Published: Jun 1, 2021 · Modified: Apr 8, 2024 by Carolyn

Easy Keto Jello – from scratch!

Name: Keto Sugar-Free Jello Cups
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups water; natural blue food coloring; 1/2 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener; Blueberry flavoring to taste; 1 tbsp grassfed gelatin; 1 1/2 cups water; 1/2 cup 100% cranberry juice; 1/2 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener; 1 tbsp grassfed gelatin; Strawberry flavoring to taste; 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream; 3 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 cup fresh blueberries; 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries.

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Homemade sugar-free jello is far easier than you think! With no artificial sweeteners or colors, this keto jello is a fun and healthy dessert recipe.

Add it to your list of must-make keto desserts!

Titled image for keto sugar free jello in glass jars, one blue and one red, topped with whipped cream and berries.

Okay, I had way too much fun creating these adorable keto jello cups. Seriously…way too much fun making them all red, white, and blue for the 4th of July. I admit, I am ridiculously pleased with myself.

It’s astonishingly easy to make sugar free jello at home. And no, I am not talking about buying boxes of pre-made mix. Trust me, people, those contain a whole bunch of junk you don’t want to consume. Aspartame and artificial dyes, to name just a few.

And when you see just how easy it is to make sugar-free jello from scratch, you realize there’s absolutely no need to purchase the junky kind. A few simple ingredients and about 10 minutes is all it takes.

Small glass jars filled with keto sugar free jello, some blueberry and some strawberry, with fresh berries scattered around.

4th of July Jello Cups

I really did have a ball creating these patriotic jello cups. While I am not actually American, my husband and kids are, and making some sort of keto red white and blue dessert each year has become a tradition.

I even have a full keto 4th of July menu plan for those of you on the hunt for more Independence Day recipes.

I was looking for ideas for something fun and easy, and I stumbled across these Fruit and Jello Cups from The First Year Blog. Of course, they’re made with real Jello, so they’re full of sugar. But they are so cute, I just had to find a way to make them keto-friendly.

And of course, I just had to make one that was red, white, and red in honour of Canada Day!

Sugar free strawberry jello in a cup topped with whipped cream and chopped strawberries.

Homemade Jello from scratch

I wasn’t about to use sugar-free Jello packets, so I had to go about making Jello from scratch. It’s astonishingly easy once you realize that Jello is little more than water, color, flavor, sweetener, and gelatin.

I knew I wanted a bright, true blue for the blueberry layer, and real blueberry juice tends to be more purple than blue. But there are a number of good natural food colorings on the market these days. I used about ⅓ of an envelope of blue powder from Color Kitchen, and it worked perfectly.

It’s hard to achieve a true red with some of these natural food dyes. I’ve used beet powder before but I didn’t want my strawberry jello layer to have even a hint of beets in it. So I used ½ cup of 100% cranberry juice instead and got a gorgeous true red without much cranberry flavor.

I have a set of fruit flavorings from One on One Flavors, and I simply added a few drops into the mix to get the flavor I wanted. These are highly concentrated candy flavorings so a little goes a long way.

But there are other good natural flavors on the market. I’ve had good luck with Olive Nation for many of my recipes.

How to make sugar-free jello

Making your own sugar free jello from scratch is just as easy as making it from a box mix. No, seriously, it is! The process is almost identical and you can use much better, healthier ingredients. Here’s the low down:

For the color

If using food coloring, whisk it with the water in a glass measuring cup so you can see the color clearly. Add just a little at a time, whisking in between, until you get the color you want.
If using juice for color, make sure it’s no sugar added. 100% unsweetened cranberry juice gives a beautiful red with out adding a strong flavor, and ½ cup has only 9g of carbs. Split between 4 servings, that adds up to 2.25g per serving.
You can use other fruit juices but they tend to be much higher in carbs.

For the flavor

I recommend using extracts and flavorings to achieve the desired flavors, since fruit juices and purees can be quite high in carbs (cranberry juice is the exception).
Most of these non-standard extracts and flavors are best purchased online, as regular grocery stores don’t carry them.
I recommend One on One Flavors and Olive Nation brands.
They all vary in strength so add a little flavoring at a time and taste in between, until it seems right to you.

For the sweetener

Good news! You can use any sweetener you like best, since sugar-free jello doesn’t rely on a particular sweetener for consistency. I recommend powdered or liquid sweeteners because they dissolve more easily. Sweeten to taste.

Adding gelatin

I recommend using good grassfed gelatin like Great Lakes (the orange can). But the Knox gelatin envelopes will also work. It has more gelling powder so use only one envelope per 2 cups of liquid.
Bloom the gelatin by sprinkling it over the liquid and letting it sit for a few minutes. Then heat the liquid gently, but don’t let it boil. Whisk until the gelatin dissolves completely.

Let it set

Gelatin desserts like this take about 3 hours to set properly. Refrigerate until firm.

See how easy that is? That’s all it takes to make your own keto sugar-free gelatin!

Then you can add some delicious whipped cream and fresh fruit, and make these adorable keto 4th of July Jello Cups!

A white platter with jars of sugar free red white and blue jello cups.

Can you make keto jello in advance?

Keto Jello is an easy make-ahead dessert, since there is really nothing in it that will spoil. You can easily make it a few days in advance of serving. It can dry out as it sits in the fridge so cover the top of the cups or container tightly.

If you plan to make these keto jello cups, I recommend making the whipped cream and fruit topping fresh, on the day you plan to serve. It will taste and look much better.

More patriotic keto recipes

Keto Sugar-Free Jello Cups

Homemade sugar-free jello is far easier than you think! With no artificial sweeteners or colors, this keto jello is a fun and healthy dessert recipe.

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: keto jello, sugar free jello

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Chill Time: 3

Total Time: 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 81kcal

Ingredients

Blueberry Jello

2 cups water
natural blue food coloring
½ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
Blueberry flavoring to taste
1 tablespoon grassfed gelatin

Strawberry Jello

1 ½ cups water
½ cup 100% cranberry juice
½ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
1 tablespoon grassfed gelatin
Strawberry flavoring to taste

Topping and garnish

¾ cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup chopped fresh strawberries.

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Blueberry Jello

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the water and enough food coloring to achieve a bright blue. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan.
Whisk in the powdered sweetener and blueberry extract to taste. Sprinkle the surface with the gelatin and let sit 3 minutes to bloom.
Turn the heat on to medium low and whisk until the gelatin dissolves completely. Do not let it come to a boil.
Divide the gelatin between 4 glass dessert cups (½ cup capacity each). Add a few fresh blueberries if desired. Refrigerated 3 hours until set.

Strawberry Jello

In a medium saucepan, combine the water and cranberry juice. Whisk in the powdered sweetener and strawberry extract to taste. Sprinkle the surface with the gelatin and let sit 3 minutes to bloom.
Turn the heat on to medium low and whisk until the gelatin dissolves completely. Do not let it come to a boil.
Divide the gelatin between 4 glass dessert cups (½ cup capacity each). Add a few chopped strawberries if desired. Refrigerated 3 hours until set.

Topping and Garnish

In a large bowl, whip the cream with the sweetener and vanilla extract until it holds stiff peaks. Pipe or dollop on the top of the set jello cups.
Add the blueberries and strawberries to the tops of each cup before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Sugar-Free Jello Cups

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 81 Calories from Fat 48

% Daily Value*

Fat 5.3g8%

Carbohydrates 4.5g2%

Fiber 0.5g2%

Protein 2g4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Comments

5 from 8 votes (1 rating without comment)

Easy Keto Jello – from scratch!

4th of July Jello Cups

Homemade Jello from scratch