Shop
My
Custom
FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook
GET IT NOWMy Sugar Free Jelly Is The Sweet Spread You’ve Been Missing
I used to think making sugar free jelly at home would be way too complicated… or just not taste right. But with all the weird ingredients in store-bought brands, I decided to try making my own using real fruit and a few pantry staples. After a few test runs (and some very runny and very firm versions later), it worked! Here’s why I’m now hooked on this blackberry jelly:
- Smooth, fruity, and sweet, with no weird aftertaste – Unlike my sugar free strawberry jam, which has bits of fruit throughout, this one is perfectly clear and silky thanks to my straining method. I loved a PB&J with it!
- Just 3 ingredients – I actually had this idea while testing my sugar-free jello and discovered that, when I didn’t use enough gelatin, the texture turned out like jelly. Same ingredients and natural sweetener, just different fruit!
- Better than store-bought – Most jams and jellies on the shelf are loaded with additives, sugar, or artificial sweeteners. I wanted something cleaner (and better tasting) with this recipe.
I originally made this sugar free jelly as a low carb alternative, but now I just love it as a cleaner spread for less sugar in my life. Make it with me and I think you will, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my blackberry jelly recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Blackberries – I used these in my sugar free jelly to get that deep purple color and sweet, fruity flavor, without as much sugar as grapes. You can definitely substitute raspberries, as they’re pretty similar. I do plan to try grapes, blueberries, or strawberries next. If you use other fruit, the goal is to end up with 2 cups of strained juice!
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This is the sweetener I always use for jelly, because it dissolves so smoothly, and doesn’t get gritty or crystallize in the fridge like most others do. You can also use plain allulose, but I recommend an extra 1/3 to 1/2 cup. Both granulated and powdered forms work great here, but avoid anything with erythritol, because that won’t dissolve.
- Gelatin – Make sure it’s unflavored! It’s what thickens the jelly without adding any taste, so you get that perfect set without messing with the flavor.
Reader Review
“This blackberry jelly was absolutely amazing!!! Super simple recipe! Can’t wait to make it with other fruits as well!!” –Lucretia
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How To Make Blackberry Jelly
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Cook the berries. Add the blackberries and some water to a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Stir and mash as they soften to get all that juicy flavor out.
- Strain out the pulp. Pour the mixture through a jelly bag or nut milk bag over a sieve, and press with the back of a spoon to squeeze out every drop of juice. If you don’t get quite enough, just top it off with a little water.
- Bloom the gelatin. In a small bowl, stir the gelatin into some water and let it sit for a few minutes. I watch for it to thicken a lot.
- Sweeten. Heat the juice with your sweetener of choice and stir until it fully dissolves. Then stir in the bloomed gelatin until it melts in. I always use this step to taste and adjust the sweetness if needed.
- Chill to set. Pour the mixture into a jar and pop it in the fridge. It’ll firm up into sugar free jelly after a few hours, or by the next day.
My Tips On Flavor & Texture
- Let the gelatin bloom fully. It might look weird and lumpy at first, but give it a few minutes to bloom before you heat it up. That’s what gives your blackberry jelly that perfect set.
- I recommend a bit more sweetener than you think you need. It’ll seem sweeter when it’s warm, but once it sets, the sweetness mellows out. For this reason, I always make it just a bit sweeter than I think I’ll want.
- Stir to make it spreadable. It might look a bit like jello at first, but once I stir well, I get that sugar free jelly consistency.
- Want a little texture? Sometimes I stir in a spoonful or two of the strained pulp before chilling. Just enough to add a little something without turning it into jam.
- What to do if it’s too thick: You can gently warm the jelly with a splash of water to thin it out. I’ve also just enjoyed it as jello during my testing before I adjusted the amount of gelatin.
- Want a sugar free grape jelly? Like I mentioned above, you can make this with grapes if you like, but personally I prefer a splash of grape extract. It gives me the same flavor with less sugar.
Sugar Free Jelly
My homemade sugar free blackberry jelly is sweet, fruity, and spreadable! Whip it up with just 3 ingredients, and no sugar or pectin.
Remove Ads
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
Combine 1/2 cup water and blackberries in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring and mashing as berries soften.
-
Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes.
-
Line a mesh sieve with a jelly bag or nut milk bag and place over a bowl. Pour the berry mixture over the sieve. Press with a spoon or spatula to push the juice into the bowl. You should get about 2 cups of juice (add water to reach this amount if you don't get enough).
-
Meanwhile, pour the remaining 1/4 cup water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin powder into the bowl. Stir together, then set aside to bloom for at least 5 minutes.
-
Pour juice into a small stainless saucepan over medium heat. Add Besti and stir to dissolve. Taste and adjust sweetener to taste if needed – keep in mind it will seem less sweet after it sets, so make the liquid a bit sweeter than you want.
-
Reduce heat to low. Stir in the bloomed gelatin and heat, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until gelatin dissolves.
-
Pour the liquid into a jar. Refrigerate for at least 5-6 hours, or overnight, until set. Stir with a butter knife or spreader.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 tablespoon
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best texture, dial in the sweetness just right, and notes on thickness.
