 minutes or so, then slice and serve, garnished with chopped parsley if desired. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Products I Recommend to Make My Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf (and ketchup!)
Want more Whole30 & Paleo dinner ideas? Try one of these!
Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Ranch Chicken Meatloaf
Tell Me!
What’s your favorite Paleo friendly comfort food/meal?
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Paleo Running Momma!
Emily says
April 19, 2017 at 10:44 amHmmm… I’m not sure it’s Paleo friendly, but my favorite comfort food is probably mashed potatoes. 🙂 I also really love . . . roast and veggies or roast chicken and veggies.
This meatloaf is so pretty; I love how you photographed it. It sounds really delicious.
Michele says
April 19, 2017 at 1:17 pmYou can make ’em paleo friendly for sure 🙂 Thanks Emily!
Jennie says
April 19, 2017 at 11:22 amso…my mom would always top meat loaf with bacon….THAT would still be Paleo friendly, right? ( not Whole 30, i guess)
looks a lot like hers….maybe that is coming up this week for us…
Michele says
April 19, 2017 at 1:17 pmI always buy Whole30 friendly bacon so yes that would still work out! A little bacon wouldn’t hurt 🙂
Mel _OutRunCf says
April 20, 2017 at 6:51 amCan you believe I have never had meet loaf? Not part of my family tradition I guess. I’m pretty sure I would like it though and it would be perfect to bring to work. Comfort food? crispy sweet potato slices topped with spicy taco meet, avocado and salsa! Mium!
Renee Saab says
April 24, 2017 at 12:34 amThank you, Michelle!! My kiddos are in love!! And the ketchup, they think is fabulous!!
A wonderful go to recipe!
Blessings,
Renee
Andrew says
May 16, 2017 at 3:08 pmIs the ketchup really whole30 since the tomato paste you recommend has sugar in it? I’m only on day 2 of my whole30 and want to stay compliant. Thanks!
Michele @ paleorunningmomma says
May 16, 2017 at 4:14 pmThe ingredients in the tomato paste are just tomato paste and citric acid. Which brand are you looking at? In any case the tomato paste you choose should not contain added sugar to be compliant. The dates will sweeten the ketchup to keep it Whole30. Hope this helps!
Michele @ paleorunningmomma says
May 16, 2017 at 4:17 pmOoh also if you haven’t seen this already it’s a great Whole30 resource: https://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/
Christine Furia says
June 19, 2017 at 9:46 pmJust made the meatloaf tonight and it was fabulous and so was the ketchup.
Danielle says
June 27, 2017 at 6:33 pmI have mine in the oven right now! So happy you have a whole30 recipe section. I did the whole30 starting Feb 3 after the birth of my daughter and lost 50 lbs. After going off and seeing how food affects my stomach I’m back on and looking for some new food ideas!
Thank you for this one!
Jessica J. Simmons says
July 24, 2017 at 5:29 pmMy meatloaf is in the oven right now- I substituted beef for ground turkey. The ketchup was amazing! I’ll never use the other stuff again. Thanks for sharing this recipe. My kitchen smells wonderful-can’t wait to eat the meatloaf! I have no doubt it’s going to be delicious.
Tiffany says
July 24, 2017 at 8:00 pmDo you have to use almond flour or can you substitute a gluten free baking flour?
Heather says
July 29, 2017 at 12:25 pmCan you use one pound beef and 1 pound ground pork?
Michele says
July 29, 2017 at 12:27 pmYup that would be great 🙂
Bet @ Bet On Dinner says
July 30, 2017 at 3:10 pmWe really enjoyed the meatloaf! My husband eats Paleo and I’ve been looking for new dinner inspiration. We’re going to try your sausage pizza sweet potatoes this week, too! Thanks!
Michele says
July 30, 2017 at 3:42 pmYay! So glad you liked them, I bet you’ll love the sweet potatoes too 🙂
Leslie says
August 10, 2017 at 11:26 amCan this be frozen?
Michele says
August 10, 2017 at 1:49 pmHaven’t tried it so not sure how it would taste reheated.
Spark*Amy says
August 21, 2017 at 11:43 amPro-tip…pack your meatloaf mixture into muffin tins and cut baking time in half or less!
Michele says
August 21, 2017 at 8:11 pmLove it!
