Bacon and Cranberry Sauce

About

This Keto cranberry sauce is deliciously sweet and savory, combined with warming spices and crispy fried bacon. Our quick and easy Keto cranberry sauce makes for a delicious low carb relish served with roasted meats or vegetables. This makes a great addition to Keto Sunday lunch or the Thanksgiving table.

Are Dried Cranberries Keto?

Dried fruit is often incredibly sweet and rich in carbs making it a big Keto no-no. Dried cranberries however, can provide a lower carb option to satisfy your dried fruit fix. As with everything, moderation is key and they should be included in your low carb diet sparingly. This Keto cranberry sauce uses dried cranberries with minimal added sugar. Try to avoid store-bought versions that include large amounts of sugar to sweeten. We have added our erythritol to balance the sharpness of the cranberries, but you use your preferred low carb sweetener if desired.

Can I Use Fresh Cranberries?

We have chosen to use dried cranberries for this recipe as they can be more accessible, particularly at certain times of the year. However, if you wish, you may use fresh or frozen cranberries. You will need to increase the quantity by roughly a 1/4 of a cup for fresh or frozen. Please note this recipe has been made only with dried cranberries, so you will need to use your judgment when cooking for any other adjustments that need to be made, i.e. adding more or less water or sweetener etc. Please be sure to adjust your macros to account for any changes made to the original recipe.

Ingredients

2 slice – 6" long bacon
1 ¼ cup water
1 tablespoon 100% pure erythritol by now
1 teaspoon xantham gum gluten free by hodgson mill
1 tablespoon red onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ⅓ cup lean crans reduced sugar cranberries by paradise meadow
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
½ teaspoon ginger, ground
¼ teaspoon salt, sea salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over a medium/high heat. Add the bacon slices. Cook the bacon through until crisp and golden all over. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set to one side. Once cooled enough to handle, roughly chop/crumble the cooked bacon into small chunks.
Finely chop the onion. Add the onion to the skillet used to cook the bacon. Set over a low/medium heat and sweat gently for a minute or two until tender and fragrant. Set to one side with the bacon.
Add the cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, balsamic vinegar, erythritol, salt, pepper and 3/4 cup of water to a small saucepan. Set over a medium heat and bring up to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook gently for 10 minutes until the cranberries are plump and rehydrated. Stir often and add a splash more water if the pan looks a little dry.
Add the remaining water and xanthan gum to the saucepan. Stir well to combine. Cook gently for a few minutes more until the sauce has thickened and you have a jam-like consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as required, adding more spices or sweetener as needed.
Crumble in the bacon pieces and add the cooked onion. Stir through well to combine. Allow the sauce to cool. Serve with your preferred Keto mains and sides.