Looking for the best sugar free jelly? For a delicious and healthy jam? For a keto friendly preserve? We made the ULTIMATE list of the very best low sugar jelly and jams and even included the best low carb alternatives.
Jams and jellies are a pantry staple. They are delicious on toast, elevate a scone or bagel and are simply put, perfect for any breakfast.
However, let’s be honest. Most jellies are sugar with more sugar and some mixed in sugar. They are far from healthy, definitely don’t work for a ketogenic diet and are a no-no for diabetics and people that want to eat low on sugar.
However that doesn’t need to be the case. Jams can be healthy! Preserves can be made with mostly sugar and there are definitely sugar free jelly options that are just as delicious (and sometimes even more!) than the ones packed with sugars.
How to pick the best sugar free jelly and healthy jam or preserve
before jumping in to read the full list with the best sugar-free jam let’s see a quick overview of what to look for when picking a jelly with fewer calories and healthier ingredients (and no sugar added).
Sugar:
First step is to read the ingredients list and find if it has added sugar. Depending on the diet and lifestyle you are following you want to make sure if the jam has artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohol or natural sweeteners (such as fruit juice).
Ingredients:
When looking for a healthier jelly alternative that packs less sugar than the traditional ones you also want to make sure it’s made with simple ingredients. Ideally the first ingredient from the list should be fresh fruit. Usually they are also going to have some sort of thickener agent such as xanthan gum or real pectin. You want to try and stay away from pectin powder since it’s usually packed with starches.
Additives:
When possible look for an all natural jelly option. Try to pick jams and preserves that are free from artificial flavors and that don’t have color added to enhance the look. The more natural ingredients the better.
Best sugar-free jelly – The top picks!
Smucker’s Sugar Free Jam with Splenda
I wanted to start this one with an option you can find at most supermarkets. While it’s not the healthiest and most natural option from this list and it’s definitely not the fanciest it’s a great option if you don’t want to shop online or a natural grocery stores.
The ingredients are not bad:
Water, Polydextrose, Concord Grapes+, Maltodextrin, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid, Locust Bean Gum, Natural Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Calcium Chloride, Sucralose (Non Nutritive Sweetener), Red 40, Blue 1
It’s a delicious and simple sugar free grape jelly for when you are short on options and a perfect alternative for a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Nature’s Hollow Sugar Free Strawberry Jam
I love this option and usually buy it from Amazon. It’s sugar free so it wont spike up your blood sugar levels. It’s also made with real strawberries, it’s low on carbs and diabetic friendly.
The ingredients are really clean too:
Strawberry, Water, Xylitol, Erythritol, Pectin, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), and Citric Acid.
Each tablespoon only has 15 calories, and 3 grams of net carbs.
They also come in a low of different flavor options so I’m pretty sure you are going to be able to find your favorite flavors.
Good Good Keto Apricot Jam
This is the jam to get if you are following a keto diet.The Good Good Apricot Jam is one of the best sugar free apricot preserves I’ve ever tried. It’s also low calories and has no added sugars. It’s a great way to enjoy a sweet breakfast while still keeping it low carb.
The ingredients are pretty amazing:
Apricots, water, sweetener (erythritol and steviol glycosides), gelling agent (pectin), citric acid and preservatives (potassium sorbate).
It’s made with real fruit and it’s also vegan and vegetarian since it doesn’t uses gelatin which is usually an animal byproduct.
You can also find more Good Good brand jams and jellies flavors so it’s a great way to add some variety. They have a Concord jelly grape that’s delicious too and an Strawberry no added sugar strawberry jam that’s also keto friendly.
Polaner Sugar Free Jelly Preserve
This one is gluten free, sugar free, kosher, diabetic friendly and a great source of fiber.
The nutritional information is pretty good
It’s sweetened with sucralose and only has 10 calories per serving (the serving size is 1 tablespoon in case you are curious).
It also has 3 g fiber, 0 g fat and 5 g carbs.
It’s made with real berries and has a delicate sweet flavor that makes it the perfect pair for a toast.
Oh and you can find it in a variety pack so they also have some extra flavors to mix things up: It comes in raspberry, apricot, strawberry, peach, blueberry and concord grape.
They also have a sugar free orange marmalade that’s AMAZING! So if you like oranges I definitely advise you get it.
Overall it’s a diabetic friendly jelly that has natural ingredients and great nutritional facts.
Xylobuster Sugar Free Mountain Berry Jam
This sugar free jam also has less calories than the traditional ones with only 20 calories per serving (it’s not the lowest on the list so if you are looking to lower your calorie consumption maybe check Polaner).
it’s sweetened with xylitol and made with organic and natural ingredients. It also comes in different flavors like raspberry, blueberry, peach and strawberry.
It has 8 grams of total carbs and only 3 grams net carbs. Xylitol is also one of the keto-friendly sweeteners so this jelly it’s a great option if you are following a keto diet or looking to reduce your sugar consumption.
Skinny Girl Apricot Mimosa Sugar Free Preserve
Skinny girl is famous for creating low calorie or sugar free options for our traditional favorites.
This line of jams and jellies is inspired by cocktails so it definitely has a little booze flavor with it.
It comes in fun cocktail flavors like:
- Apricot Mimosa
- Blackberry Mule
- Merlo Grape
- Raspberry Bellini
- Strawberry Rose
It has 0 grams of sugar and a low calorie content (only 10 calories per serving) so it’s great if you are counting macros.
Homemade jams
Homemade jams are also a great alternative to regular jam. There are a lot of recipes online but if you are looking for an incredibly easy recipe then you need to make chia jam!
It’s a simple recipe that can be made in 10 minutes and that only uses easy to find ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
Chia Jam Recipe – Keto Jelly
- 2 Cups frozen fruit thawed (keep the juices!)
- 4 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- And some keto friendly sweeteners of choice. I like to use some sugar free syrup to make it easier to blend.
- Add all the ingredients to a mason jar and vigorously shake until everything is well combined.
- Then refrigerate for 2 hours and voila your sugar free jelly recipe is done and ready to rock! You just made a high quality sweet treat in no time.
How to use your sugar free jelly
Now that you got your favorite jam and sugar free jelly is time to put it to use.
I love to use it just like I would the ones that are packed with a lot of sugar: Have it with toast!
However jams and jellies are not only great when spread on a toast. You can also make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or use them to make some delicious keto desserts or sugar free treats.
You can drizzle them on top of a healthy cheesecake for example or use them to fill some raspberry keto friendly muffins.
Leave a Reply