Karley says
September 8, 2017 at 11:40 amThis meatloaf is out of this world! Thank you so much for all of your life saving recipes! 🙂
Michele says
September 10, 2017 at 8:56 amSo happy you liked it – woohoo!
Madison says
September 26, 2017 at 12:28 pmI have never been one to leave reviews for recipes and I have been an avid home cook for years. After starting my Whole30, I really feel an urge to let others know when recipes are great, because it’s normally a hit or miss. This was SO good. Easy to make, filling and delicious! Definitely adding to my rotation of recipes.
Michele says
September 26, 2017 at 8:15 pmSo happy you liked it, yay!
Tiffany says
September 26, 2017 at 1:12 pmThe only flour I can find in my store is a blend of almond, arrowroot starch, coconut flour and tapioca flour. Can I still make this meatloaf with that?
Michele says
September 26, 2017 at 8:15 pmI’m sure you could, however you’d probably need a different amount based on the proportions in the blend. Try adding 1 or 2 tbsp less and see how it goes to avoid an overly dry loaf.
NAtalia says
October 2, 2017 at 11:41 pmMy son has nut allergy. So I was wondering if I could substitute almond flout with coconut flour?
Michele says
October 4, 2017 at 8:17 amCoconut flour is much more dense so the same amount would really dry it out. Cassava or arrowroot might be better options, when in doubt add less.
Alice says
October 3, 2017 at 1:34 amOk, I thought the bacon wrapped tenderloin was mind blowing but after making this I’m torn. This is the first time I’ve ever written a review but I just had to let you know how much I love this meatloaf and Whole30 compliant ketchup. Thank you for your amazing recipes. Your recipes have made my Whole30 journey really enjoyable. Kinda sad there’s only 12 days left!!
Michele says
October 4, 2017 at 8:15 amI’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes! Definitely no need to give them up after Whole30 🙂
Ashley says
October 5, 2017 at 12:08 amHow long do you soak the dates in hot water for?
Michele says
October 5, 2017 at 9:37 amJust until they’re soft enough to blend, a couple of minutes usually.
Kelly says
October 5, 2017 at 10:14 amMade this last week and now we can’t wait to make it again. My favorite meatloaf recipe to date. I exchanged 1/2 pound of beef for pork and being out of Italian seasoning I made some minus the marjoram which I didn’t have. It was SOOOO good. My husband starting telling the family about it, and he grew up hating meatloaf. 🙂 Thank you for an amazing recipe.
Michele says
October 8, 2017 at 11:37 amThat sounds great – I’m thrilled you guys liked it!
Judy says
November 6, 2017 at 9:57 pmI made this meatloaf tonight. It was delicious, but completely fell apart. Any suggestions? It was 170 degrees when it came out of the oven, and rested 10 minutes. The Whole30 ketchup is wonderful and makes the meatloaf.
Michele says
November 9, 2017 at 9:43 amNot sure why it fell apart! Maybe the almond flour? Not sure. Glad you enjoyed the flavor and the ketchup though!
Joey says
November 8, 2017 at 9:13 pmIs the mustard in the recipe dry or prepared?
Michele says
November 9, 2017 at 7:09 amPrepared mustard, just make sure it’s Whole30 compliant if you need it to be.
Joey says
November 9, 2017 at 1:51 pmthank you for speedy response! I really look forward to making this meatloaf
ANNE C says
November 13, 2017 at 9:40 pmI made this for dinner tonight with cauliflower mashed potatoes and spinach with mushrooms. All I can tell you is MAKE THIS!!! It was fantastic! The combination of flavors was the best meatloaf I have ever had. It is worth the effort for the ketchup.
Deanne says
November 15, 2017 at 9:12 amOut of this world! I haven’t had meatloaf since I started Paleo a couple years ago. Love your site and started my search here for a recipe. No need to try anything else! Perfection! Thank you for your great recipes 🙂
Michele says
November 15, 2017 at 11:40 amSo happy you liked it!!
Kyle says
January 5, 2018 at 4:55 pmThis turned out so good! The ketchup was the perfect balance of sweet & savory. I used ground turkey instead and it came out great. Thanks!
Michele says
January 5, 2018 at 6:19 pmSo happy you liked it!
Robin says
February 3, 2018 at 1:14 pmThis was a wonderful meatloaf recipe! It got rave reviews from a potluck I took it to. I added Whole30 bacon and used Whole30 approved ketchup I had bought. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Michele says
February 3, 2018 at 4:03 pmThat sounds great! So happy everyone liked it 🙂
Addie Perry says
February 14, 2018 at 6:33 pmAbsolutely delicious! Moist, flavorful, and healthy. My family loved it!
