Name: Low-Carb Cranberry Relish {keto}
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 12 oz Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, no need to thaw; 3/4 cup Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener, Lakanto brand is preferred, see notes; 3/4 cup Water; 2 tsp Orange Zest, fresh or dried; Pecans, optional

Jump to Recipe

Cranberry relish is just one of those staple ingredients on every holiday dinner table, whether you like it or not. And the opinions on it are often polarizing: either you love it or you hate it. There’s rarely a middle ground. The general consensus in our house: love!

This year, I told the kids I wasn’t making sweet potatoes or cranberry relish for Thanksgiving. They nearly lost their minds. They were okay with me skipping the potatoes but absolutely refused to accept that cranberries would be absent.

Since I wanted to keep things as LCHF (low-carb/high-fat) as possible, I had to find a way to make my typical fruit/sweetener/gelatin filled favorite a little more keto-friendly. Since embarking on our keto journey, I’ve gone through a few natural no-carb sweeteners and have landed on my favorite: Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener.

It doesn’t have any bitterness, no weird aftertaste, and it doesn’t give you that strange “cooling” effect that other no-cal sweetener do. I’ve been using it in all our treats and it was the perfect ingredient for our cranberry relish this year.

I left out all the extra high-sugar fruits and kept things simple with just plain cranberries and a little orange zest. Just perfect. Also, mix this cranberry relish in with some dijon mustard for the best thing you’ve ever tasted on a slice of leftover turkey breast. Trust me on that.

Low-Carb Cranberry Relish {keto}

Yield: 4

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

12 oz Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, no need to thaw
3/4 cup Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener, Lakanto brand is preferred, see notes
3/4 cup Water
2 tsp Orange Zest, fresh or dried
Pecans, optional

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened. If you run the spoon across the bottom of the pan, it should take a second or two for the relish to refill that space.
At this point you have a couple options regarding texture:
1) Leave as-is for a super chunky relish;
2) Mash the cranberries for a somewhat chunky relish;
3) Use an immersion blender to break down the berries to a barely chunky texture (this is our preferred method and what is pictured in this recipe). To do this, turn on the blender while in the relish and slightly raise and lower it while moving it around, never taking it completely out of the relish.
4) Pour it all in a food processor and blend until it's as smooth as you can get it.
Chop up the pecans (amount varies on your preference) and either mix in to the relish or serve on the side as a garnish. This adds a wonderful crunch as well as some healthy fat to the dish (pecans are high in fat and very low in carbs).

Notes

If you use a granulated sweetener-substitute, it will crystallize as the relish cools, creating a slightly crunchy texture. This doesn't happen with the powdered monkfruit which is why that is recommended.
If using a granulated sweetener-substitute, increase amount to 1 cup.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4
Amount Per Serving Calories 40Unsaturated Fat 0gSodium 4mgCarbohydrates 10gNet Carbohydrates 6gFiber 4gSugar 3g

Nutrition is calculated by a third party and may not be 100% accurate