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Get It NowEveryone Asks Me For This Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce Recipe
I make this fresh, sugar free cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving every year. (In fact, it’s my oldest Thanksgiving recipe, from 2016.) And every single year, everyone at the table — including my extended family that isn’t even trying to eat healthy — eagerly gobbles it up. Here’s why everyone asks me for this no-one-will-ever-know keto cranberry sauce recipe:
- Tastes just like regular cranberry sauce – Your family and friends won’t be able to tell the difference! I don’t say this about many of my keto recipes (even when I love them), but with this one it really is true. My sugar free cranberry sauce recipe is just the right balance of sweet and tart, with no aftertaste.
- Customizable texture – You can make it runny, more jelly-like, or somewhere in between! Just see my tips below to adjust.
- 4 simple ingredients – Plus water, but who counts that? And you can whip it up in just 10 minutes.
- Healthy, sugar free, keto, and diabetic friendly – This sauce has just 4g net carbs and 27 calories per generous serving (1/4 cup). And no preservatives or processed stuff!
- Make it ahead – There’s enough to worry about around the holidays! My no sugar cranberry sauce stores beautifully and tastes fresh for a long time after you make it.
- Versatile for Thanksgiving and beyond – Yes, this is a must-have for roasted turkey, but don’t stop there. I also love this sauce over baked chicken breast and keto meatballs, and even stirred into Greek yogurt with my low carb granola or healthy granola.
If you’re looking for “something extra” that will surprise everyone at your Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering (and make them rave), this sugar free cranberry sauce is it. Make it with me this holiday season!
“I made this the day before Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. Thought it would be better if it sat all night. Even the people in my family that do not do keto loved it. No one knew it had no added sugar until I told them. Will definitely make this again next year!”
-Kiki
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my sugar free cranberry sauce, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Cranberries – You can use fresh cranberries or frozen ones! 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 for my sugar free dried cranberries, stuffed acorn squash, or turkey roulade!
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – My favorite sweetener for sauces, because it tastes like sugar (no aftertaste), dissolves completely, and won’t crystallize! Most brands labeled “monk fruit”, “stevia”, or “erythritol” have trouble dissolving and will form crystals. If you’ll be enjoying your sugar free cranberry sauce right away, 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 storing — and it tastes the closest to real sugar.
- Water – Thins out the sauce and gives the berries something to simmer in.
- Orange Zest – Add as much or as little as you like. If you can’t get a fresh orange, then a little orange extract (to taste) is the next best option.
- Vanilla Extract – This brand is one of my faves.
How To Make Keto Cranberry Sauce
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Combine all the ingredients. Mix cranberries, water, powdered Besti, and orange zest in a medium saucepan.
- Simmer away. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Let your sugar free cranberry sauce simmer to thicken, until the cranberries pop and a sauce forms. (See my tips below on this!)
- Add the vanilla. Remove from heat, then add it in. Stir in the vanilla extract. You can serve this sauce warm, at room temperature, or chilled in the fridge.
My Recipe Tips
- Don’t use a wooden spoon like I did. 😉 Sugar free cranberry sauce will stain your spoon! Silicone cooking spoons work well and don’t stain as easily.
- You can change 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.
- The sauce will thicken more as it cools. Keep this in mind when deciding whether it’s thick enough for your liking.
- Prefer a smooth sauce? Puree it in a blender at the end. You could also try to strain it after the cranberries pop (before the sauce is too thick) and then return the liquid to the saucepan to simmer more. This version would need to be chilled to set.
- Adjust the sweetener to your taste. It will depend on your tastebuds and the tartness of your cranberries. I recommend starting with my keto cranberry sauce recipe as written, then stir in more at the end if needed. Besti will dissolve easily!
- Want a fresh (instead of cooked) version? Make my cranberry relish recipe, which requires zero cooking. Just blend and refrigerate!
Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce (4 Ingredients)
My healthy, keto, sugar free cranberry sauce needs just 4 ingredients + 10 minutes! It's sweet, tangy, and tastes better than store bought.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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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.
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Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the cranberries pop and a sauce forms that's thickened to your liking.
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Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Tips: See my recipe tips above to get the perfect consistency (thick or runny, smooth or chunky) and sweetness you like in this sauce!
- Variations: I’ve got a whole list of add-ins above if you want to change up the flavor a bit.
- Storage: Keep sugar free cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks. (Fun fact: The allulose in powdered Besti is a natural preservative, so this keto cranberry sauce will keep for longer than regular versions!)
- Make ahead: I used to make this recipe with erythritol for years, and while it was good, I could never make it in advance because it developed this crunchy texture after a few hours. Now that I use powdered Besti (every year since 2020), I can make it in advance and not give it a second thought. Here’s to making the hectic holiday season a little easier!
