Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce

Made without regular sugar, this homemade cranberry sauce combines tart cranberries with a powdered sugar-free sweetener, orange zest, and warm spices for a thick, spoonable holiday side. Serve it with Instant Pot Turkey Breast and make it up to 4 days ahead for easier holiday prep.

Ingredients

• Cranberries – 12 oz, fresh or frozen. They give the sauce its tart cranberry flavor and naturally thick, chunky texture. Either fresh or frozen cranberries work.
• Water – 1 ¼ cups. Water provides the liquid needed to cook the cranberries without adding the sugar found in orange juice.
• Confectioners' erythritol – 1 cup. I use Swerve to sweeten the cranberries without regular sugar. The powdered form blends easily into the sauce.
• Orange zest – 1 teaspoon. The zest gives the sauce fresh orange flavor without extra liquid. Orange extract can be used instead.
• Ground cinnamon – 1 teaspoon. Cinnamon gives the cranberry sauce its warm, spiced flavor. Add a dash of ground nutmeg and cloves if desired.
• Cinnamon stick – 1, optional. Simmer it with the cranberries for extra cinnamon flavor.
• Rosemary – 1 sprig, optional. Rosemary gives the sauce a light herbal flavor that pairs well with cranberry and orange.
• Vanilla extract – ½ teaspoon. Stir it in after cooking to give the sauce a mellow flavor that softens the tart cranberries and warm spices.

How to Make Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce

1. Combine the ingredients: Add the cranberries, water, powdered sweetener, orange zest, ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick, and rosemary to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
2. Simmer the cranberry sauce: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
   Note: Avoid stirring the sauce too much as it cooks if you want more whole cranberries and a chunkier texture. Stirring more often will break down the berries and create a more jelly-like sauce.
3. Add the vanilla: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let the sauce cool before serving or storing it in the refrigerator.

FAQs About Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce

What to Serve with Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce

• Gravy: Spoon alongside Gluten-Free Turkey Gravy for a savory contrast to the sweet-tart keto cranberry sauce.
• Roasted meats: Enjoy with roast chicken, pork, or beef as a sweet-tart accompaniment.
• Holiday sides and appetizers: Round out the meal with roasted Brussels sprouts, asparagus, green beans, or Curried Deviled Eggs.

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4.67 from 3 votes

Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce

With fresh or frozen cranberries and a few simple ingredients, Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce is an easy 15-minute holiday side flavored with orange zest and warm spices.

Course:Side Dish

Cuisine:American

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories29.7 kcal

Author Valentina Dimitrova

Cost $ 0.50 per person

Equipment

• 1 pan
• 1 wooden spoon

Ingredients

• 12 oz cranberries – fresh or frozen
• 1 ¼ cups water – You can swap half of the water for fresh orange juice if you’re not on a keto diet.
• 1 cup confectioners’ erythritol – I use Swerve
• 1 teaspoon orange zest or orange extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus a dash of ground nutmeg and ground cloves, if desired
• 1 cinnamon stick – optional
• 1 sprig rosemary – optional
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Combine the ingredients: Add the cranberries, water, powdered sweetener, orange zest, ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick, and rosemary to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
• Simmer the cranberry sauce: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

  Note: Avoid stirring the sauce too much as it cooks if you want more whole cranberries and a chunkier texture. Stirring more often will break down the berries and create a more jelly-like sauce.
• Add the vanilla: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let the sauce cool before serving or storing it in the refrigerator.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Storage and Freezing

Refrigerator: Let the cranberry sauce cool, then transfer it to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Cool the sauce completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months. The texture may be slightly softer or more watery after thawing.

Thawing: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then stir the sauce before serving.

Serving: Enjoy the cranberry sauce chilled, at room temperature, or warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 29.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1.3mg | Potassium: 50.7mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 2.5g | Vitamin A: 38.6IU | Vitamin C: 8.4mg | Calcium: 14.5mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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