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I make this fresh, homemade low carb keto cranberry sauce recipe for Thanksgiving every year. And every single year, everyone at the table — including the extended family that isn’t even trying to eat healthy — eagerly gobbles it up. That’s because this healthy sugar-free cranberry sauce tastes exactly like the traditional sugary version, so everyone at your Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering can enjoy it.
While cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving ordeal for most, who says roasted turkey gets to have all the fame? It’s surprisingly delicious on chicken breast or even meatballs, too.
So, what’s the difference between a sugar free cranberry sauce recipe and regular cranberry sauce? The sweetener! Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend is my top choice because it blends perfectly into the sauce, keeps longer without crystallizing, has no aftertaste, and contains 0g net carbs!
Why You’ll Love This Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe
- Sweet & tart flavor
- Customizable texture – more runny, more jelly-like, or in between
- Only 4 ingredients and 2 steps
- Done in 10 minutes
- Just 4g net carbs and 32 calories per generous serving (1/4 cup)
- Naturally gluten-free and keto
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for keto jellied cranberry sauce, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Cranberries – Fresh cranberries taste best, but frozen cranberries will work as well. Cranberries actually have a small amount of natural sugar, which helps the sauce thicken and gel a little, just like you’d expect from a traditional cranberry sauce. If you have extra cranberries left over, use them to make sugar-free dried cranberries.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This works best because it dissolves completely and won’t crystallize. If you’ll be using your sugar-free cranberry sauce right away, powdered erythritol or other powdered sugar substitutes can work (see my sweetener conversion chart for amounts), but Besti is the only one to use if you want to avoid your sauce becoming crunchy after storage — and it tastes the closest to real sugar.
- Water – Helps to thin the sauce so everything blends evenly.
- Orange Zest – Add as much or as little as you like, depending on how much you like orange. If you can’t get a fresh orange, then a little orange extract (to taste) is the next best option.
- Vanilla Extract – Use a high quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.
How To Make Keto Cranberry Sauce Without Sugar
This section shows how to make low carb cranberry sauce, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Simmer. Mix cranberries, water, powdered Besti, and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer, until the cranberries pop and a sauce forms.
- Finish. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract. Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled. (Sugar-free cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.)
TIP: You can adjust the consistency by adjusting the cook time.
Cook the sauce for less time for a texture similar to preserves with some whole berries intact (as pictured), or cook it for longer to get a jelly-like sauce more similar to canned versions.
Low Carb Cranberry Sauce Variations
If you’re looking for a healthier cranberry sauce with different flavors, there are plenty of options available. Check out some of these other delicious variations:
- Keto maple cranberry sauce – Use 1/2 cup keto maple syrup instead of the sweetener.
- Add warm spices – Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, and 1/8 tsp salt to your healthy cranberry sauce before cooking on the stovetop.
- Orange ginger cranberry sauce – Add 1/8 tsp of grated ginger and double the orange zest.
- Hot and spicy cranberry sauce – Add jalapenos or chipotles in adobo before simmering.
- Apple cranberry sauce – Use 1 cup unsweetened applesauce instead of water. (This option is healthy but not keto friendly! You can use apple extract instead for a keto version.)
- Add red wine – Instead of using water to simmer the sauce, use 3/4 cup of red wine. Red wine adds a depth of flavor that’s irresistible. You could even add in some walnuts for a little crunch as well.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Sugar free jellied cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. To store, let it cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks. (Fun fact: The allulose in Besti is a natural preservative, so this keto cranberry sauce will keep for longer than regular versions!)