- Freeze: Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Low Carb Holiday Cookbook, Healthy Holiday Cookbook, and Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Sugar-Free Keto Cranberry Sauce
Flavor Variations
It’s super easy to change up the flavor of my basic sugar free cranberry sauce! Try these add-ins:
- Maple – Use 1/2 cup of my Wholesome Yum Zero Sugar Maple Syrup instead of the sweetener.
- Brown Sugar – Swap the powdered Besti with my Besti Brown sweetener, which will give you a brown sugar flavor.
- Spices – You can add ground cinnamon, allspice, ground cloves, and/or ground ginger. I recommend starting with 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon each of nutmeg and cloves. From there you can adjust to taste.
- Orange – I already add orange zest to my keto cranberry sauce, but double it if you want a stronger orange flavor.
- Spicy – Simmer the sauce with some minced jalapenos.
- Apple – Use 3/4 cup of unsweetened apple juice or 1 cup unsweetened applesauce instead of water. (This option makes a low sugar cranberry sauce, but it’s not keto friendly. You can use apple extract instead for a keto version.)
More Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
With how quickly this sugar free cranberry sauce comes together, you’ll have plenty of time to make other holiday dishes. I recommend:
- Turkey – I love a juicy roasted Thanksgiving turkey (pictured above with this low carb cranberry sauce). But you can’t go wrong with spatchcock turkey for a faster option, or Crock Pot turkey breast or turkey legs for a smaller gathering. Don’t forget my keto gravy!
- Potatoes & Swaps – Choose from my healthy sweet potato casserole (uses real sweet potatoes, but no refined sugar), or my keto sweet potato casserole as a low carb swap. For something simpler, try my mashed cauliflower or mashed sweet potatoes.
- Classic Sides – Complete your Thanksgiving dinner with my cauliflower stuffing and keto green bean casserole. My family also really loves cauliflower mac and cheese, garlic roasted green beans (in my picture above), and butternut squash salad.
- Desserts – If you’re watching your carbs, you can still enjoy a slice of my keto pumpkin pie, sugar-free pecan pie, or keto pumpkin cheesecake. My healthy cheesecake is a more recent fave at my house.
460 Comments
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)?
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
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.
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.
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.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lori, A small pinch of salt will help with the bitterness too.
Rose
0This recipe looks amazing-THANK YOU.
Just want you to know, you can FREEZE cranberries and they stay GREAT THE ENTIRE YEAR!! I buy them now and use them the whole year. (Just used my last batch from 2019 and they were terrific!) seems you’re like me and LOVEEEE THEM!
Roxanne
0I only have Besti Monkfruit Allulose Powdered Blend – will this work?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Roxanne, Yes, that is the sweetener I recommend for this recipe.
Carolyn
0I have Swerve powdered sweetener with erithritol. Is it the same? Will it work?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Carolyn, They are not exactly the same, as the blend you are wanting to use is sweeter than pure erythritol. You will need less in the recipe. Please reduce the amount of sweetener to 3/4 cup and it will work great!
Deb McKee
0If I make this early in the week can it be warmed up?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Deb, Yes, as long as you make this sauce with Besti, that will work great! Other sweeteners can crystallize.
Eileen Volke
0How can this cranberry sauce recipe have only 4 net carbs when a 1/4 cup of cranberries has 33 carbs?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Eileen, These numbers you referred to are for dried sweetened cranberries, not whole fresh. 1 cup of whole fresh cranberries contains 13 grams total carbs with 4 grams of fiber. I hope this helps!
Ruthann
0What about blending sauce when done to make it more smooth??
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ruthann, Sure! Follow step 1 as written. Let the cranberries cool slightly, then blend until the desired consistency is reached. Return the cranberries to the stove and continue to simmer on low until thick enough for the cranberries to evenly coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Darcie
0Can your allulose sweetener be substituted for the erythritol? If so is the measurement the same?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Darcie, Yes and yes! Enjoy!
Hilary
0I did this using 1 1/3 cup of allulose and some packages of True Orange, which is dehydrated orange peel and juice (it comes in lemon and lime, too). Fantastic and easy.
Teresa
0I used a half cup of fresh squeezed oranges. and a small pinch of cloves spice and teaspoon of cinnamon. I use around 3 to 5 teaspoons of stevia! So good! I’ve been buying bags of cranberries and freezing them! I know it is so hard to find them after Xmas!!! Love the zest tip but love the juice of oranges!
meri jenkins
0Such a good idea on
the spices and freeing cranberries. Thanks for the tip Teresa.
Barbara
0I would like to make a large batch
If this can be okay in the freezer?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Barbara, If you store this cranberry sauce in a freezer-safe container, it will keep well in the freezer.
Pamela Yslas
0How do u make a sugar free orange glaze?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Pamela, There isn’t an orange glaze for this cranberry sauce recipe. Is there a different recipe you were asking about?
Lois
0Another one that turned out fabulous. I love the orange zest. Again, I just powered my granulated erythritol sweetner in the blender. I think everyone appreciated me doing healthy recipes for the holidays.