Did you think keto jelly without all the artificial stuff was impossible? I did too for a while, but then I got to thinking and testing out a few ideas I had for keto friendly jelly that’s actually made with real fruit and guess what? It WORKED! This sugar-free jelly recipe is made with just 3 simple ingredients and after the mixture chills in the refrigerator overnight, you’ll be topping all of your keto bread with it! If you’re missing fruit on keto, then add blackberries to your list. They are one of the lower-sugar fruits and a great way to enjoy natural sweetness while keeping keto. Try my sugar-free frozen yogurt, blackberry cobbler, or even putting blackberries on keto yogurt for a sweet treat without the sugar crash. And, it makes a perfect grape substitute for keto friendly jelly, since it happens to be the same color and the flavor isn’t too far off. (But see the ingredient section below for a way to make it taste even more like grape jelly!) The key to the best sugar-free jelly? Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend! This keto sweetener tastes and acts just like sugar, and dissolves effortlessly, so it gives the jelly the sweet flavor you are used to without any of the cooling or aftertaste effects that are typical with many keto sweeteners. More importantly, it won’t crystallize when you store your jelly in the fridge. I served the jelly over bread made from my favorite keto bread mix (shown in the photos), which is by far the closest texture to real bread that I’ve ever had or made.
Sugar-Free Jelly Ingredients
This keto friendly jelly is made with just 3 simple ingredients!
Get Besti Sweetener For This Recipe
Get Keto Bread Mix
Blackberries – The star of this jelly! Blackberries give the keto friendly jelly great purple color as well as fruity flavor. Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This keto sweetener acts just like real sugar, but doesn’t have the sugar and carbs that go along with it. Gelatin – Use an unflavored gelatin. It will thicken the jelly, but not impart any flavor. Grape extract (optional) – If you want a grape-flavored jelly, add in some grape extract. (It’s totally optional, but makes it tastes like classic grape jelly.)
How To Make Keto Jelly
This sugar-free jelly recipe is fairly simple to make, let me show you how:
Boil. Combine water and blackberries in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir and mash berries as they soften. Simmer.
Strain. Pour berry mixture into jelly or nut milk bag over a sieve and press with the back of a spoon or spatula to push the juice into the bowl. You should end up with about 2 cups juice. Add water to reach this amount if you don’t get enough.
TIP: If you want a little texture in your jelly, you can stir some of the strained pulp into the liquid – not all of it, just a tablespoon or two.
Bloom. Sprinkle gelatin over more water in a small bowl. Stir together and set aside to bloom – it will be very thick.
Dissolve. Heat juice and Besti in a small saucepan, and stir until sweetener is dissolved. Then, stir in gelatin until it dissolves.
TIP: Adjust sweetener to taste here. It will seem less sweet after it sets, so at this step, make it a little sweeter than you want.
Chill. Pour liquid into a jar and refrigerate for 5-6 hours, or overnight, until set.
Is sugar-free jelly keto?
Store bought sugar-free jelly is pretty rare to find, and even if you did, grapes are not keto friendly to begin with, even before you add sugar or sweeteners. On the other hand, sugar-free jams are commmon. These would be considered dirty keto, as they are made with highly processed ingredients and artificial sweeteners, like sucralose. This keto jelly recipe is made with Besti, which is a natural sweetener that is used just like sugar, blackberries, and gelatin. That’s it!
Does sugar-free jelly have carbs?
Yes, sugar-free jelly will always have some carbs from the fruit, and sometimes from pectin if that is used. This sugar-free jelly recipe is made with real fruit and uses gelatin to set, so it has just 2 grams of carbs per serving.
Can I use a different sweetener?
For keto friendly jelly to work, you need an allulose-based sweetener with no sugar alcohols (i.e. no erythritol). This will ensure that it dissolves smoothly and doesn’t crystallize after cooling. I recommend Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend, but you can also use plain allulose. Both granulated and powdered versions of these will work just fine because they dissolve so easily, but with most keto sweeteners, that’s not the case. Check my keto sweetener conversion chart, but keep in mind that erythritol-based sugar alternatives won’t work well.
Can I make different flavors?
Yes! You can use raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries, but I haven’t tested them to confirm how much you’d need. As long as you use 2 cups of juice after straining, it should work fine.
Keto Jelly Recipe Storage Instructions
Store jelly in the refrigerator for 4-6 weeks. The allulose in Besti actually acts as a natural preservative, but you still need to refrigerate it.
How to Eat Carb Free Jelly
You may not need any ideas on how to enjoy this keto jelly substitute, but I’ll share a few just in case!
Toast – Simple, delicious, and you may have thought you could never have toast with jelly on keto! Try white keto bread, almond flour bread, coconut flour bread, fathead bagels, or my very own keto bread mix. Sandwiches – Keto peanut butter and jelly is a classic, but you can also spread some over cream cheese for a sweet and creamy meal. Desserts – Swirl into keto ice cream, brownies (trust me on this one!), or even a low carb vanilla shake.
Medium Saucepan – For cooking the berries. I love this one because it heats so evenly. Mesh Sieve – Layer this under the nut milk bag so you don’t have to hold the bag the whole time! Nut Milk Bag – Use this to strain the blackberry juice from the solids. Glass Jars – Store your keto friendly jelly in these glass jars, it’s just like the real thing!
Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too - I’d love to see it!
