Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2024)

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Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe (1)

Last Updated on November 5, 2021 by Anne-Marie

This sugar free cranberry sauce recipe is ideal for those on keto, low carb or paleo diets.

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2)

Why this recipe works

Make a batch of Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving if you’re avoiding extra sugar in your daily routine.

It’s also a keto cranberry sauce that’ll also work for those on low carb or paleo diets.

It’s naturally gluten and dairy free, of course, thus making it an ideal cranberry side dish for just about all your holiday guests.

Plus, it tastes just as good as any other cranberry side you’d make – even those with real sugar and fruit juices!

Best of all, you can make this homemade cranberry sauce a day or two ahead of time. Giving you just one less thing to worry about Thanksgiving morning.

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe (3)

Why make a sugar free cranberry sauce?

I originally created this no sugar cranberry sauce, because I wanted to cut back on sugar and calories during the holidays.

I know cranberries are tart, but when I came across a recipe where you made a simple sugar syrup before adding the cranberries, I had enough.

Too. Much. Flippin’. Sugar. There had to be a better way!

So, I decided to try out my two favorite natural, no calorie sweeteners in my homemade recipe.

The easiest way to do it was to make two batches of this sugar free recipe – one with Swerve Sweetener and one with powdered monk fruit sweetener.

Both sweeteners are perfect for low carb, keto diets. They're also gluten free.

We always use a great deal of cranberry sauce, especially for Thanksgiving leftovers like Spicy Cranberry Hummus and Turkey Cranberry Crescent Braid. So making such a big amount of this easy to make sauce wasn’t a big deal.

Plus, I wanted to see if there was a difference in taste, so I could share the results with you all.

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe (4)

How to make cranberry sauce without sugar

Now, could I have made a made a recipe for sugar free cranberry sauce with stevia?

Sure! I like stevia a lot. But some people find that stevia has a bitter aftertaste, which is why I prefer Swerve and powdered monk fruit sweeteners when it comes to baking and cooking with a no calorie sweetener.

The first pot of cranberry sauce without sugar was made with Swerve.

Swerve Sweetener is a natural, great tasting, no calorie sweetener that measures cup-for-cup just like sugar.

I love using Swerve so much in my cooking and baking that I told everyone about it and used to send bags of it to Sweden when my sister lived there.

While I’ve been seeing Swerve Sweetener in some stores, it’s easier to find Swerve sweetener online.

They make three kinds of sugar substitutes: granular, powdered, and brown. All are terrific so stock up!

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe (5)

My second batch of low carb cranberry sauce was made with powdered monk fruit sweetener.

Powdered monk fruit sweetener is also a natural, no calorie sweetener that measures like sugar and has no bitter aftertaste. You can find it at your grocery store or you can buy it online.

There are many brands and all have slightly different ingredients. So check labels and online reviews to find what works best for your needs.

Did using a no calorie sweetener work better than sugar?

I was nervous about using sugar substitutes in this fresh cranberries sauce since I thought that sugar helped thicken it during the cooking process.

Not to worry because it thickened up very nicely with both the Swerve and powdered monk fruit. Phew!

How did it taste?

As far as taste, both recipes were fantastic! I had no idea either that no calorie sweeteners were used instead of regular sugar.

Check out the Best Gluten Free Thanksgiving Desserts Recipes and the Best Keto Thanksgiving Recipes for more delicious recipes for your holiday table.

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe (6)

Check out these leftover recipes

I’m a big believer in making sure that there’s plenty of cranberry sauce for leftovers.

Cranberry sauce can be used:

in yogurt parfaits

on top of your morning oatmeal

in this Turkey Cranberry Crescent Braid Recipe

as an oatmeal pancake or gluten free crepes topping

in muffins or like how I made these filled gluten free cupcakes

Yield: 8 SERVINGS

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe (7)

Make a batch of no sugar cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. This keto cranberry sauce is ideal for those on low carb or paleo diets, too.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time10 minutes

Total Time20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cup Swerve Sweetener (granular) or powdered monk fruit sweetener
  • 1/2 cup Swerve Sweetener, brown
  • 4 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest (about 1 orange)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  1. Combine ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally.
  2. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have popped and sauce thickens about 10 to 15 minutes. Use the back of your spoon to help pop cranberries.
  3. Remove from heat and pour into a serving dish. Place in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve. (Can be made 24-48 hours in advance. Keep refrigerated.)

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1/4 cup

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 59Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 20mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 0g

Nutritional information is automatically calculated per the ingredients list. Serving size may not be accurate. Please double-check with your preferred nutritional app for the most accurate information.

Originally published on November 22, 2013 and November 22, 2016. Updated with new pictures and information.

