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October 9, 2019

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce – 4 ways!

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The best sugar free cranberry sauce, with 4 delicious flavor options. It’s the perfect keto side dish for all of your holiday celebrations and goes perfectly with turkey or ham.

Sugar-free cranberry sauce in a crystal bowl with fresh cranberries in the background

I love the holidays and I have so many delicious Keto Thanksgiving Recipes. From keto stuffing to the best keto pecan pie, I devote huge amounts of time every year to creating recipes for a healthy and keto-friendly holiday.

And this keto cranberry sauce has been in my family for generations. No really! My stepmother taught me the secret to the best cranberry sauce ever years ago, and I am going to share it with you today. Secret family recipe. You ready?

It goes like this: Follow the directions on the back of the bag.

Now, over the years, I’ve put my own little spin on it. Which really means just subbing keto friendly sweeteners for the sugar listed on the bags from every major cranberry producer out there.

Yes, my friends. That is all you need to do to make the best sugar free cranberry sauce. It’s seriously as simple as that. But there are also plenty of delicious ways to flavor the basic cranberry sauce recipe, and I’ve got several great ideas for you so read on.

Keto cranberry sauce in a glass bowl on a white plate, with a cinnamon stick.

Can cranberry sauce be made without sugar?

That would be an emphatic yes, my friends. Don’t believe me? Watch my video to see just how easy it is to do. I make a delicious keto Cinnamon Brown “Sugar” Cranberry Sauce that makes my whole house smell like Thanksgiving.

Basic fresh cranberry sauce consists simply of 3 ingredients: Cranberries, water, and sweetener. You can replace the sugar listed in most recipes with any sweetener you like best.

The best sweeteners for keto cranberry sauce

A few tips depending on what sweeteners you plan to use. If you use all erythritol based sweeteners, your sauce may re-crystallize somewhat as it cools. To avoid this, I recommend using the powdered version and whisking it in only after you have cooked the cranberries and water.

If you prefer to use something like stevia extract, I recommend reducing the water by about half, so that you have a thicker sauce. Concentrated stevia and monk fruit extract have no bulk so they don’t help thicken your sauce at all.

My personal preference is for a combination of Swerve and Bocha Sweet, since the Bocha Sweet helps keep the sauce from re-crystallizing. It also helps make it more syrupy and thus more like conventional cranberry sauce.

Other flavors of sugar-free cranberry sauce

Basic cranberry sauce is delicious as is. But it’s also really amazing with some added flavors.

Cinnamon “Brown Sugar” Cranberry Sauce

Use 1/4 cup Brown Swerve in place of the regular granular Swerve. Then add 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon along with the sweeteners. This might be my favorite cranberry sauce variation yet!

Orange Clove Cranberry Sauce

Add 2 tsp orange zest and 1/4 tsp ground cloves along with the sweeteners. If you prefer, you can use 1/2 tsp orange extract in place of the zest. Smells like an old-fashioned Christmas!

Chipotle Lime Cranberry Sauce

Get a little Southwestern flare by adding 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, and 1 tsp lime zest along with the sweeteners. A nice change from the traditional sauce.

Can you make keto cranberry sauce ahead of time?

Honestly this is my favorite Thanksgiving side dish to make ahead. I usually do it a few days in advance and just store it in the fridge in a jar. It will be fine for up to a week.

But you can also freeze cranberry sauce too. Again, store in a glass jar and be sure to give it a little head room as it will expand as it freezes. It’s good for up to 2 months.

And truth be told, the sugar free cranberry sauce I made for this video is now hanging out in my freezer, waiting for the holidays to roll around…

More Delicious Keto Cranberry Recipes

  • How to make Sugar-Free Dried Cranberries
  • Keto Cranberry Cobbler
  • Keto Cranberry Cheesecake
  • Keto Cranberry Biscotti
  • Cranberry Shortbread Streusel Bars
Keto cranberry sauce in a glass bowl on a white plate, with a cinnamon stick.
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Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce

The best sugar free cranberry sauce, with 4 delicious flavor options. It's the perfect keto side dish for all of your holiday celebrations and goes perfectly with turkey or ham.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword keto cranberry sauce, sugar free cranberry sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 12kcal

Ingredients

Basic Cranberry Sauce:

  • 8 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup Swerve Sweetener
  • 1/4 cup Bocha Sweet (see recipe notes)

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low.
  • Simmer until almost all the cranberries have popped and released their juices. Remove and let cool.

Video

Notes

Using a second sweetener such as Bocha Sweet, allulose or xylitol will ket your cranberry sauce from recrystallizing upon cooling. If you can only use an erythritol based sweetener (Swerve, Lakanto, etc), then use the powdered version and add it only AFTER you have cooked the cranberries and water and they have popped. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 12kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.8g | Protein: 0.1g | Fiber: 1g
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Filed Under: Dairy Free, Holiday Treats Tagged With: cranberries, thanksgiving

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Nutritional Disclaimer

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.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jennifer says

    October 10, 2019 at 4:14 pm

    5 stars
    Cranberry Sauce is my FAVORITE! Definitely trying this healthier version!

