Keto Cranberry Sauce

By
Ariane Resnick
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Ariane Resnick
Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef, certified nutritionist, and bestselling author who takes great joy in shattering the image of what, and how, nutritionists eat.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/17/22
Tested by
Tracy Wilk
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Tested by Tracy Wilk
Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Keto Cranberry Sauce in a bowl

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 6
Yield: 2 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
36 Calories
0g Fat
10g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 36
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 3%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 8mg 40%
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 45mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A ruby red staple of every holiday table, no meal is complete without cranberry sauce. Those on the keto diet can rest assured that this incredibly tart berry is made up of a small amount of carbs; however, traditional cranberry sauce recipe counter the berry's tartness with a whopping amount of sugar. In fact, a single serving of canned cranberry sauce contains 22 grams of sugar.

To make this sugar-free cranberry sauce, we simply swapped in our favorite keto sweetener. A powdered sweetener is best here as it ensures the sauce won't become granular once chilled. We used Swerve Sweetener's Confectioners, but powdered monk fruit or allulose will work as well.

Served with cauliflower or keto stuffing, keto gravy, and keto cornbread, this keto cranberry sauce rounds out the holiday table with all the traditional dishes, but without the carbs or sugar. Once made, the cranberry sauce is best served chilled and can even be made days before your holiday meal.

"All the holiday joy—without any of the added holiday sugar! This sugar-free version of homemade cranberry sauce will be a great alternative on your Thanksgiving table. This dish cooks up super quickly and will be sure to delight everyone—but especially those on a keto diet." —Tracy Wilk

keto cranberry sauce tester image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen (and thawed)

  • 3/4 cup powdered keto sweetener (such as Swerve Sweetener's Confectioners)

  • 2/3 cup water

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Cranberries in a bowl, sugar in a bowl and water in a bowl

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Heat the cranberries, sweetener, and water in a medium pot over medium-high, stirring to combine the ingredients; bring to a boil.

    Cranberries, water and sugar in a pot

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until about 3/4 of the cranberries have popped. This should take 8 to 10 minutes from when the mixture came to a boil.

    Cranberry sauce in a pot with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Mash the mixture slightly to achieve desired chunkiness. Remove from the heat and cool completely. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

    Keto Cranberry Sauce in a pot

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Tips

  • If using fresh cranberries, clean them first and discard any that are shriveled, brown, or have discolored spots. If using frozen cranberries, thaw before cooking.
  • For sweetener, avoid using a granulated keto sweetener. Most importantly, avoid using erythritol that doesn't have prebiotics added, as the sauce will crystalize into a rock when chilled. This will make for a container that is difficult to clean as well.

Recipe Variations

This classic sauce has a lot of punchy, fruity flavor as is, but it can be enhanced with any of the following. Add the flavor at the start of cooking alongside the other ingredients.

  • 1/2 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger or 1/4 teaspoon dried ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

How to Store

This cranberry sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week in a tightly-sealed container. It will also freeze well for up to 3 months.

Are cranberries keto friendly?

Cranberries are a high-fiber, low-sugar fruit. About 1 cup of fresh cranberries is 12 grams of carbs and 4.6 grams of fiber. Because of their spongy texture and incredibly sour taste, cranberries are usually not eaten alone, but are cooked into sauces, or sweetened and dried.

Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Cranberries. Fooddata central, United States Department of Agriculture