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many carbs are in sugar free cranberry sauce? ›

And healthy cranberry sauce is so easy to make you never need to buy it. It takes less than 5 minutes of hands-on time to make a batch of beautiful, red, delicious keto-friendly cranberry sauce. It is the best cranberry sauce I've ever tasted and have only 4 net carbs per generous serving.

Does canned cranberry sauce help diabetes? ›

Plus, they're high in antioxidants and polyphenols which can offer health benefits like lowering inflammation levels and reducing chronic disease risk, and they might even help with the management of diabetes.

How do you reduce the sweetness in cranberry sauce? ›

Cranberry sauce is supposed to be a balance of sweet and tart. The sauce acts as a cleansing port in a tumultuous storm of fat and salt, but the effect is lost if the sauce is too sweet. Luckily, there is a very easy way to fix an over-sugared homemade sauce: You just need a little citric acid.

What takes the bitterness out of cranberry sauce? ›

"Instead, start by stirring in one tablespoon maple syrup and one teaspoon of a sweet drink like apple juice, orange juice, or fruity white or red wine. Add more to taste. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (in small amounts, it intensifies sweetness)."

Is cranberry zero sugar good for you? ›

Unsweetened, pure cranberry juice is a good source of both vitamin C and vitamin E. It's also a decent source of several other vitamins and minerals, including: vitamin C: 26% of the daily value (DV)

Why is cranberry sauce good for diabetics? ›

Cranberries are high in polyphenols, and epidemiological studies have shown that a high-polyphenol diet may reduce risk factors for diabetes and CVD.

Does jellied cranberry sauce lower blood sugar? ›

Nutritional Benefits of Cranberries

Research indicates (or studies have shown) Quercetin may be helpful in improving blood glucose (blood sugar) blood pressure and exercise performance.

Which sauce is best for diabetics? ›

Instead of a sweet barbeque sauce, try a chimichurri sauce with a base of olive oil, fresh herbs, and a bit of pepper. An herb-and-nut pesto can be used in place of sugary tomato sauce from a jar.

What is the best juice for diabetics? ›

And don't forget vegetable juices, such as celery juice, cucumber juice, or juices made with leafy greens like kale or spinach. As long as they don't have added sugars, all of these juices can be good options for people living with diabetes, experts say. “I love tomato juice,” Weisenberger said.

Why does cranberry sauce have so much sugar? ›

Cranberries are bitter, tart and vibrant by nature, so cranberry sauce is sweetened to help balance their tartness. A basic cranberry sauce has only three ingredients: cranberries, water and sugar.

What if I add too much water to cranberry sauce? ›

What to do if the cranberry sauce is too thin or loose. If you inadvertently added too much water, simply bring the cranberry sauce back to the stove top and bring it to a low boil, cooking it down just a bit to help thicken it up.

What thickens cranberry sauce? ›

The sugar in the syrup helps the mixture thicken. It could also be because you haven't cooked the mixture long enough. The cranberries need to cook long enough to burst so that they release plenty of pectin which is a thickener naturally found in cranberries.

How to jazz up cranberry sauce? ›

Top with dried or fresh fruits

Sure, you can go all meta with some dried cranberries or sliced fresh raw cranberries, but I also like to think about complementary flavors — dried cherries, dried mulberries, golden raisins, chopped apricots. All work great with cranberry sauce.

Why is my homemade cranberry sauce runny? ›

Though they won't tolerate runny sauce, so it's time to fix that. The simplest reason that your cranberry sauce is too runny is that it has too much liquid in it. Usually, this is just water, but some people use orange juice or other flavored fluids. No matter what you're using, the answer is to cook it longer.

Why do you open cranberry sauce upside down? ›

But why? Ocean Spray says this is to get the cranberry sauce out in one intact piece. “The rounded part of the can that looks like the bottom has an air bubble in it,” Ocean Spray's representative explains. The bubble is there so you can “break the seal the sauce makes with the can.”

Can I have sugar free cranberry juice on keto? ›

Unsweetened Cranberry Juice Concentrate:

It's a concentrated form of cranberry juice with no added sugars or sweeteners. While it's still relatively high in carbs, a small amount can go a long way. Add a few drops to your water, keto smoothies, or salad dressings to infuse them with the tart flavor of cranberries.

Does sugar free cranberry juice have carbs? ›

M&s Cranberry Juice Sugar Free (150 ml) contains 1.7g total carbs, 1.5g net carbs, 0.1g fat, 0.2g protein, and 11 calories.

How many net carbs are in jellied cranberry sauce? ›

Cranberry sauce, jellied (4 tablespoon) contains 28g total carbs, 27.2g net carbs, 0.1g fat, 0.6g protein, and 110 calories.

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