- Freeze: If you want to keep this homemade sugar free cranberry sauce for a longer period of time, place it in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Healthy & Keto Thanksgiving Recipes
Fortunately, this healthy homemade cranberry sauce is quick and easy to whip up. It doesn’t take time or effort away from whatever other dishes I’m experimenting with. And, it means you can make it in just ten minutes, leaving you more time to focus on other Thanksgiving recipes:
- Turkey – My easy roasted Thanksgiving turkey is juicy and flavorful, but you can’t go wrong with a spatchcock turkey with juicy meat and crispy skin. If you want an easier way to make turkey for a smaller gathering, try slow cooker turkey breast or turkey legs instead. And, don’t forget to top your turkey with low carb keto gravy!
- Potato Swaps – If you’re looking for some low carb options to potatoes, make low carb sweet potato casserole or mashed cauliflower… or make conventional roasted potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes if you’re just reducing sugar but not carbs.
- Sides – Many Thanksgiving sides are packed with carbs, but not my cauliflower stuffing, cauliflower mac and cheese, keto green bean casserole, roasted green beans (shown in the photo!), or kale brussel sprout salad.
- Desserts – You can’t have Thanksgiving dinner without dessert! If you’re watching your carbs, you can still have a serving of low carb pumpkin pie, sugar-free pecan pie, low carb apple pie, or keto pumpkin cheesecake.
Tools To Make Healthy Cranberry Sauce
- Medium Saucepan – This is the cookware set I prefer to use. It is stainless steel and dishwasher safe.
- Utensil Set – High heat safe and BPA free, this cooking utensil set is the perfect choice when making this low carb cranberry sauce. Unlike wooden spoons, it won’t stain from the cranberries (which is what happened to the spoon in the pictures above!).
Sugar-Free Keto Cranberry Sauce
Sugar-Free Keto Cranberry Sauce (4 Ingredients!)
This healthy, keto, sugar-free cranberry sauce needs just 4 ingredients + 10 minutes! Made with fresh cranberries, it's sweet, delicious, and better than store bought.
Go Ad-FreeRecipe Video
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Combine the cranberries, water, Besti, and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the cranberries pop and a sauce forms.
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Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Readers Who Liked This Easy Recipe Also Made:
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 cup
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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306 Comments
Janet Wooldridge
0This was fantastic! I added a splash of Grand Marnier to the recipe. My husband usually likes the canned jelly kind and has switched to this! We are both watching our sugar and carb intake so this was great not having to worry or skimp. Yum!
Judy B
0I made this for Thanksgiving and loved it. I too reduced the amount of erythritol and it was still plenty sweet for me. I used orange extract and it really added to the flavor. I loved it. This will become a staple.
Lana McQuown
0The idea of making cranberry sauce always intimidated me for some reason. I couldn’t believe how easy it was. Your recipe was delicious and the perfect accompaniment to our Thanksgiving table. Next time, and there will be a next time, I think I will give it a quick go around in the food processor to break up some of the skins. Thank you so much for sharing such delicious recipes. I also made your broccoli cranberry salad from your cookbook that was just as delicious.
Terry
0This was delicious, but I’m a bit confused on the nutrition. When running this through Fitness Pal, it’s coming up with 37 net carbs per serving. I used Erythtitol granulated, and everything else as stated. I also reduced the amount and could reduce it more for sweetness.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Terry, The only things in this recipe that would have carbs in the cranberries… You can read my article on Are Cranberries Keto. Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy and if you have any questions please refer to my Nutrition Policy.
Mark
0Love, love, loved this recipe! I always used orange juice before going keto so orange zest was a new concept. I have used lemon zest for other recipes in the past, but orange zest just doesn’t come up very often. The result, I used 1 1/2 tsp of zest (used the excess for my holiday drink which was also amazing) and the flavor knocked the socks off of even my most culinary minded daughter. She and the entire gathering (16 altogether) raved about the cranberry sauce! Served with your “Garlic Butter Roasted Turkey (breast) by the way. Mmm, num, num, num!
Denise
0Easy to make. I used orange extract instead of vanilla. Delish!
Anastasia Lea Kellen
0This is SUCH a good recipe!!
Lizmarie Nazario
0Second year making this sauce! It’s a hit with the family! Thank you!
