Low Carb Cranberry Sauce

This low carb cranberry sauce is delicious and no one will know that it’s low carb unless you tell them.

This is not the boring sauce of holidays past. I take a big batch of this cranberry sauce with a twist to every family Thanksgiving and never have any left to bring home.

This lip smacking fare can be used as a holiday side or condiment / compliment for tons of hearty Fall meals.

Fresh cranberry sauce is particularly suited to meals starring poultry, pork or game meat.

Jump to Recipe

🥘Ingredients:

• 12 oz Cranberries fresh or frozen

I usually buy the big bag of cranberries at Costco and pop them into the freezer to use for the whole holiday season. They freeze really well.

• 1 cup Allulose

You can use any sweetener that you like but Allulose has become my favorite for just about everything because it doesn’t have a weird after taste.

• 1 cup water

1 tbsp orange zest To taste

The slight bitterness of orange zest is amazingly complimentary to the sweet and sour notes.

• 4 tbsp pecans *optional. Toasted and chopped.

You can use walnuts or almond slivers if you prefer those but the nuts in this recipe give the strong sour flavor a break.

The layers of subtle flavor make this cranberry sauce a league above the old canned version of gelatinous cranberry sauce of yesteryear. (I’m not disrespecting it…the canned stuff holds a lot of fond memories for me).

Still, now I prefer the homemade version by miles.

• 1 tsp cinnamon – To Taste

My family dumps cinnamon on everything they can think of so we use a little more of this ingredient than is listed.

• ½ Vanilla Extract – To Taste

Optional Additions –

I love all of the additions and use all three IF we aren’t having other dishes or dessert with the same spices.

For instance, if you are serving this dish and ending with Pumpkin pie for dessert, you’ll want to skip the nutmeg, ginger and cloves.

Think of layering spices and flavors the same way you would about dressing for the day or decorating.

You want to mix them up so that each flavor (or color) is complimentary but not all the same.

Most people wouldn’t dress with every single article of clothing and accessory of the exact some color. You don’t want to do that with food either.

I have seen (and done) this around the holidays when so many of the same spices are used with different dishes. (Think cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, etc.)

Mix them up to keep the meal flowing in an interesting way.

• pinch Nutmeg

• dash Ground Cloves

• pinch Ginger

👩🏾‍🍳How to make the Cranberry Sauce:

• Add the water, cranberries, orange zest and Allulose or other sweetener to a medium sized sauce pan.

• Bring to a simmer on medium/high and cook, stirring occasionally until the berries pop and the sauce thickens to your liking (usually about 10 minutes).

It will continue to thicken some after cooling because the cranberries do contain some natural sugar.

I like my cranberry sauce a little bit loosey goosey. If you want really stiff cranberry sauce that doesn’t spread on the plate, you can use a little gelatin in the sauce.

My suggestion would be to wait until it cools and if you don’t like the thickness, sprinkle some gelatin over the top, bring it to a boil and let it cool again.

Don’t use too much gelatin or you’ll end up with cranberry flavored gummy candy.

A quarter teaspoon should do the trick for most people.

• Turn off the heat and add the nuts, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir and mash the berries against the side of the pan if you want a smoother sauce.

You can also use a stick blender before adding the nuts to puree or partially puree if desired.

• Serve warm or chill for up to five days. This is a personal preference.

I like my cranberry sauce cold and it gets better on the second day. It’ll keep improving in the fridge for up to five days.

📋Tips & FAQ’s:

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

YES! The spices will be stronger and tastier after they “meld”. The nuts soften and impart a nutty flavor to the dish after it sits as well.

Can the Low Carb Cranberry Sauce be frozen?

Yes, but you might need to reheat it after thawing because it might separate and get watery. Fresh is best.

You can always just freeze the cranberries and make a fresh batch in minutes when the need strikes. (Best option).

Are cranberries really low carb?

Like any berry, cranberries contain some natural sugars.

This doesn’t mean that you should avoid them because they have a ton of powerful compounds and vitamins.

What it means is that you should pay attention to portion sizes.

This is the same for any fruit or vegetable. Each has a different number of carbs per serving and there is no such thing a a “Non-Keto” fresh fruit or vegetable.

Some just make it easier than others to reach your own personal macro goals each day.

What can I serve cranberry sauce with besides turkey?

• The teen uses it as jelly on toast
• With baked ham
• With Baked Chicken Breast
• Slow Cooked Mediterranean Lamb
• As a side for Lamb Chops
• A side for Cinnamon Pork Chops
• In smoothies
• With Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Chicken
• And Thom puts it on Cobb Salad but he’s weird.

I think that’s it for the Low Carb Cranberry Sauce Recipe!

I hope you love my tested and true version of this famous holiday side dish!

As always, please leave a comment below if you have any questions or comments.

Cherrio!

Bran

More Fun Keto Recipes to Try:

• Keto Jello Shots
• Low Carb Strawberry Jam
• Low Carb Marmalade

The nutritional information for the low carb cranberry sauce recipe is provided as a courtesy.

We are pretty careful about our figures but if you ever feel like anything is off please feel free to do your own calculations.