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?
Table of Contents
- 1 Ingredients and Substitutions for low carb cranberry sauce
- 2 Sugar-free Cranberry Sauce
- 3 How to make keto cranberry sauce
- 4 Tips and Tricks:
- 5 Is cranberry keto-friendly?
- 6 Can I Use Another Type of Sweetener?
- 7 How many net carbs are in this keto cranberry sauce?
- 8 Can You Freeze Cranberry Sauce?
- 9 Storage
- 10 Other holiday recipes to enjoy with no-sugar cranberry sauce
- 11 Keto Cranberry Sauce (Sugar-Free)
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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
Keto Cranberry Sauce (Sugar-Free)
Equipment
- 1 pan
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1 ¼ cups water you may replace half of the water with fresh orange juice if you are NOT on a keto diet
- 1 cup confectioner erythritol (I use Swerve) Use any other sweetener that is not granulated such as powdered monk fruit or sugar-free maple syrup. If you are not on a sugar-free diet, use ½ cup of sugar or honey.
- 1 teaspoon orange zest or orange extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus a dash of ground nutmeg and ground cloves if desired
- 1 stick of cinnamon optional
- 1 sprig of rosemary optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 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.
- 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 be more cranberry jelly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let it cool before serving or storing the sauce in the fridge.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
John / Kitchen Riffs says
This looks wonderful -- loaded with flavor. And that color!