This easy sugar free orange marmalade recipe is zesty and full of flavour. Even better, at 2.1g net carbs per tablespoon it's suitable for low carb and keto diets.
I've lived in London for over half my life now and I've come to love many of the British staples, from English Breakfast to scones (I've linked to my keto versions of these wonderful dishes here!).
So, naturally, I also adore orange marmalade!
Regular orange marmalade contains astonishing amounts of sugar. It is not unusual for a recipe that requires 4 oranges to use 8 cups - almost 2 kilos - of table sugar!
The sugar helps preserve the marmalade, and also thickens it. But unfortunately it will also raise your blood sugar levels. Not a good choice!
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A sugar free marmalade recipe
Oranges contain a fair amount of natural sugar and carbs - about 12 grams of net carbs per orange. So, you could argue that there is no such thing as a sugar free orange marmalade.
Well, I'm asking you politely here to please not split hairs. I'm using the term "sugar free" because I have replaced the sugar in the recipe with powdered sweetener, which is zero carb.
This way, the only carbs and sugars you're consuming are from the fructose in the orange. There's also more fibre than you'd find in regular orange marmalade, because I'm using the ENTIRE ORANGE, including the skins. And fibre slows the absorption of glucose (sugar & carbs) into the blood.
And since one generous portion is 1 tablespoon, this adds up to no more than 2.1 grams per serving! Voila, you've got yourself a spoonful of sunshine to brighten up your keto breakfast.
IMPORTANT: My sugar free orange marmalade is not a clear jelly like the marmalade you may be used to. Because it contains all the fibre an orange has to offer, it's more like a jam. It's simply incredibly tasty, zesty and totally delicious!
Instructions
Let's make keto orange marmalade!
You start by scrubbing the oranges to remove all the wax. This will also improve the taste of the final product!
Then you chop off the tops and the bottoms or the oranges, where the skin is normally the thickest. Quarter the fruit, remove any seeds and slice into VERY THIN slices using a sharp knife.
Now, throw the slices into a metal saucepan, add the water and juice of 1 lemon. Bring to the boil and then simmer, lid on, for 2 hours.
After this, remove the lid, add the sweetener and turn up the heat to medium to bring the jam back to a boil. This now starts to reduce the liquid in the pan. Don't forget to start stirring frequently at this point!
(Note - now is the time to add in any flavours if you wish - a vanilla pod, a cinnamon stick, a little ginger or even a shot of whiskey.)
Basically, you want the temperature in the pot to go beyond 100 degrees Celsius, so the natural pectin in the orange pith - the white part of the skin - can release and thicken the orange jam so it sets nicely.
FAQ
I recommend that you use seedless oranges with a thin skin. The thicker the pith, the more bitter your marmalade will taste. Juicing oranges are normally thin-skinned. Ask your greengrocer for advice!
Don't use Seville oranges for this recipe. I know they are "it" when it comes to regular orange marmalade. But their skin contains more bitterness than that of regular oranges. You would not want to use as much skin as we are for this sugar free marmalade recipe. Seville oranges NEED A LOT MORE sugar than we are using here.
I used a powdered erythritol / monk fruit mix, but xylitol or allulose would work equally well here. I felt that 1.5 cups was sufficient, but you could increase it to about 2 cups if you prefer a sweeter marmalade.
Since I'm using the entire orange in this recipe, I'm aware some people may feel it's too intense. You know yourself best! If you have a real sweet tooth, consider not using the peel from ALL the oranges. So, if you're using 3 large oranges, simply discard the peel of one and only use the fruit.
How to know when marmalade is ready
Cooking times will depend on how hot your stove it. So if you're using a lower temperature than I did, your jam will take a little longer.
This is the rule of thumb: If your marmalade looks thick at the end of cooking, you KNOW it's ready. However, if it looks still a little thin, you can test it by putting a spoonful on a plate, which you put it in the fridge or freezer for a little bit.
If the top of the mix starts wrinkling when you touch it with a finger or spoon, it's set! Otherwise, reduce it a little longer.
Marmalade WILL continue to set for up to 48 hours after you stop cooking. So, be patient.
Storage
Fill your sugar free orange marmalade into clean glass jars and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.
I do not recommend trying to can this marmalade. Regular marmalade has a long shelf life because of the sugar, which helps preserve it. The acid in the lemon (and the oranges) helps preserve this jam, but essentially, this is NOT a long life product.
Uses
Spread over keto breakfast buns or on a slice of toasted everyday low carb bread. Spoon over sugar free ice cream or blend a couple of spoonfuls into my keto cheesecake fluff!
Orange marmalade also works exceedingly well with pork or chicken - use a few spoonfuls brush over chicken towards the end of roasting!
