Keto Cranberry Sauce (Sugar-Free)

This keto cranberry sauce recipe is also sugar-free and makes a healthy option for the holidays. Made with fresh or frozen cranberries, orange zest, and spices, it's also low carb, paleo, and gluten-free.

Are you ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas? We want to help you have the best holiday meal of your life without stretching your waistline!

Ready?

Ingredients and Substitutions for low carb cranberry sauce

Make our no sugar cranberry sauce with a few simple ingredients for your Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas feast. Most ingredients you may already have in your pantry.

• Cranberries – I used fresh cranberries but you can use frozen cranberries if you want. It works either way. However, be aware cranberry sauce made with frozen cranberries will contain more liquids and you may have to decrease the amount of water called in the recipe (use about ¼ cup less water).
• Water – It has no calories. If you prefer, you can use part water and part fresh orange juice or lemon juice. But be aware your keto cranberry sauce will have more carbs because orange juice contains carbs.
• Sweetener – Use either powdered monk fruit or Swerve confectioner erythritol. This blends well into the sauce, keeps longer without crystallizing, and has no aftertaste. Monk fruit is also a natural sweetener! Powdered sweeteners are better choices than granulated sweeteners for the reasons listed above. But if you will consume the sauce entirely and quite soon, you can use another type of sugar-free sweetener.
• Orange zest – It will add extra flavor and a zing to your sauce. If you prefer, swap for ½ to 1 teaspoon of orange extract, lemon zest, or a squeeze of lemon.
• Spices – I used ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves plus a cinnamon stick to flavor my sugar-free cranberry sauce.
• Flavorings -- I added two types to my cranberry sauce recipe: Vanilla extract (It is optional and you only add it at the very end, after cooking the sauce) and also a sprig of rosemary. 

You can serve our healthy cranberry sauce as a side for your Holiday meal or you can store it in Mason jars and give it away as an edible present.

Sugar-free Cranberry Sauce

This no-sugar cranberry sauce recipe is so easy. It takes just 10-15 minutes to make on the stovetop.

It is also much healthier and delicious than the mushy canned jellied cranberry sauce that you buy in the grocery store.

In fact, it tastes as good as any homemade cranberry sauce loaded in sugar but without all the carbs.

In addition, you can make it 4 days ahead and store it in the fridge, freeing your stove to cook other holiday foods. But for that, use a powdered sweetener instead of a granulated sweetener; otherwise, your sauce may crystallize. 

Except for that, feel free to use whatever powdered version you have such as Splenda, erythritol, monk fruit, sugar-free maple syrup, etc

How to make keto cranberry sauce

 It is super quick and easy with this healthy cranberry sauce!

1.  Stir in cranberries, water, the low-carb sweetener, orange zest (or little orange extract), spices, cinnamon stick, and a sprig of rosemary in a medium saucepan or iron skillet.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until most of the cranberries pop and the sauce reduces and thickens. TIP: Avoid mixing while the sauce cooks unless you want your sauce to have fewer whole cranberries and more cranberry jelly.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let it cool before serving or storing the sauce in the fridge.

Tips and Tricks:

• Use any form of sugar-free powdered sweetener to prevent your sauce from crystallizing and having an aftertaste. 
• Most traditional cranberry sauce recipes call for orange juice instead of water. By replacing it with water and adding orange zest or extract, you still get that amazing citrus flavor but without all of the sugar. If you don’t mind about the extra carbs, feel free to swap in a bit of orange juice for the water.
• The cinnamon stick and rosemary sprig are optional but they add a warm and floral flavor to the sauce.
• Fresh cranberry sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead of Thanksgiving and can be served at room temperature, warm, or chilled. 

 Is cranberry keto-friendly?

Cranberries have natural sugars yet are fairly low in carbs and high in fiber, making the net carbs work within a keto diet.

But the canned cranberry sauce comes loaded with sugar which is not keto. If you are on a low-carb diet, make sure to make your own.

Can I Use Another Type of Sweetener? 

You can use any type of sweetener in powdered form. Avoid them at all costs granulated sweeteners because they will crystalize and add an unwanted aftertaste to your fresh keto cranberry sauce recipe.

How many net carbs are in this keto cranberry sauce?

This keto cranberry sauce recipe makes 6 generous servings and has only 6 net carbs per serving. It is guilt-free!

Can You Freeze Cranberry Sauce? 

Yes! Let our homemade keto cranberry sauce fully cool and then store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and serve either chilled or warm. 

Storage

Place a plastic wrap over the cool sauce and seal the airtight container before storing it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Other holiday recipes to enjoy with no-sugar cranberry sauce

• Roast turkey made with best turkey brine
• Instant Pot turkey breast
• Gluten-free turkey gravy
• Air fryer Brussels sprouts
• Instant Pot Brussels sprouts
• Air fryer asparagus
• Curried deviled eggs

 

PIN & ENJOY!