Name: Low Carb Dried Cranberries
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 oz fresh cranberries, rinsed and air dried; ⅓ - ½ cup powdered sweetener, depending on preferred sweetness; 2 tbs avocado oil or mild olive oil

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These low carb dried cranberries are sugar free and keto friendly! The perfect snack for the holidays!

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So why would you want to dry your own cranberries when they are readily available in stores? Well, because they are typically sweetened with a lot of sugar, and the carb count can get crazy. Take a look at this:

How Many Carbs in Cranberries?

¼ cup (40g) regular sweetened dried cranberries contains 30g net carbs
¼ cup (40g) 50% reduced sugar dried cranberries contains 23g net carbs
¼ cup (16g) MY low carb dried cranberries contains 4.8g net carbs

Obviously my stats look better – but I should point out the disparity in weight due to the different methods used for drying. But a quarter cup is still a quarter cup!

How to Make Low Carb Dried Cranberries

Start by cutting each cranberry in half. I won't lie, this does take some time. I've known people to use scissors to cut them, or to place 10 or so cranberries between two plates and slice them horizontally like you might do grapes or cherry tomatoes. My preferred method is to put some music on, and just use a knife to cut them one at a time.

This lot took me just under fifteen minutes to prepare, but that did include a couple of dance breaks…

Place the cut cranberries in a bowl and add some oil – a mild olive oil or avocado oil would be ideal. Next, add some powdered sweetener (I used confectioner's Swerve). At this point you'll need to decide how sweet you want the final result. Personally I like the tartness with a little sweetness, so I used a third of a cup of sweetener. But you could go up to half a cup if you prefer.

Mix well then spread the cranberries out onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or baking parchment. Try and get them into a single layer as much as possible.

Place in a preheated oven for one hour. Shuffle them around after this time (there will be more space). Bake for another 2-3 hours or until the cranberries are fully dried. Note: You can tell when they are ready because the “seed holes” have all closed up. Let cool fully.

Transfer the dried cranberries to an airtight container. Store in the fridge (otherwise they will lose their texture).

What to Make with Low Carb Dried Cranberries

Of course you can just enjoy a handful as a snack, but what about these other ideas?

Low Carb Chocolate Bark – with pistachios and cranberries
Sprinkle them over your favorite salad
Low Carb Cranberry and Almond Cookies
Mix them into low carb yogurt
Try adding them to this Low Carb Bread Pudding instead of traditional raisins!
Make a low carb trail mix with seeds, nuts, and low carb chocolate chips!
And how about these Low Carb Cranberry and Feta Pinwheels?!?
Keto Thanksgiving Cheese Ball