This sugar free cranberry sauce is so easy to make, and since it looks and tastes just like the traditional sauce, no one will even notice it’s low carb! Fresh cranberries, a splash of citrus, and low carb sweeteners come together quickly on the stove and turn into a beautiful jelly-like sauce. Whether you’re keeping things lower carb for the holidays or just want a healthier, low sugar cranberry sauce to serve with dinner, this recipe is for you.
Why This Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe Is the Best
- It looks and tastes like traditional cranberry sauce but without the sugar, making it perfect for anyone following a keto or low-carb lifestyle.
- The texture is thick, glossy, and spoonable, and can easily be turned into a keto jellied cranberry sauce if you prefer it smooth.
- It’s ready in about 15 minutes and works as a cranberry relish-style sauce or a classic cranberry sauce low carb alternative.
Ingredients Breakdown
See recipe card at the end of the post for full ingredient measurements and units.
Fresh cranberries
The cranberries naturally burst as they cook, with their natural pectin content acting as a natural thickening and gelling agent. You can likely also use thawed frozen cranberries if fresh are not available.
Allulose
The key to keeping this a true sugar free cranberry sauce. Allulose contributes the perfect texture for cranberry sauce. Allulose dissolves easily and stays smooth and jelly-like even after refrigerating, which helps you avoid the graininess that erythritol-based sweeteners can cause. If you don’t need the sauce to be completely sugar free, you can feel free to replace some or all of the allulose with cane sugar.
Water
Provides enough liquid to gently simmer the berries and dissolve the allulose.
Fresh orange juice (optional)
Adds brightness and depth with very minimal carbs per serving. It’s optional, but it elevates the flavor. If you omit, replace with water. I used one fresh orange for both the juice and the zest.
Orange zest (optional)
Adds aroma and a fresh citrus note without any additional carbs. Totally optional, but delicious.
Pure monk fruit extract
Used at the end to adjust sweetness. Adding it after cooking helps fine-tune the final flavor without affecting the texture. Only a very small amount of pure monk fruit is needed, as it is very potent, so add sparingly. I use a powder version, but there are also liquid monk fruit drops available.
How to Make Keto Cranberry Sauce
1. Combine liquid and sweetener
Add the water, orange juice, and allulose to a saucepan. Stir until the sweetener dissolves.
2. Add the cranberries and bring to a boil
Add the cranberries, then bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Keep the pan uncovered.
3. Simmer until thickened
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10–15 minutes or until cranberries have burst. Stir occasionally, gently mashing the cranberries with the back of a spoon. As it thickens, stir more frequently to prevent sticking.
Want to save this recipe?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later! -Sarah
4. Adjust flavor
Remove the saucepan from the heat once every cranberry has burst. Stir in the orange zest and add monk fruit to taste to finish sweetening your ketogenic cranberry sauce.
5. Cool and chill
Let the sauce cool, then transfer it to a serving bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. It thickens significantly as it chills.
Optional: Make it smooth and jellied
If you prefer a smoother, jelly-like low carb cranberry relish or keto jellied cranberry sauce, process some or all of the mixture in a blender or food processor before chilling. The sauce pictured in the photos here was kept natural, not blended, for reference.
Tips for Success
- Don’t cover the pan — this helps reduce the sauce and naturally thicken it.
- Sweeten additionally at the end so you don’t accidentally over-sweeten; the flavor concentrates as it cooks.
- Make it ahead of time so the texture and flavor fully develop.
Keto Cranberry Sauce Variations
- Spiced version: Add a cinnamon stick or a pinch of nutmeg for a cozy fall flavor.
- Berry blend: Swap in a small amount of raspberries for a slightly deeper, richer taste.
- Orange-free: Replace the juice with water for the lowest-carb version of this keto friendly cranberry sauce.
Keto Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
Here are some of my favorite dessert recipes to round out your low carb Thanksgiving table.
FAQs
Traditional cranberry sauce is usually high in sugar and therefore not keto friendly, but this recipe uses allulose and monk fruit to make it totally keto friendly.
Yes. Blend the cooked mixture until smooth, then chill. It becomes a perfect keto jellied cranberry sauce.
About 7–10 days in the fridge in an airtight container. It doesn’t last quite as long as regular cranberry sauce, as sugar acts as a natural preservative.
Try This Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe!
If you make this low carb cranberry sauce, I’d love to hear what you think. Leave a rating on the recipe card, comment on the post, and tag me on Instagram so I can see your holiday plate!
XO,
Sarah
Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
Want to save this recipe?
I’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later! -Sarah
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh cranberries rinsed
- 1 cup granulated allulose sweetener
- ¾ cup filtered water
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice about one orange (optional)
- Zest of one orange optional
- Pure monk fruit sweetener to taste
Instructions
- Combine liquids and sweetener: Add the water, orange juice, and allulose to a saucepan and stir to combine.
- Add cranberries: Add the cranberries and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, uncovered.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10–15 minutes or until all cranberries have burst. Stir occasionally, gently mashing the cranberries with the back of a spoon. As it thickens, stir more frequently to prevent sticking.
- Finish the sauce: Remove from heat, stir in the orange zest, and add monk fruit to taste.
- Optional smoothing: For a smooth, jellied version, process some or all of the sauce in a blender or food processor before chilling.
- Chill: Let the sauce cool, transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Love that I can add as much cranberry sauce as I want and not even worry about the added sugar!
when cranberries are cooked, they become a sauce. A relish is fresh cranberries and fruit and maybe nuts with a bit of sweetener, chilled we’ll be before serving.
Thanks for your comment! Yes, this is a recipe for cranberry sauce. Are you referring to where I referenced it can be used as a “relish-style sauce”? If so, what I meant by that was that it can be used as a spread for sandwiches or the like, similar to how a relish would be used, rather than just in the traditional cranberry sauce applications. I hope this helps, and happy Thanksgiving!
We made the sauce for this years Thanksgiving. It was outstanding! Just the right tart and sweet.