More sugar free jam recipes
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Recipe
Sugar Free Orange Marmalade Recipe
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. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds / 900g oranges (circa 3 large organic oranges)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cups / 480ml water
- 1.5 cup / 240g powdered sweetener ***see notes
Instructions
- Wash and scrub the oranges to remove the wax on the skins and cut off the tops and bottoms. Quarter, remove any seeds and slice as thinly as possible. Put into a saucepan together with the juice of 1 lemon and 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 2 hours with the lid closed.
- Take off the lid and increase the temperature to medium. Add the sweetener and let the marmalade bubble away and reduce, stirring regularly (especially towards the end). Adjust sweetener, adding more if required.
- Fill the marmalade into glass jars and store in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
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Colleen Mc
This is the first time in 7 years (start of keto) that I have had marmalade.....OMG ! It was sooo good, beyond my wildest expectations. Yes, sunshine on a plate, I'll go along with that.
BTW I cooked mine in a slow cooker, after 2 hours still thinnish- reduced further with 30 mins in a saucepan on high and added a little gelatine as I only had a small amount of allulose. ( have found that Erythritol does not crystallise with the addition of gelatine when jam making )
Thank you once again, I love your recipes.
Katrin Nürnberger
How interesting! Thanks for the tip with the gelatine. Glad you like the jam.
Sonia phelan
Dear Katrin I have made your recipe with kumquats and monk fruit.
Something went wrong as a few days later I found large crystalline structures in my marmalade..
Is it the monk fruit that causes this? As I live in Australia some of the products available in the northern hemisphere are unavailable or very difficult to source..
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
Katrin Nürnberger
What is in your monk fruit sweetener? Is it a blend of erythritol and monk fruit? Also, did you use powdered sweetener as per recipe? I use powdered erythritol blends a lot and you can get a bit of re-crystallisation because of the erythritol. However, it's never been so much that I've found it to be a problem. The only way to completely avoid re-crystallisation is to use allulose.
Molly
Because of the high price of gas now is there another cooking method that I could try reducing time and cost? Maybe microwave or slow cooker
Katrin Nürnberger
I am sure you can do this recipe in the slow cooker. I don't own one myself, so you'd have to do a search on jam recipes and follow those instructions. I don't think using a microwave is a good idea.
Nurit Philip
Thank you
Kate Saffin
Delicious and goes well with your quick bread! I have one suggestion for adding any alcohol - learned it from the WI book of preserves. Rather than putting whisky, for example, into the pan where the alcohol just cooks off, put 2-3 teaspoons into the warm jar before filling it with the marmalade - that way it infuses gently through the marmalade and tastes gorgeous. It also means that you can make a batch and end up with a variety of flavours.
Lisa
Great recipe! I have been on the hunt for a reasonably priced version locally and online. Making it myself turned out to be the best solution. I'd venture to say it's the tastiest as well. So easy to make with allulose and bring it to taste with liquid sucralose and a pinch of salt to counter the bitterness. Thanks SFL
Katrin Nürnberger
My pleasure! This marmalade is a winter favourite for us.
Christine
Made this several times and it works perfectly. I use 100% Erythritol nature sweet. Thanks for the recipe.
Melanie
I wonder if this recipe would work for a ruby red grapefruit marmalade?
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, I think that would work! You may need a little more sweetener depending on how tart the grapefruit is.
Julie
Delicious and easy. I am on weight watcher WW, this is O pts. I used splanda and worked fine and taste wonderful. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Therese Ware
Ive made this three times now for my Keto British hubby. The only thing I’m unsure of is how long to boil at the end (after the 2 hour simmer). Could you estimate how long you boil? I’m always worried I’m not boiling long enough, or too long, but so far I’ve guessed OK. It would help to know…30 minutes? 15 minutes? An Hour? 😉
Katrin Nürnberger
It really depends on how hot your stove is. I think mine took about 30 minutes. It needs to look thick. You can test it by putting a spoonful on a plate, which you put it in the fridge or freezer for a little bit to cool to room temperature.
t
Is it possible to make this without sweetener at all? No sugar, no fake sugar? I don't want to use any processed stuff (I don't eat fake sugar), but just want to make sure I can do it without any sugar/sweetener before proceeding. Thank you!
Katrin Nürnberger
The sweetener is not essential to the recipe. I'd probably reduce the amount of pith though (the white, inner part of the peel) if you're not using additional sweetness.
