3-Ingredient Homemade Sugar-Free Cranberry Orange Sauce

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With only 3 ingredients, you can make this Homemade Sugar-free Cranberry Orange Sauce in under 15 minutes! Easy, delicious and sugar-free, this keto cranberry sauce is can be made with fresh or frozen cranberries!

easy sugar-free cranberry orange sauce in a bowl

Keto Cranberry Sauce

Do you like cranberry sauce?

My father can't get enough of it during the holiday season but he actually loves the canned cranberry sauce that when you flip it over, it still holds the shape of the can! You know what I am talking about, right?!

Well, not being a fan of canned cranberry sauce (who wants high fructose corn syrup at their holiday table anyway?!), I decided to make a keto cranberry orange sauce.

Searching high and low on the internet, I found one on Pinterest by The Frugal Homestead that got raves reviews. After looking at the recipe, I realized that with a simple modification to the recipe, I could easily convert the recipe to a sugar-free cranberry orange sauce.

Just like my Keto Cranberry Custard Pie Recipe, Sugar-Free Cranberry Whiskey Sour, Keto White Cheddar Cranberry Jalapeno Holiday Dip as well as these Delicious Keto Cranberry Jalapeno Meatballs in a Cranberry BBQ Sauce, I like to take advantage of the holidays to make cranberry desserts because before you know it, they will be out of the stores until next year!

Ingredients

This 3-ingredient cranberry sauce comes together quickly and tastes absolutely delicious!

sugar-free cranberry orange sauce only requires cranberries, sweetener and sugar-free jello

Cranberries - You can use either frozen or fresh cranberries. Just make sure that you rinse any and all types of cranberries under cold water before using them.
Sweetener - For this recipe, I used a combination of allulose, stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol. However, you can use your favourite keto sweetener. Just remember that erythritol will crystalize when it is cold so make sure that if you make this keto cranberry orange sauce ahead of time you give it plenty of time to come to room temperature and be stirred before serving.
Orange Jel - To get the orange flavour and not the carbs associated with oranges, I used Simply Delish Orange Jel. You can use any flavoured sugar-free jel, such as raspberry or strawberry instead.

*See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Sugar-free cranberry orange sauce comes together quickly with only a few basic steps.

3 ingredients for making sugar-free cranberry orange sauce include cranberries, sweetener and orange jello

In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups of water with the cranberries and sweetener.

instructions - heat the water, sweetener and cranberries until the cranberries soften

Heat on high until the mixture begins to bubble and the cranberries begin to soften (about 5 minutes)

Instrcutions - Whisk in the sugar-free orange jello

Remove from the heat and add the orange jel. Use a potato masher or an immersion blender to break down the cranberries and incorporate the orange jel.

Instructions - mash the cranberries to the desired texture

Taste the mixture and add any additional sweetener to suit your taste. Pour the keto cranberry orange sauce into a serving dish and allow to cool for 30 minutes before storing it in the fridge until needed.

Instructions - allow the sauce to cool to room temperature before storing it in the fridge

Hint: You can puree the cranberries or mash them to keep some more whole. This is completely up to you and your preference. Also, the homemade cranberry orange sauce will thicken as it cools.

Substitutions

Since this recipe only calls for 3 basic ingredients, there are not many substitutions.

Cranberries - I used fresh cranberries but you could always use frozen cranberries
Sweetener - you can use any type of sweetener but I always feel that combination sweeteners (ones that contain monk fruit, stevia, allulose and erythritol) taste the best. If your sweetener has too much erythritol, it will crystalize when it cools
Orange Jel - you can easily use raspberry or strawberry sugar-free jello or any other type of sugar-free jello.

This recipe as written ends up being not only keto-friendly but also gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based and vegan!

Variations

Although I have a tendency to stick with a traditional cranberry sauce, you can always tweak this recipe to suit your tastes or to add some interesting textures and flavours!

More Orange - add a couple of tablespoons of orange juice for a more "orange" flavour
Spices - add cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice for a slightly different taste
Mix-Ins - add chopped walnuts or pecans or stir in some blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.

See this Keto Cranberry Cream Cheese Bar for a dessert twist on cranberries!

Equipment

Not much is needed to make this homemade cranberry orange sauce except for a saucepan, spoon and something to help break down the cranberries.

Although using an immersion blender saves time, you will not get as large chunks as when you use a potato masher.

homemade cranberry orange sauce after firming

Storage

Store the keto cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Just remember that if you use an erythritol-based sweetener, there is sure to be some crystalization and graininess that will occur when stored in the fridge (have I mentioned that enough already?!!). To return the sugar-free cranberry orange sauce to a smooth texture again, simply slowly heat it in a saucepan or let it come to room temperature and then stir it.

Top tip

Start with only adding about ½ cup of sweetener. Once the sauce is finished, taste the end product while it is still somewhat hot (be careful not to burn your tongue!) and slowly add additional sweeteners to suit your taste.

Easy Sugar-free homemade Cranberry orange sauce after firming in the fridge

Should I use fresh or frozen cranberries to make sauce?

Either will work. The frozen cranberries will just take longer to heat and soften so add additional time to this recipe.

Is Cranberry Sauce the same as Cranberry Relish?

No. Cranberry sauce is cooked and much sweetener than cranberry relish.

Are cranberries allowed on a keto diet?

Yes! Although you would think with their bright red colour that they would not be, cranberries are low in sugar and high in fiber making them suitable for a keto diet.

Are Cranberries healthy?

Yes! Cranberries are high in fiber and vitamin C and also contain manganese which helps to boost your metabolism!

Are dried cranberries keto-friendly?

Dried cranberries are very concentrated and therefore contain quite a bit of sugar. Also, most dried cranberries have added sugar so I would definitely check the ingredient list and only eat dried cranberries in moderation.

Do I make the jello first and then add it to the cranberry sauce?

No. You are simply adding the powder to the cranberry sauce. Do not follow the recipe on the box.