Trini L Marchese
0So yummy and so easy to make! This is my second year making the sugar free version. I’ve made fresh cranberry sauce before, but this one is honestly my fave! Also, just a note to any and all readers, buy a bunch of the fresh cranberries while they’re out in the stores. And just freeze them. Just the way they are then you can have cranberry sauce anytime of the year you want! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Julie Roybal
0This is my first Holiday on Keto and I can’t thank you enough Maya! You have been instrumental in my weight loss success by providing us with easy recipes. And I love how one can change the settings on the recipe and the rest of the ingredients change! I made this sauce today but used powdered allulose that I had on hand. It’s delicious!
Trudi
0I made this low-carb cranberry sauce recipe yesterday in prep for today (Thanksgiving Day). Since trying to watch my carbs and sugars, I’ve been missing cranberry sauce the last few years. I don’t always like recipes that are supposed to be a healthy version of the original. But this did not disappoint! It was so easy to make and very delicious! This will become one of my new favorite fall recipes!
Stacy
0This was delicious. Premade for thanksgiving and added to my oatmeal. Very yummy.
Brittany
0I have the powdered monk fruit allulose, will that work for this recipe?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Brittany, I suggest using my Sweetener Conversion Chart to make sure you are using the correct amount of sweetener.
Andrea
0Hi Maya, I’m very eager to make this recipe! I’m wondering how many days in advance I can make this recipe?.. If any at all that is! And if I can, what is the best way to store it until serving? Thank you so VERY much!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Andrea, This can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Nelvia
0OH! MY GOD! Great recipe, Thank you!!!
Kathryn
0This turned out great! I used a little less than 1 cup of powdered allulose to sweeten and did use the orange zest.
Kerry
0Thank you for this recipe! I have been missing cranberry salad until I found this! Mine is higher in carbs because I adapted it to be more like my grandmother’s recipe; after the cranberry, mix cooled I added 1 cup chopped apple, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1 Cup of diced celery.
Sunny
0Hello! Can I use lemon zest? Instead of orange zest. I am so excited. Because I will cook this sauce soon! Thank you so much!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sunny, Yes, you could use lemon zest to replace the orange zest.
Thomas and Dawn
0It was so good last year; it is requested this year. I agree about the Besti powdered. I’m making extra for sandos later in the week. BTW … last year I used kumquats as well as orange zest to compare in split batches. Both were awesome. But I couldn’t find carb info that was definitive for kumquats. NOTE: Kumquats are a bit labor intensive to purge the insides but worth it.
Lisa
0This is the easiest, yummiest and impressive addition to the Thanksgiving meal! You will not be disappointed.
Susana
0Mine came out to sweet ( I used Splenda) . What can I do to dilute it so it won’t be so sweet?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Susana, Yes, I find Splenda tends to add too much sweetness and sometimes an aftertaste. You can try to cut the sweetness with a splash of lemon juice.
Robyn L Powley
0I made this Cranberry Sauce recipe just as written except I wanted more orange flavor, so I added more of the orange zest as suggested. It was awesome.
Beth
0Hi Maya – I want to make your recipe so bad but looked at the bag of fresh cranberries I purchased and it is an 8 ounce bag. Can you adjust the measurements for 8 ounces please? Or tell me how to calculate that? Thank you in advance! 🙂
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Beth, Right above the recipe video you can adjust the serving size. If you change the serving size to 4 it will give you the measurements using an 8oz bag.
Lori
0Can this recipe be frozen?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lori, Yes you can, just make sure it is cooled before placing it in an air-tight container.
Melanie
0Can you can this recipe?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Melanie, I have never canned this particular recipe but I believe it should work for you. If you try, let me know your results!
Gail
0I made this last year and it was excellent. But I only used half of the sweetener and added a couple of drops of stevia glycerite and it was plenty sweet! It already is on my menu for this Thanksgiving again!
