This Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce has all the flavor of the original, with a mere fraction of the carbs. It’s rich and thick, and takes only 15 minutes to make. Perfect for all your healthy holiday celebrations.
This keto cranberry sauce has been in my family for generations. My stepmother taught me the secret to the best cranberry sauce ever years ago, and I am going to share it with you today. Ready for it?
Follow the directions on the back of the bag. Yup, that’s right. The bag of cranberries you just picked up from the grocery store has the best recipe right on it. It takes sugar, but that’s an easy fix.
My dad always requested that I make the cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. He loved it and swore up and down that mine was the best. And I always laughed because he knew full well how ridiculously easy it was. He just wanted me to make it for him.
I think of him with love every single time I make this sugar free cranberry sauce. And I miss him terribly.
I have so many delicious Keto Thanksgiving Recipes. From keto stuffing to the gooey keto pecan pie, I devote huge amounts of time every year to creating recipes for a healthy and keto-friendly holiday.
Why you need to try this
Of course, I don’t make cranberry sauce exactly the same way I used to. I replace the sugar and make it far healthier and keto-friendly.
Over the years, I have perfected this recipe so that it has the same thick, syrupy consistency of the regular kind. No one can tell that it’s sugar free. And it has less than 2g net carbs per serving!
I’ve also experimented with different variations, adding in some flavors like orange, cinnamon, and spice. So you’re getting four awesome recipes in one!
The great part about keto cranberry sauce is that it can be made well in advance of the holidays. It freezes and thaws well so you can store it for weeks or even months.
Reader Testimonials
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! — Andrea
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. — Lynn
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. — Melissa
Ingredients you need
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- Cranberries: This is the star of the show! You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. I freeze bags of cranberries in the fall so I have them ready for the following year.
- Sweeteners: To get the perfect consistency, you really need a mix of two sweeteners. I use Swerve and either BochaSweet or allulose. This gives the sauce a thickness, but also helps keep it from recrystallizing as it cools. Swerve Brown also adds a hint of brown sugar flavor, which really enhances the sauce. Read my guide to keto sweeteners for more information.
- Water
- Other flavorings: citrus zest, cinnamon, lime juice, chipotle powder, vanilla extract, cloves.
Step-by-step directions
1. Place the cranberries, sweeteners, and water in a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low.
2. Simmer until almost all the cranberries have popped and released their juices, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
How easy is that???
Variations
Cinnamon “Brown Sugar” Cranberry Sauce
Use ¼ cup Brown Swerve in place of the granular Swerve. Then add ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon along with the sweeteners. This might be my favorite cranberry sauce variation yet!
Orange Clove Cranberry Sauce
Add 2 teaspoon orange zest and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves along with the sweeteners. If you prefer, you can use ½ teaspoon orange extract in place of the zest. Smells like an old-fashioned Christmas!
Chipotle Lime Cranberry Sauce
Get a little Southwestern flare by adding ½ teaspoon chipotle powder, 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice, and 1 teaspoon lime zest along with the sweeteners. A nice change from the traditional sauce.
Recipe tips
Sweeteners: It’s important to understand the role various sweeteners play in making sugar free cranberry sauce. You can work with what you like best and what’s available to you, but you may have to adjust the recipe accordingly.
If you only have erythritol based sweeteners, your sauce will re-crystallize a little as it cools. To avoid this, I recommend using a confectioner’s style erythritol and whisking it in only AFTER you have simmered the cranberries and water together.
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.
Jellied cranberry sauce: Dissolve 1 packet of Knox gelatin or 1 tablespoon of grass-fed gelatin in a quarter cup of water. Whisk this into the cranberry mixture when you reduce the heat to a simmer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can get the same wonderful, thick consistency without sugar. Cranberries contain a lot of pectin, which releases as the berries cook and helps thicken the sauce. But for a more syrupy consistency, I recommend using some allulose or BochaSweet as well. Allulose works really well in this regard.
This keto cranberry sauce recipe has 2.8g of carbs and 1.0g of fiber per serving. That comes to 1.8g net carbs in 2 tablespoons.
Absolutely! I usually do it a few days in advance and just store it in the fridge in a jar. It lasts for at least a week. But you can also freeze cranberry sauce. 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.
Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Basic Cranberry Sauce:
- 8 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen
- ⅔ cup water
- ¼ cup Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ cup allulose or BochaSweet
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.
Tammy says
I’m not even really a fan of cranberry sauce, but wanted to try this with keto cheesecake for Thanksgiving. This is unbelievably good, everyone enjoyed it, and can’t wait to make it again. Thanks!
Claire says
This a great recipe. We added some additional spices, along with walnuts. Will use this recipe from now on!
Carolyn says
Yum!
Helen says
I made your cranberry sauce recipe today to serve as part of my Thanksgiving meal and it was delicious! I posted it on Instagram and tagged you. I added orange extract, and it was just as I like it- art with just a hint of sweetness. Thanks for a delicious and easy recipe!
Carolyn says
Thanks so much!
Brenda Zorn says
I love your recipe variation for brown sugar cinnamon flavored. I only had brown sugar Swerve and confectioners Swerve. I followed your directions carefully and it turned out fantastic! I usually prefer plain cranberry sauce but this particular recipe is now my favorite. It is a real treat! Thank you.