Deanna
Hello! I recently needed the zest of 2 oranges for other keto recipes and I have been looking for a way to use the 2 zested oranges themselves, as not to waste them. I found this recipe and love the idea! However, would the fact that my oranges are zested make a huge difference? I read in your post that the skins of the orange add fiber. Please tell me what you think, thank you 🙂
Katrin Nürnberger
It would work without the zest. There's still plenty of fibre in the skins of the orange pieces. Just make sure that the white part of the skin is not thick (or use less of it) as you're not adding the zest.
Gwen Taylor
This is going to be great when it cools and thickens up a bit more. It has great flavor. I just found your web site this past week as I was looking for sf lemon curd and marmalade. I made both of your recipes today. The lemon curd got a thumbs up from me, mom and sister who were here at lunch. They are not sugar free. So delish. I was planning to use my sour oranges for the marmalade but used my Diller oranges instead after reading your advice. I did add a just bit of cinnamon, ginger (great suggestions) and a touch of salt. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. I like that you are clearly not new to the kitchen. Your comments and advice show your experience. Thank you from Tucson, Az where we are loaded with citrus right now. One question though - is there a reason to use the powdered sweetener blend over the granulated blend in the marmalade since it boils for quite a while to thicken?
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Gwen, glad you like the recipes! I use mostly erythritol blends to sweeten, and it re-crystallises when it cools. You'll get a smoother result with powdered over granulated. If you use allulose or xylitol, however, you won't have the re-crystallisation issue.
Gwen Taylor
Interesting. Thank you. I did a side by side taste test with this recipe and an Alton Brown marmalade recipe that uses regular sugar (3 lb 12 oz per 4-5 oranges. Wow) for my non sf family members. Sugar dominates in Altons recipe. Orange flavor dominates in yours. Am loving a generous spoonful mixed with plain yogurt. So very good.
M C
I can't get enough of this marmalade! So good and so easy with your recipe, thank you! I was just wondering if i can use the slow cooker for the first boil.. thank you again 🙂
Katrin Nürnberger
I don't have a slow cooker, but I think that it would be perfect for this recipe.
Bev
This is great mixed with a little ginger on grilled salmon.
Katrin Nürnberger
That sounds delicious! Great idea 🙂
Texasgirlfarfromhome
Thanks so much for a great recipe
fAKHAR
Making recipes is hard work but you made the recipe very well. We prepared this recipe is very delicious. Easy to make too.
Sophie (T1D)
So simple and so delicious! I had some on low carb toast (your rustic bread recipe) this morning and it was absolutely divine. It tastes just like regular marmalade, but even better. No impact on my blood sugar either. Thank you for this recipe!
Katrin Nürnberger
That's so good to hear! I'd been wanting to post this orange marmalade recipe for ages, so I'm really glad I did 🙂
Nadhia
Hi, I hate marmalade with a passion, but my wife loves it and I decided to make your recipe for her. Well! Guess who loves marmalade now? Me, that’s who!:) Or I guess I should say that I love YOUR marmalade recipe. I didn’t even bother with putting it on bread, I ate it warm in a bowl with a spoon:) The burst of flavour in my mouth was incredible. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Helen
I've really missed my bitter marmalade, so I can't wait to try this. Thank you so much!
Katrin Nürnberger
Keep me posted!! Would love to hear your feedback once you've made it.
Alison Orr
I just want you to know how grateful I am for UK-based keto recipes. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this one! Thanks so very very much, your recipes are brilliant.
Katrin Nürnberger
Thanks so much for your kind words! Glad you like the website 🙂
Anne
Thanks for the recipe! I was wondering if it was possible to keep only the peel without the white stuff (which is bitter), and replace it with some pectin (to jellify the jam)? In that case, how much pectin should I use?
Katrin Nürnberger
In that case, why don't you boil, then simmer the whole oranges for 2 oranges. Remove the oranges, but keep the cooking water. Once the oranges are cool enough, cut in half and remove the flesh and chop. Then scrape the pith off the peel and just use as much of the orange peel as you want. Then add everything back together into the pan. I'm not sure how much pectin you'd need - I've never used it. But it should be easy to find out in google. Hope this helps!
Charlotte Hall
Thank you so much for this recipe - orange marmalade is my favorite jam! I'm thinking of adding a bit of horseradish to make dipping sauce for coconut shrimp - oh, joy!
Katrin Nürnberger
That' sounds amazing!!!
Anna Magro
I am so happy to find a sugar free marmalade reciope, thank you. Would Stevia work for the sugar substitute?
Katrin Nürnberger
Interesting question. If you use stevia drops, you're missing out on the bulk the erythritol provides. My guess is that the mix will be more liquid. However, you could just reduce the liquid for longer and maybe add a little xanthan gum or ground chia seeds to thicken it further if necessary. This is what I do with my other jams.
patricia
How much marmalade does this recipe make? Cups?
Katrin Nürnberger
About 3 cups!