Jayma hawkins
0Do you think trivia will work in this recipe? Powdered trivia.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jayma, It can work okay but I find it has an aftertaste. Also, Truvia is over 99% erythritol, so is not good for sauces made ahead – it will crystallize. I only use Besti Powdered now to make this because it dissolves completely and doesn’t get gritty or crystallize.
Kim
0This was really really good. I made it per the recipe except for the vanilla. Thank you.
Paula
0Can this cranberry relish be canned in small jars to save for a later date? (jelly jars?) ~Paula
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Paula, I have never canned this particular recipe but I believe it should work for you. If you try, let me know your results!
Michelle
0Yum! I didn’t have orange zest and I used Swerve confectioner’s sugar. I found it to be a bit too tart, so added a Tablespoon of Purecane sweetener from the cannister. It’s delicious even without the zest. Thanks for your great recipes!
Joy
0Can this be blended so there’s no whole cranberries? My husband prefers just the sauce and he’s just been told he’s diabetic so I’d like to make this for him.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Joy, Yes, you can do that. Also, if you just cook it for longer, the berries tend to disintegrate so there aren’t any whole berries left.
Dixie
0Looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it
Sherry Cook
0I’m so glad you have a recipe for this. I’ve been the one to make homemade cranberry sauce for the last 40 years. I can’t stop now, can I? lol Thank you!
Lynne Johnson
0I bought frozen cranberries as they are not in season yet. Does the recipe change, can I use frozen or do they need to thaw? Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lynne, No need to alter the recipe when using frozen cranberries. You can add them to the pot frozen, they may take slightly longer to cook down, but no other changes are necessary. Enjoy!
Jean
0Is it okay to use Diet Cranberry juice instead of water and cut the sweetener to 1/2 cup?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jean, I don’t have any personal experience using this product, so I’m not sure if you will get the same sweetness level by halving the sweetener. You may need to adjust that to taste. Otherwise, I think it should work fine in the recipe.
Helen Lemon
0Can’t thank you enough for this one Maya!
I am a bit of a Cranberry Sauce snob so when we switched to keto six months ago I must admit I was worried that I might not find a recipe that measured up. Well let me tell you, our holiday turkey was phenomenal, and this Keto Cranberry Sauce was the star of the show- absolutely delicious! Definitely add the orange zest. It’s wonderful! I also added 1/2 tsp orange flavouring and found it was just enough. Quick to prepare, thickens naturally. It would make a lovely hostess gift!
Made a keto cheesecake for dessert New Years Day…… just so I could use this sauce on top! It’s also delicious as a filling in cinnamon buns!
Idil Ertugay
0Why isn’t there a review option of “20 stars” for this recipe?! Because, this recipe is really 20 ⭐️ out of 10
Ahhhhh-maziiiiing …
ps – instead of orange zest, I thinly sliced the orange peels and added 🙂 Ohhhmyyummmm!
Navymommy
0I made this for Thanksgiving and made it again last night for Christmas dinner. This time, I added blackberries for sweetness and sprinkled in a little xantham gum to help the extra liquid tighten up. Both ways were delicious. It helps keep me on my keto path and able to have a spoon of mashed potato’s and one roll. Thank you for this great recipe.
Bev
0I made this recipe for Thanksgiving. Everyone loved it. I add the juice from two mandarin oranges to boost the orange flavor.
Elizabeth Lampman
0Another wonderful recipe. Thank you so much. I added it to some jello and “stuff” to make a jello salad from my childhood. I couldn’t Keto without you.
Jean Lisa
0This recipe is fantastic !!!
Chris
0I like the flavor of this sauce, but 100% would not use Lankanto Monkfruit with erythritol again. After chilling just over night, the sugar totally crystallized. This was my first attempt using Monkfruit in a recipe. I bet powered Swerve, or other powdered “sugar” would turn out smoother and subsequently better.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Chris, Yes you are correct. I use this brand: Besti Powdered Erythritol.