Addie Perry says
February 14, 2018 at 6:42 pmI forgot to mention I doubled the eggs and used “Tessemae’s” organic ketchup (Whole30 compliant), as it was already in the fridge.
Katie says
February 22, 2018 at 2:53 pmHi. I made this and it was great! My question is that I need a new blender. Mine would not purée the dates. I looked at your link for a high speed blender, but that’s way too pricy. Can you recommend a good but more affordable blender or something else that would work. Thanks! Katie
Michele says
February 23, 2018 at 10:26 amI use a kitchen aid food processor typically to puree dates, it’s under 200. Most food processors can handle dates pretty well 🙂
Katie says
February 25, 2018 at 11:00 amOk. Thanks. I was looking for something under 100. ? thanks anyway.
Marie says
March 23, 2018 at 12:32 amThis is one of my new fav’s. Even my picky kids and hubby loved it. This one is going to be a regular in our lineup.
Michele says
March 23, 2018 at 7:40 pmSo happy you liked it!
Cherie Weinstein says
March 27, 2018 at 7:14 amTasty recipe. My non-healthy eating husband really liked it too.
Michele says
March 27, 2018 at 1:50 pmThat’s great 🙂
Weinstein Chérie says
April 10, 2018 at 3:25 pmGreat meatloaf and I also used some leftover to make freezer meatballs. My non-Whole 30 husband liked it too; yea! I love the Whole 30 ketchup! Excellent ketchup flavor that I’ve missed having given up ketchup years ago due to sugar content. Thanks. About to make this for second time.
Michele says
April 14, 2018 at 10:48 pmSo thrilled you liked it!
cheryl calof says
May 8, 2018 at 10:35 pmHi,
Just wondering if you have tried to make this in the instant pot.
Thanks
Jessica says
May 18, 2018 at 8:43 amI made this for whole 30 and it’s incredible! It’s so moist and flavorful. Loved the katchup.
Michele says
May 21, 2018 at 9:36 amSo thrilled you enjoyed it!
LUCY says
June 5, 2018 at 9:26 pmSO GOOD!
I’m not doing whole30 so I just used an organic ketchup with very little sugar, and did 1 lb beef/1 lb pork. Omg it’s delicious! I ate a piece almost straight out of the oven and burned my mouth – waited 2 minutes and tried again haha.
Maggie says
July 5, 2018 at 8:56 pmWow! we do not care for meatloaf in our house, but this was a HUGE HIT! I’m honestly shocked and how delicious it is. It will definitely be a regular in our W30 rotation!
Michele says
July 12, 2018 at 10:13 amOh awesome to hear that!
Erika says
July 18, 2018 at 8:32 pmCan you sub coconut flour for almond flour? What would the measurement be?
Michele says
July 19, 2018 at 11:17 amTypically you only need about 1/4-1/3 of the amount of coconut flour when subbing for almond. It’s so much more dense and absorptive. If you want to use arrowroot or tapioca those will sub in more easily, just 1 Tbsp less I’d say.
Angie says
October 6, 2018 at 10:44 amThis is delicious. My whole family loved it! I ended up adding at least 1/4 cup of water to the ketchup to get it thin enough to blend the dates in. We will definitely make this again and again!
Gabby says
October 11, 2018 at 9:05 pmso delish! I did a few alterations after trying the original and thought I would share:
Added 1/3 cup roasted bell peppers
Did a 1/2 cup of almond flour instead
Subbed herbs de Provence for the Italian seasoning
It was amazing! The original is good but the alterations added a little more depth and my boyfriend gave me the ultimate compliment: it was better than his mom’s!
Maureen Coleman says
October 15, 2018 at 3:56 pmDelish! Moist and flavorful . Home run. I used 1lb grass fed beef and 1lb good ground pork. Loved the homemade ketchup too! You always have the best recipes. Thank you.
Kimberly Smith says
October 23, 2018 at 1:09 pmThis is a great recipe! So yummy! I used cashew flour instead of almond flour because someone joining us had an almond allergy.
Sarika says
November 18, 2018 at 10:42 pmJust tried it. Wow. I love the Ketchup recipe and cooking the onions in the ghee. Delicious. Definitely best I have tasted so far.
