Homemade Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce

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Sugar-Free, Low-Carb Homemade Cranberry Sauce is a quick, easy, and flavorful dish. Alternative sweeteners provide a sweet taste comparable to cane sugar, with tart cranberry and citrus flavors.

Cranberry sauce is a requirement on many holiday tables. But for those who need to avoid cane and fruit sugars, or keto dieters who are watching carbohydrates, cranberry sauce is often off-limits.

With all the natural sweeteners available, it is amazingly easy to create a homemade cranberry sauce without sugar that limits carbohydrates.

Want to learn more about non-cane sweeteners? Take a look at my post, Best Sugar Alternatives.

Non-Sugar Sweetened Taste Test

This sauce has a sweet taste without the typical aftertaste that some sweeteners other than cane sugar will often leave behind.

It is really good! Most people will not notice the difference in taste from cranberry sauce made with cane sugar.

Ingredients

Homemade cranberry sauce has just a few key ingredients.

Of course, cranberries are the main ingredient in this recipe. Alone they are very tart. Too tart to eat without sugar to balance the tartness. Most prepared cranberry sauce is full of sugar and of course carbohydrates.

Making your own puts you in control. You will control ingredients, including how much sugar, or which sugar alternative you use in the recipe.

I have made this recipe with a powdered version of erythritol and a granulated version of xylitol. Both sugar alcohol sweeteners worked great. They dissolved easily and the final sauce jelled just like a cane sugar-based sauce.

I add a tablespoon of citrus juice. Use whatever you have on hand, orange, lemon, or lime. Zest the outside of the citrus and add that to the cranberries as they simmer. I use a zester like this Oxo Good Grips version.

For spice, I add just a small amount of cinnamon. To enhance the flavor I add 1/4 tsp of vanilla and a pinch of salt.

For households with dogs, consider using a sweetener such as Swerve, made of erythritol. Xylitol is toxic to dogs.

Instructions

Step 1. Add all the ingredients to a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil on high heat. Stir until the sweetener is dissolved.

Step 2. When cranberries start to pop, lower the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Step 3. Remove pan from heat. When cool, add to a covered dish. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What to Serve with Cranberry Sauce

This sugar-free alternative to traditional cranberry sauce pairs well with Oven Roasted Turkey Breast or Simple Whole Roasted Chicken.

Looking for a non-cane sugar cranberry sauce, made with honey? You might like my Healthy Cranberry Sauce Recipe with Orange.

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October 2022 Update: Added Instruction and Other Tasty Relish Salad Recipes sections.