Dana
0I prefer a more tart cranberry sauce, the amount of sweetener seemed like a lot. I started with 1/4 cup, added an additional 1/8 cup. So glad I followed my instincts. It was just right. Maybe if you’ve only had commercial sauce this wouldn’t seem too sweet. I would leave out the vanilla next time, the addition doesn’t quite blend well. Maybe with a sweeter version it would. Overall happy to have a sugar free version!
sheila haliotis
0The whole family liked it!!
Kim
0Made this yesterday – and love it! I’m going to have to buy more fresh cranberries and freeze them so I can make this year ’round! I used 1/2 cup of powdered Swerve (wanted to use it up before I opened up one of the bags of Besti powdered sweeteners that I bought ) Thank you for this simple, and delicious recipe!
mom2one
0I love your recipes but my gut can no longer tolerate the sugar alcohols. 🙁 How can I make this with liquid stevia or pure stevia powder (not any of the stevia blends)?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi there, I highly recommend making this with Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend! It has no sugar alcohols, dissolves effortlessly, and I actually prefer it in this recipe now.
Evelyn
0Hi I can’t do as much sugar alcohols anymore and Allulos is really out for me I go TMI? into the bathroom for hours. You can get the straight Monk fruit just Monk fruit alone off Amazon in a little tiny package 2 teaspoons of sugar is 1/32 of Monk fruit by itself. I use a little Monk fruit and a little Stevia mixed with this and don’t use the vanilla and it’s great, good luck
Laniese
0I am just starting out with my Keto diet and I made this for Thanksgiving. My daughter and I both absolutely love it.
Anastasia
0I made this last year and only used 3/4 cup erythritol. It came out super sweet. Then I couldn’t find fresh cranberries to experiment more.
So tonight, I am making this for tomorrow. I am going to try with half a cup and see how it turns out. I also got several bags of cranberries to freeze for the rest of the year.
But I must say, this is a great recipe!
Cherrie
0Where’s the recipe?! It’s almost impossible to find it on a mobile device with all those ads. Frustrating!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Cherrie, The recipe is located about half way down the page. To make it easier to find, feel free to use the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of the page.
Michele
0Made it today in advance of Thanksgiving. Don’t know if there will be any left. Might have to make it again tomorrow. Delicious!
Deb
0Can I just say, I have never been a fan of cranberry sauce, although to be fair, I’ve only ever had the canned, jellied kind. I always thought it was ‘meh’, kind of okay to eat alongside some turkey, but not a big deal. For whatever reason, I decided to give this recipe a try this year for Thanksgiving, maybe because I’ve been craving tart fruit, and wow, wow, WOWEEWOW! This stuff is GREAT! I did make it thicker than the recipe called for, and ended up using erythritol, pure monkfruit powder, AND liquid stevia (because apparently, I like things really sweet), and added the zest from a sour orange (it’s what I had on my tree outside), and it’s pure heaven – like, ‘I could sit here and eat this with a spoon’ heaven.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! And thank you to all the people who took the time to review it! I always look for recipes that I can tell are tried and true, and this was super duper helpful in deciding which one to try.
Lori
0I tried this with powdered Swerve today. Didn’t love it. I added 1/2 cup at first, but the berries were too bitter. I added about another 1/4 cup, which gave them a cloying sweetness that tasted weird to me. A squeeze of lemon juice helped. I did like the texture, the sauce thickened nicely on its own. I also added a bit more orange zest to try to counteract the taste of the sweetener. I guess I’ll need to play around with different sugar substitutes to see what works best for my taste buds.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lori, A small pinch of salt will help with the bitterness too.
Anastasia
0I made this with Swerve too. Last year I did 3/4 of a cup and that was too sweet. This year, I started with half a cup, it was a bit too tart, so I added an extra tablespoon and that did the trick.