    Reply
  2. Anna says

    October 10, 2019 at 5:06 pm

    5 stars
    I am obsessed with this sugar-free cranberry sauce! It’s delicious!

    Reply
  3. Kristyn says

    October 10, 2019 at 5:20 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing these options!! Cranberry sauce is so good & I love the different ingredients you can add, to change it up!

    Reply
  4. Pam Dana says

    October 10, 2019 at 5:26 pm

    5 stars
    This has such great flavor!

    Reply
  5. Katie says

    October 10, 2019 at 7:52 pm

    5 stars
    Cranberry sauce is such a hit at my family’s Thanksgiving table! We’re going to have to try this healthier version!

    Reply
  6. Nikki says

    October 11, 2019 at 5:12 am

    I can’t wait to try this. Question- is there a reason to use both swerve and bocha sweet? (I understand why we are adding the Bocha Sweet just wondering if the swerve adds anything to the table other than affordability) Is there any other benefit to using swerve rather than all Bocha Sweet.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      October 11, 2019 at 8:18 am

      You could use all Bocha Sweet if you want but they don’t have a brown sugar version. The Swerve Brown adds more sweetness and more flavor.

      Swerve is still by far my favourite sweetener to bake with. Bocha Sweet is great in more liquid applications like this one but it tends to make things TOO soft. Meringues don’t crisp up and ice cream stays like soft serve. Brownies become cake-y, cookies never crisp. So I mostly use it for keeping ice cream soft and sauces like this from recrystallizing.

      Reply
      • Christie Corson says

        November 24, 2020 at 12:08 pm

        Carolyn, where would I find the video for this recipe? Thanks in advance

        Reply
        • Carolyn says

          November 24, 2020 at 1:31 pm

          well it used to be in the body text but now it’s disappeared so I’ve added it to the recipe card.

          Reply
  7. Nada says

    October 11, 2019 at 10:08 pm

    Hi….I can’t wait to make this cranberry sauce. I only have Swerve. Question: do I add the Swerve powder right after cranberries done popping while mixture is still hot ….or do I let it cook down first and then add the sweetener…? Sorry, I am new to Keto cooking and just learning how to best use sweeteners.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      October 12, 2019 at 8:22 am

      Excellent question! In my experience, Swerve re-crystallizes the more it’s heated. So waiting until it’s lukewarm would be ideal.

      Reply
  8. Cheryl says

    October 13, 2019 at 4:15 pm

    Love this! How do you dry them to use in baking? And do you sweeten them before drying? Hubby loves cranberries, but gave up his favorite Trader Joe’s brand.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      October 16, 2019 at 8:29 pm

      This is cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries. There is no drying…

      Reply
    • Melissa says

      November 24, 2020 at 5:02 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this and it is every bit as good as my old standby (pre keto days) Will definitely be making for Christmas as well.

      Reply
  9. Melissa says

    November 3, 2019 at 11:12 am

    5 stars
    I must admit that my cranberry sauce is still in the fridge cooling, but I have licked the pot clean so I can say this cranberry sauce is amazing.

    I used the Bocha Sweet and Brown Sugar Swerve but left out the cinnamon to suit my tastebuds. Also, I like jellied cranberry sauce so I pureed my cranberries and water in the blender before simmering and added gelatin at the end.

    I am not sure I can wait for it to set before eating it, but I do know what will be on my Thanksgiving table, even if I have to make a sexond batch!!

    Thanks for the awesome recipe.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 3, 2019 at 2:05 pm

      Sounds fabulous!

      Reply
    • Meris says

      November 21, 2020 at 8:59 pm

      I came here to see if anyone had tried adding gelatin!!! Did you also let it set in a can for added effect!???!?

      Reply
  10. Becky says

    November 4, 2019 at 8:50 pm

    If I am using the brown sugar only, would I double it or just use the 1/4 cup

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 4, 2019 at 9:05 pm

      You would double it, otherwise it would be much too tart.

      Reply
  11. Christine says

    November 16, 2019 at 7:31 pm

    Hi Carolyn
    Have you tried allulose in this recipe? I have baked cakes with success using it.I’ve used in caramel sauce too. It turned out very good! Thank you for all your delicious recipes!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 16, 2019 at 11:15 pm

      Please read the recipe notes, I discuss this. I cannot use allulose, as it gives me immediate stomach issues.

      Reply
  12. Lorraine Gagnon says

    November 17, 2019 at 8:36 am

    Just love cranberry sauce and thought i would have to give it up until i saw your recipe. Definitely will make this. That said, i’d like to know if it can be modified to make it ” jelly-like”
    Thanks for all your great recipes.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 17, 2019 at 8:56 am

      Yes, you can probably add some gelatin to make it like the kind from a can. I would dissolve about 1 packet of regular gelatin or 1 tablespoon of grassfed gelatin in 1/4 cup water. Then add into the mixture when you are bringing it to up to a boil. That’s just a rough guess, as I haven’t tried it.