Staci says
November 26, 2018 at 10:45 pmI’m so happy I found this recipe! I made it tonight (I used Primal Kitchen’s unsweetened ketchup since I had it on hand) and it was SO. GOOD. My kids devoured it. It definitely made enough for two dinners (there are three of us) and my kids are excited they get to eat it again this week! Thank you for being awesome!
Mariam says
December 5, 2018 at 12:41 amTurned out sooooo good! I used a little less than 1/3 cup of cassava flour instead of almond flour and tried one other commenter’s suggestion of cooking the meatloaf in muffin tins. Seriously, this felt so delicious and decadent it was hard to remember that it was actually good for me! Thanks so much for the bomb recipe!
Mars Rossbach says
January 6, 2019 at 7:39 pmThe author is a total narcissist….she should stop talking about herself like she should be worshipped by all of the readers, and just give the damn recipe….by the time I got to that part I was nauseated…going to a different site for a recipe….
Alane says
January 11, 2019 at 12:50 pmThis recipe was delicious! Thank you for the great whole30 ketchup recipe too! I added other veggies to the meatloaf that I had on hand: red bell pepper, celery, jalapeno and baby spinach.
Thank you again!
Tina says
January 23, 2019 at 8:05 pmThank you for this delicious recipe! I make lunch for 40 on Wednesdays and there are always a few on whole30 or eating low carb so when I found your recipe with such rave reviews I decided to make it and I’m glad I did! Everyone loved it!
Shelley says
January 24, 2019 at 3:27 pmMade this the other day and my family loved it! So much I’m making it again tonight for the second time this week. Forget that it’s Whole30, I’ll be making this anytime. Probably the best meatloaf recipe I’ve ever had. I used spicy mustard instead of regular and used a mix of chuck, pork and regular ground beef.
Teresa says
January 27, 2019 at 2:14 pmIf I make this using only one pound of ground beef-do I lessen the cooking time?
Amy Eberman says
January 28, 2019 at 10:37 pmDelicious meatloaf and the best homemade paleo ketchup recipe ever! The apple cider vinegar was a little strong for me so I substituted one TB with a TB of lemon juice. It was perfect!
Melissa says
February 4, 2019 at 9:18 pmTried this for the first time tonight and it was a HUGE hit!!! The flavor of the meat was absolutely delicious. The only thing I had to change was adding water (I used the stuff the dates soaked in) to the ketchup recipe because my blender sucks and wouldn’t blend because it was too thick. But now I have leftover ketchup to use and even our 7 yr old loved it (with a spoon 😂) 😊
Ruthi says
February 14, 2019 at 9:52 pmAnother great recipe! Thanks for posting this, you saved dinner again. 🙂 My only change is I used a store bought honey-sweetened ketchup, and I added bacon to the top like someone mentioned, and it’s my new favorite! I printed it so I could add it to my files.
Lauren says
February 17, 2019 at 7:50 pmWhat are the nutrition macros for this? I didn’t see them posted 🙂
Kyle says
February 25, 2019 at 1:07 pmI’m not one to leave comments (usually a lurker) but this meatloaf was amazing. My extremely picky eater husband loved it. And he didn’t even complain that it was healthy! Thanks for never failing to come up with delicious recipes!
Alicia B. says
March 5, 2019 at 6:54 pmDo you have the nutrition information?
Crystal Gray says
March 6, 2019 at 7:36 pmThis was amazing! I never told my family how I made it until after dinner when they couldn’t stop raving about how good it was. It was truly DELICIOUS!
Becky says
March 23, 2019 at 6:08 pmWe love this recipe! It is so moist and flavorful, also a hit with our 21 month old son. We have made it for people who do not eat Paleo and the also love it.
Sher says
March 24, 2019 at 9:03 pmMy hubby and I were craving meatloaf and I’m so glad I discovered this delicious low carb meatloaf. Not only didn’t my hubby enjoy it, my kids did too! Thanks!!
Lindsey says
April 14, 2019 at 9:09 pmThis was great! I left out the almond flour (because I forgot it) and I added a diced green bell pepper. Will definitely be making again!
Crystal says
May 12, 2019 at 9:02 pmMade this to meal prep my dinners for the week. Delicious!! I made 6 mini loaves and are one and printed the rest. I bought a sugar free ketchup though.