It's really easy to make sugar free dried cranberries - or sugar free craisins, if you prefer to call them that - at home. I sprinkle them over salads and use them in muffins, granola and cookies. They're also delicious as a fruity, juicy snack all on their own.
When you think of the holiday season, which berry springs to mind? Cranberries, of course.
Each year, I look forward to the moment cranberries pop up in the supermarket. Then, I make a batch of my sugar free cranberry sauce - and these sugar free dried cranberries.
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Regular dried cranberries recipes are made with a sugar syrup or concentrated fruit juice. Really, they are no better than raisins or dates.
Instead of making a (sugar free) syrup, I simply coat the cranberries with a mix of coconut oil and powdered sweetener.
This recipe is a hit in our house every year. Here's why:
🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Juicy, soft and chewy texture.
- So much flavor! Tart and sweet taste.
- Easy to make. 3 ingredients only.
- Versatile. Use in muffins, cookies, granola and more
- Healthy. Packed with vitamin C and minerals, high in antioxidants.
- Keto friendly. 1 tablespoon is only 1.4g net carbs.
Ingredients
Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen.
Powdered sweetener. I have made the recipe with both powdered erythritol and powdered allulose. I'd say that allulose is the better option if you can get hold of it. It melts like sugar and gives a smoother result.
Coconut oil. You need a little oil so the sweetener sticks better. Avocado oil or a light olive oil also works. Avoid vegetable or canola oil, they are not good for you.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step 1: Blanch the cranberries.
If using frozen cranberries - Pour boiling water over them and leave them to thaw. Drain and squeeze out the liquid with kitchen paper. They don't need to be bone dry, just the excess taken out.
If using fresh cranberries - Put them in a saucepan with boiling water and simmer until the cranberries start to soften and the skin splits open. Drain and then press between kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture.
Step 2: Toss the berries in a bowl with coconut oil and low carb sweetener. Then spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 3: Let the cranberries slowly dehydrate in the oven. Check regularly to ensure they don't over-brown - all ovens are different.
Expert Tips
#1 If not all berries pop in the hot water, pierce the skins with a fork or a toothpick. If you pierce them or the skin has popped, they will dry quicker and the sweetener can enter the berries.
#2 You can make the sweetener stick even better by adding ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder. It's not essential to the recipe, but more similar to original (sugary) version which uses sugar syrups.
Recipe FAQs
I set my oven to 100 Celsius / 210 Fahrenheit electric, which turned out to be the perfect temperature to speed up the drying process as much as possible without risking the cranberries to brown. For fan assisted ovens, set to 80C / 175F.
4 ½ hours seems to be the perfect time. If your cranberries are VERY small (like red currants), about 4 hours may be sufficient. After this you NEED to turn off the oven and leave the berries inside overnight. Prop the door open with a wooden spoon. During this time they will dry out more and gain that raisin-like texture - juicy inside, but dry on the outside.
Yes. In my first try, I put them straight into the oven without blanching them first. This increased the oven time to 7 hours. I know you don't have time for that!
Yes, but they will be VERY tart. However, if you add unsweetened dried cranberries to muffins or other sweet dishes, you won't notice the difference. I used unsweetened cranberries in these orange cranberry scones and they worked really well.
Absolutely, but it will take much longer - between 12 and 14 hours. I don't own a food dehydrator, so please follow the manufacturer's instructions. The great thing about a dehydrator is that it uses less energy than an oven.
Uses
I love sugar-free dried cranberries as a simple juicy snack all on their own. Here are more ideas where they work:
Muffins. Add them into any muffin recipe to give them a festive, wintery flair. Try these keto blueberry muffins or these dairy-free coconut flour muffins and just replace the blueberries with cranberries.
Salads. Sprinkle over winter salads such as kale or chicory salad.
Granola. Add to keto granola, in low carb porridge or to keto granola bars.
Christmas baking. Use them in low carb Christmas pudding, stollen, mince pies or gluten-free panettone.
Storage
Kitchen cupboard: Store the cranberries in an airtight container at room temperature. If they are well-dried, you can keep them for a couple of months.
Fridge: If they are still very moist, you may prefer to store them in the fridge.
Freezer: It's possible to freeze them for up to 1 year.
More Keto Holiday Recipes
- Keto Candied Pecans10 Minutes
- Sugar Free Peanut Brittle (Keto)22 Minutes
- Keto Marzipan (Sugar Free)5 Minutes
- Homemade Ferrero Rocher Recipe25 Minutes
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Recipe
Sugar Free Dried Cranberries
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz cranberries fresh or defrosted, 300g
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ cup powdered sweetener erythritol or allulose, 100g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 100C / 210 F electric (or 80C fan).
- If using frozen cranberries, place in a bowl of boiled water to defrost. If using fresh cranberries, place in a pan with a little boiling water and simmer for 2 - 4 minutes on a low heat or until they soften slightly and the skin pops open. Drain and place on kitchen paper and press to remove the moisture.
- Pierce any berries that haven't popped with a fork. Put them in a bowl and toss them in the coconut oil and powdered sweetener.
- Pour cranberries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dehydrate in the oven for 4 ½ hours. Then, turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon and leave the cranberries inside overnight.
jillian
I have granulated allulose, will it become powdered if put in a food processor? Thanks, Thrilled to have this recipe.
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, it will!
mschray
Have you tried this whith cherries? It's really hard in the USA to find dried cherries with no added sugars.
Katrin Nürnberger
I think it would work. It may take longer to dry them because they are larger. Also, since cherries have a higher fructose content, they may brown quicker. I would probably reduce the temperature (or at least keep a close eye on them).
Elaine
I've found unsweetened dried cherries on Amazon in the U.S. Here:
Cherry Bay Orchards - UNSWEETENED 1 lb. Low Moisture Dried Cranberries - No Added Sugar, All Natural Ingredients, Gluten Free, Non GMO
mschray
Is Allulose a powder or granular. In the us I see the granular but not the powder.
Katrin Nürnberger
I recommend powdered sweetener. If you can only get granulated allulose, powder it in a high speed blender first.
Jennie
Do you think it would work to dehydrate these in a food dehydrator I stead of the oven?
Rennu Ramdeo
Hi ! I want to make this recipe and I can’t find any cranberries in the supermarkets! I’m based in the UK . Can i use this recipe for other berries / fruits please?
Katrin Nürnberger
That's a good question. Cranberries are not only more sour but also much harder than other berries, so the oven timings would differ significantly. However, it's possible to dehydrate blueberries etc. I think your best bet would be to google how to dehydrate the berries you're interested in using and then add a little sweetener.
Tina Mulcahy
I've made these sugar free sweetened dried cranberries a couple times now and they are DELICIOUS!
They take a few minutes to make but the time is well worth it, they taste great by themselves, but I've used them in a few other recipes and they add just the right flavor. It's so wonderful to be able to make them and keep them sugar free.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
Attila
How long do these last in the cupboard (or fridge)?
Katrin Nürnberger
Quite some time! I'd say at least a few weeks. A reader even told me she still had some left over from last year and they were still fine. However, this is not something I can officially endorse 😉
Attila
Thank you!
I don't plan to store them for a year 😀