      Reply
  13. Michelle says

    November 26, 2019 at 1:15 pm

    5 stars
    Can this be freezed?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 26, 2019 at 2:28 pm

      Frozen? Yes, I have some in my freezer right now.

      Reply
      • Brenda Moore says

        October 30, 2020 at 2:10 pm

        😉

        Reply
  14. Maria S Nilsson says

    November 26, 2019 at 3:08 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this cranberry sauce to use on Thanksgiving and I might have to make more because I think I’ll just eat it before Thursday! It’s soooo good! Amazing! Thanks for this recipe!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 26, 2019 at 5:32 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  15. MaryAnn Parrish says

    November 28, 2019 at 12:40 am

    Can yacon syrup be substituted for Bocha Sweet? I don’t have Bocha Sweet.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 30, 2019 at 7:49 am

      It’s not a good replacement but you could do more Swerve and a teaspoon or so of Yacon. It would have great flavor but would probably re-crystallize.

      Reply
  16. Steve Warner says

    November 28, 2019 at 8:42 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing! This was my favorite dish this Thanksgiving. I made the option with brown sugar and cinnamon and even my wife, who notoriously HATES cranberry sauce, loved it. Thanks for the fantastic recipe. I’ll be making this again (and likely using leftovers in a creme cheese tart)!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 29, 2019 at 10:47 am

      So glad to hear it! And the cream cheese tart sounds delicious.

      Reply
  17. Don Watson says

    January 26, 2020 at 6:01 am

    If I’m replacing the swerve with liquid stevia what would the amount of stevia be?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      January 26, 2020 at 9:42 am

      That depends totally on your liquid stevia and how it measures compared to sugar. The two sweeteners I use measure almost exactly like sugar so if you know how sweet yours is, you can do it that way. For example, many liquid stevia brands are about 1/4 tsp to match the sweetness of sugar.

      Reply
  18. Lynn says

    October 23, 2020 at 4:41 pm

    5 stars
    The lime and chipotle recipe is exquisite. Slather it under some cold sliced chicken breast and garlic cream cheese, and you have something that’ll make the gods jealous.

    Reply
  19. Marilyn J Carini says

    November 23, 2020 at 9:13 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve been keto coming up 3 years, so I’ve had a few holidays to try out different cranberry sauce recipes. This one is the best, and I’ve stopped looking for any others. I use xylitol instead of Boca Sweet, but follow everything else exactly. Yum!!!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 23, 2020 at 11:00 pm

      So delighted to hear that!

      Reply
  20. Lara says

    November 23, 2020 at 10:39 pm

    Can I use 1/4 cup swerve brown sugar and 1/4 powdered swerve?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 23, 2020 at 11:00 pm

      As I think I am clear in the post… yes but it will recrystallize and become grainy, since these are both erythritol sweeteners.

      Reply
  21. Vanessa says

    November 25, 2020 at 3:53 am

    Oh no! I didn’t read your notes until after I completed cooking. I used 1/2 brown swerve and 1/2 confectioners swerve but I didn’t wait to add, I added the sugar to the water first. What’s going to happen? Should I redo? Thanks, it’s tasty off the stove!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 25, 2020 at 9:47 am

      I would just re-warm it before serving.

      Reply
  22. Linnae Bosma says

    November 25, 2020 at 5:42 pm

    5 stars
    I made this last year and making it again this year! I LOVE me some cranberry sauce so thank you very much!!

    Reply
  23. Rachel says

    November 28, 2020 at 7:47 am

    5 stars
    Made the cinnamon brown sugar recipe for Thanksgiving this year and oh my gosh it was so delicious!!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 28, 2020 at 8:52 am

      So glad to hear it!

      Reply
  24. Andrea Patterson says

    November 28, 2020 at 10:11 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely AMAZING!!!! Thank you for such an easy and delicious sauce. I used Allulose and Swerve brown sugar with the cinnamon and it’s freaking delicious!

    Reply
  25. Dawnj says

    January 8, 2021 at 1:58 pm

    Love cranberries. Tried all of these variations with raving success, however, my favorite was brown sugar cinnamon! My husband is out scouring for cranberries to freeze. I will make this year round. Thank you❣️ (Have your excellent Cranberry Bliss Pound cake cooling also. Made a few times with the addition of walnuts).

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      January 8, 2021 at 5:03 pm

      That one is my favorite too!

      Reply

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Carolyn PortraitLooking for the best low carb recipes? You've come to the right place! I'm Carolyn, a major carnivore and an unrepentant sweet tooth. Here you will find all you need to enjoy the low carb keto lifestyle to the fullest! Read more

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