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 1/4 cup Brown Swerve in place of the 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.
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.
More delicious keto cranberry recipes
Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Basic Cranberry Sauce:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 2/3 cup (157.73 g) water
- 1/4 cup (45.5 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 1/4 cup (50 g) 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.
Video
Notes
Storage Information
Store the sauce in the fridge in a glass jar for up to a week. You can also freeze the sauce for up to 2 months. Remember to leave a little head room in the jars for the sauce to expand.Nutrition
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I can’t put a rating on the recipe
I have questions
cranberries is not keto friendly, so how is it you say that this is keto? low carb? yes I can agree to that, but I can’t on the keto part, now am I missing something? I’ve been keto off and on for 3 years lost 183 pounds, still fighting with that last 100, just to give you a little bit of back ground on me,
in all my research cranberries has always been a big fat no, now if I am missing something please explain, no I’m not trying to come off as the keto Nazi, just trying to better understand
thank you for your time and yes I do follow you and make some of your recipes I’m a big fan…
Hi there. Cranberries are most certainly keto. In fact, they are one of the LOWEST carb berries out there… as long as we are talking about fresh or frozen RAW cranberries. I suspect you are getting confused by the fact that DRIED cranberries usually have a ton of added sugar, and thus are very high carb.
1 cup RAW cranberries has 13g of carbs and 5g of fiber. But you don’t eat
I made your cinnamon, “brown sugar” cranberry sauce variation. It was delicious. I was very impressed by how well it thickened. It didn’t need chilling to get a good consistency before dinner.
I made this yesterday. It reminded me so much of the cranberry sauce my mom made when I was a kid. It was my favorite part of our Thanksgiving meal. More tart than sweet … love it! So easy to do, I won’t wait for November to make it again.
So glad!
for the CranberrySauce with cinnamon and brown sugar Swerve, is the Bocha Sweet still needed?
Yup… otherwise it will recrystallize a lot.
Thank you, ty, ty! Been basically using the orange zest and clove version for 8 years now but add cinnamon and a dash of vanilla too, at the end. I make more than what I need for the meal and freeze some for turkey sandwiches throughout the year. So good! Gets compliments every year, even cranberry sauce haters love it!
when substituting xylitol for bocha sweet is it a 1:1?
Yep!
dear Carolyn,
I have tried so many of your recipes and purchased 2 of your books and I am overjoyed I watch you on you tube when I can and I am so grateful for the time you put into your work. I just want to thank you from the top and bottom of my heart. May you be greatly blessed for all your hard work. happy tasty Holidays.
Thank you!
This is the second year I have made this and it’s outstanding. I use orange zest, a touch of clove and cinnamon and it’s heavenly. I have a double batch frozen and ready for Thanksgiving. Thanks for all your great recipes!
So glad to hear it!
Do you have to freeze it in a glass jar or can it be Tupperware or a mason jar
Anything works as long as you leave a little room for the sauce to expand during freezing.
Amazing! I have missed cranberry sauce since going Leto and this was amazing! I used the brown swerve with the bocca sweet. Thank you!
I read thru 2x and listened to the video. I’m not seeing the 4 flavor options. Help. Thanks!
Never mind! I found them. I dont know what was going on. B.
Oh, I just saw this now…
It’s all written right into the blog post. If you’re skipping to the recipe, you’re going to miss them…
I have eaten the canned cranberry sauce all of my life and was thinking I was going to have to “cheat” to get some, but you saved me! I am going to try this Keto version but I do have a question…Can I add unflavored gelatin to get that texture?
And I do have to say Carolyn, I have been using your recipes a lot! You are a life saver!
Thank you so much!
Yes, absolutely if you prefer the gelled cranberry sauce.
Used Swerve and allulose. Added orange zest. Delicious! I’m going to try golden monk fruit or brown Swerve with allulose next time. Thank you for doing all your hard work and sharing your results with us! Happy Holidays!
Can less sweetner (Monk Fruit) be used? I have found cookies, etc. with Monk Fruit sweetner are sometimes too sweet.
Sure!
Question… Sorry if this was answered previously.. But it says simmer until the crans have almost popped… Approx how long should I check? Thanks in advance! I’ve enjoyed every recipe I’ve tried on your site so thank you! I just ordered the Bocha sweet to try your variation one.. I’m excited!!
You should stay nearby and not go away while it’s simmering. It’s usually 5 to 10 minutes but it varies depending on the berries and your pan.
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).
That one is my favorite too!
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!
Made the cinnamon brown sugar recipe for Thanksgiving this year and oh my gosh it was so delicious!!
So glad to hear it!
I made this last year and making it again this year! I LOVE me some cranberry sauce so thank you very much!!
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!
I would just re-warm it before serving.