This easy keto cranberry sauce is fresh and healthy without any of the junky ingredients found in canned varieties. It's perfect for your holiday dinner! Gluten-Free, Vegan, Low-Carb, Sugar-Free

This Keto Cranberry Sauce is completely different than the canned stuff of the past and an absolute staple to any low-carb holiday meal.
This tangy and spiced low-carb cranberry sauce is just so delicious and a breeze to make. Seriously, you'll never buy store-bought cranberry sauce again. It's definitely one of our favorite keto side dish recipes.
We jazzed up our classic recipe with grapefruit juice and peel along with warming spices like cinnamon and clove. The grapefruit juice adds a very trivial amount of net carbs to the recipe but if you wish, you can always just use water.
Our original recipe called for orange zest but we're loving the extra floral note the grapefruit lends to the sauce. You can always opt for orange zest if you prefer.

Jump to:
- Ingredients in Keto Cranberry Sauce
- Ingredient substitutions
- Additional ingredients
- Cooking tools required
- Tools substitute options
- How to make Keto-Friendly Cranberry Sauce: step-by-step guide
- Preparation steps
- Instructions
- How to make it healthier
- Time-saving tips
- What Can I Prepare Ahead of Time
- Storage and reheating instructions
- Reheating methods and best practices
- Recipe wrap-up and conclusion
- Making homemade Cranberry Sauce for a Crowd
- Frequently asked questions
- Looking for more Keto holiday recipes? Check these out!
- 📖 Recipe
Ingredients in Keto Cranberry Sauce
Ingredient substitutions
If you need to make substitutions or want to experiment with variations, consider these options:
Additional ingredients
Consider adding these extra ingredients for an extra layer of flavor:
Cooking tools required
To create this mouthwatering low-carb cranberry sauce, you'll need the following tools:
Tools substitute options
If you find yourself without some of the tools mentioned above, worry not! You can try these alternative options:
How to make Keto-Friendly Cranberry Sauce: step-by-step guide


Cooking method
This sugar-free keto cranberry sauce is made using a stovetop cooking technique. A medium-sized saucepan is employed to simmer and blend the ingredients' flavors, yielding a perfectly tangy and fragrant sauce that complements an array of dishes.
Preparation steps
Before we embark on this tangy adventure, let's ensure we're fully prepared. Follow these simple steps to set yourself up for success:
- Rinse and drain your cranberries, ensuring they're free of any dirt or debris.
- Zest your grapefruit using a zester or grater, then squeeze the juice into a measuring cup.
- Measure out the allulose and gather the remaining ingredients, including the rosemary sprig, ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and salt.
Instructions
Ready to impress your taste buds? Follow these easy-peasy instructions
- Place your saucepan on the stovetop and set the heat to medium-low.
- Add the cranberries, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, allulose, rosemary sprig, ground cinnamon, whole cloves, and salt to the saucepan.
- Gently stir the ingredients with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, ensuring everything is well combined.
- Allow the mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring to prevent sticking or burning. The sauce will thicken, and the cranberries will burst, releasing their natural pectin.
- Taste the sauce as it cooks and adjust the sweetness or seasoning if necessary.
- Once the sauce reaches your desired consistency, remove it from the heat and discard the rosemary sprig, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves (using a fine mesh strainer if needed).
- Transfer your Keto CranberrySauce to a serving bowl and let it cool to room temperature before serving or refrigerating for later use.
How to make it healthier
Time-saving tips
Save some precious minutes with these time-saving tips:
- Use pre-washed and ready-to-use cranberries to eliminate the rinsing and draining step.
- Substitute store-bought grapefruit juice for freshly squeezed juice (just make sure it's 100% juice with no added sugar).
- Skip the zesting step by using dried grapefruit zest, available at specialty stores or online.
What Can I Prepare Ahead of Time
Hosting a holiday feast or simply planning ahead? You can prepare the following components in advance:
Storage and reheating instructions
Storing your leftovers is as simple as pie! Just follow these steps:
And just like that, you've got a tasty side dish waiting in the wings for your next meal!
Reheating methods and best practices
Reheating is a cinch with these tried-and-true methods:
Stovetop Reheating:
Microwave Reheating:
Whichever method you choose, just remember that reheating times may vary depending on the quantity of sauce and the power of your appliances.
Recipe wrap-up and conclusion
This delightful Keto Cranberry Sauce is sure to impress both your taste buds and your waistline. This versatile sauce is the perfect accompaniment to a wide variety of dishes, making it an indispensable addition to your keto recipe collection.


Making homemade Cranberry Sauce for a Crowd
Cranberries cook down quite a bit, so if you’re cooking for a crowd, this recipe is easily doubled or tripled. You can make the sauce in batches or opt to use a Dutch oven instead of a skillet so you can make more at one time.
Frequently asked questions
Looking for more Keto holiday recipes? Check these out!

📖 Recipe

Keto Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup allulose
- ¼ cup grapefruit juice
- ¼ cup water
- Zest of half a grapefruit
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 3-4 whole cloves or a pinch of ground clove
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch sea salt
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks optional
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a 10" or larger cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and glossy, about 10 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
kiera says
How many servings does this make?
Alex Lester says
Hi Kiera, this recipe serves 6. All of our recipe cards state the number of servings at the very top, right above the picture. It's easy to miss. Hope this helps!
Sandi says
Totally bookmarking your keto cranberry sauce recipe... 😀 Thanks!
Em says
I don't cook tomatoes in cast iron because of the acid, I would think cranberries would be even more acidic?
Cast Iron Keto says
Hi Em, cooking acidic things in a well-seasoned cast-iron pan is no issue. Especially in a recipe like this one where it only cooks for a few minutes. If your cast iron isn't well-seasoned, you can always opt for using an enameled cast iron pan or a regular stainless steel option. Hope this helps!
Granee says
Looks and sounds amazingly yummy. My question is …everything I have read says grapefruit juice is not keto friendly . Would like your take on this. Just ordered your cookbook. All of your recipes look fantastic. Thank you