3-Ingredient Sugar-Free Cranberry Simple Syrup - Keto

An easy homemade sugar-free cranberry simple syrup recipe that is perfect for cocktails, especially around the holidays! This ridiculously easy simple syrup recipe is perfect to pair add to gin and tonics, vodka sodas, holiday punches, and more cocktails! It’s super simple using only 3 ingredients and about 15 minutes of time!

Sugar-Free Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is a sweetener that’s often used in cocktail recipes and coffee drinks. And after making my sugar-free homemade Simple Syrup recipe, I decided I needed a cranberry version for the holidays! All you need is sweetener, cranberries, lemon juice, and water, and you’ve got your own cranberry simple syrup that fits into your keto diet!

Simple syrup is, as the name implies, very simple to make from scratch. Making a sugar-free version at home makes it a budget-friendly drink sweetener, costing just pennies per batch.

Once you learn how easy it is, you will be creating all kinds of fun and festive cocktails this holiday season!

Types of Simple Syrups

There are two primary simple syrups, each based on different levels of sweetness. Rich simple syrup means that you're using more sugar than water to create a sweeter and thicker syrup. It uses a 2:1 ratio of sweetener to water. For this recipe, we are going to stick to the basic simple syrup recipe which calls for a 1:1 ratio of sweetener and water. Since we are not using sugar, the syrup will not thicken as much as regular sugar so adding a pinch of xantham gum will give the sugar-free simple syrup the thickness needed.

If you want a richer and sweeter syrup, simply double the sweetener. With either option, the recipe will yield between 1 cup and 1 ½ cups of syrup. You can make as small or as large a batch as you wish, just keep the same proportions. Once done, store it in the refrigerator in a well-sealed bottle where it will keep for up to a month.

How Cranberries are harvested

Cranberries are a popular superfood that grows on long rows of vines in marshes or bogs. The marshes are flooded as part of the harvesting process. Cranberry growers use flooding as a management tool to protect the plants from the cold, drying winds of winter, to harvest and remove fallen leaves, and to control pests.

Ingredients

Cranberries - You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries in this recipe. If the cranberries are frozen, allow them to thaw before using.

Allulose - Unlike other keto and low-carb sweeteners, allulose does not crystalize when it cools. This is important since you are probably going to be mixing this syrup into a cold cocktail! (If you want to learn about the different types of sweeteners, check out my Guide to Keto Sweeteners. You can buy allulose online on Amazon. It is relatively low in cost and will definitely come in very useful if you follow a keto diet. If you want a sweeter simple syrup, use 2 cups of allulose. For less sweet syrup, use only 1 cup. I personally like to use 2 cups as I like to add ice to my cocktails. Since I live in Florida, the ice tends to melt and waters down my cocktail so making a sweeter simple syrup helps to combat the watering down phenomena.

Water and Lemon Juice - Lemon juice is added to replace the common citric acid ingredient found in commercially made cranberry simple syrups. If you don't want to add a splash of lemon juice, you do not need to. However, the lemon juice will help to preserve the simple syrup and it will last longer.

How to make sugar-free simple syrup

There’s really no skill involved here, so let’s get right to it.

1. Combine the ingredients - In a saucepan combine allulose, water, and fresh cranberries.

• Heat - Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring so the allulose doesn’t burn.
• Soften the cranberries - Boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat to medium and to let the cranberries burst and soften and the sweetener melt. After about 15 minutes the cranberries will be totally soft.

• Strain the mixture - Pour the mixture through a sieve over a bowl. Press down on the cranberries with a spoon or using a measuring cup to make sure they release all their juices.
• Bottle and Store - Cool to room temperature and store in the fridge

How much simple syrup does 1 cup of sweetener make?

Although you would think that since we are adding 1 cup of water and 1 cup of allulose that you would end up with 2 cups of simple syrup, right? Wrong! This recipe will make 1 ½ cups syrup. Dissolving the sugar minimizes the space it takes in the liquid and therefore, you will only make 1 ½ cups of syrup.

Storing keto-friendly simple syrup?

Store the syrup in a covered container in the refrigerator for about 1 month. Make sure that you sterilize the container by pouring boiling water into the jar and then dumping it before adding the syrup.

Can you use other sugars in simple syrup?

I have not tried other sweeteners but I do believe that BochaSweet may work. Erythritol sweeteners can crystallize as they cool so unless you are going to be adding this simple syrup to a hot cocktail, I would not suggest using it.

More Keto and Sugar-free Drink Ideas

• Sugar-Free Grapefruit Paloma Cocktail - Keto-Friendly
• Sugar-Free Simple Syrup Southside Gin Cocktail Recipe
• Keto Pumpkin Spiced Latte
• How to Make Almost Sugar-Free Kombucha
• How to Make Sugar-Free Lemonade Concentrate

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