- Storage: Store jelly in the refrigerator for up to 2-4 weeks. I’ve found that the allulose in Besti actually acts as a natural preservative, but you still need to refrigerate it.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Sugar Free Jelly
Ways I Enjoy It
There are so many tasty ways to use this sugar free jelly, but here are a few of my favorites:
- Toast & sandwiches – Pick your favorite bread for toast, or make peanut butter and jelly! For the pictures here, I made the bread from my second low carb cookbook. You can also try my almond flour bread or quick 90-second bread. But I personally love it on low carb bagels the most!
- Breakfast – Stir it into Greek yogurt or spread it on almond flour pancakes! I’ve also used it to thicken my protein smoothie when I accidentally added too much liquid.
- Desserts – Sometimes I spoon this blackberry jelly over mason jar ice cream or cheesecake.
50 Comments
Salome
0I made this with about a cup of honey instead of monk fruit. It turned out so delicious! This was my first try making a sugar-free jelly. I will definitely make this recipe again. So easy and amazingly delicious!
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so happy you liked it, Salome! I love that you made it work with honey and so glad your first sugar-free jelly was a success!
Emely
0I have a similar recipe but they use sugar. Can I replace your monk fruit/allulose blend 1:1 in the other recipe? Just to let you know I love this Besti brand and have used it in baking but never in jam. I’m new to this jam making.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Emely, Yes, you should be able to use Besti in place of sugar in other jam or jelly recipes.
Judy Moravek
0Used Mixed fruit juice. Easy recipe, which is nice for this senior Saint. Yummy.
mary
0I’m wondering why you used gelatin instead of pectin or sure-jell? I made this and it is like jell-o and only spreadable if I slice it on the bread? Also I did have 5 cups of berries but only got 1 1/2 c of juice – not enough flavor in my “jelly” I like the recipe but I’m going to have to change some things around. Thank you.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mary, Stir it with butter knife to help break up your jam. This should help you be able to spread it. Feel free to adjust the amount of gelatin if you prefer for the next batch.
Donna H.
0How much jelly does this make? Trying to plan what supplies I need to get. Thanks for any reply!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Donna, This recipe makes 32, 1 tablespoon servings.
toni
0I made this and it turned out great! I even made syrup out it for my keto lupin flour pancakes. My family loved the taste too. I can finally have jelly on my peanut butter sandwich. Thank you for this simple easy to follow recipe.
Tammy
0I read the question from a year ago about canning this recipe. Has anyone since then tried it with success?
Karla Hardy
0What is the shelf life of this recipe in the fridge? Probably eat it all before then but just in case.
I will try this soon.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Karla, You can store jelly in the refrigerator for 4-6 weeks.
Mariah
0Could I use strawberries instead of blackberries and would the amount be the same if so?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mariah, Yes, you could replace the blackberries with strawberries.
Noor
0Can I substitute collagen for gelatin? I have unflavored and strawberry flavored one. thanks
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Noor, I have never done that but it should work. If you try it please let me know your results.
Alma Post
0Would Monk Fruit with erythritol work?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Alma, I recommend using my sweetener conversion chart to make sure you are using the correct amount of sweetener.
Margie
0Can you use any unsweetened gelatin?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Margie, Yes, gelatin is included in this recipe.
Deborah
0This tastes great and turned out perfect. I doubled the recipe and only used about 2/3`s of the allulose because we prefer it less sweet. We use it over your keto almond flour pancakes.
Deborah
0Can I use frozen berries? would the ratio be the same?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Deborah, Yes the ratio would be the same.
Deborah
0I want to double and maybe triple the recipe. When I use the scale adjuster it still states 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup water no matter how many berries I use. Also the ounces of berries change but it still calls for 5 cups. And how do I determine how much gelatin? I am not sure if the scale converter works correctly.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Deborah, You can’t go by what is in the parentheses, those are notes for the original recipe. The measurements change when you increase the servings so you need to use those numbers if you want to double/triple the recipe.
Gladys
0Hi! It’s me again, Gladys??
Today, I became very brave and tried to prepare a breakfast jelly…without fruit!
My inspiration was turning CHINESE WHITE TEA into a jello dessert, yesterday. It was amazing. And that was born out of preparing bulletproof coffee and adding gelatine to that as a late night something, something. Coffee jello. I have been haunted by a childhood memory of my grandmother serving me her home made BLACKCURRANT jam on her very unique pancakes. It is the BLACKCURRANT flavour I miss and seek. Finally, something that tastes like the BLACKCURRANT I seek. A tea AHMED brand… pricey, but all the comments raved that the flavour is so good … the tea is worth every penny. I ordered a box of 20 bags. Yes, the tea is exquisite. It has taken me a few months to courageously ask for guidance from people like you! Your blackberry jam recipe nudged me to try today. To a coffee mug, I added 1/2 tbsp gelatine. I added 1/2 tsp NOW stevia powder…where 1/2 tsp stevia is = 1/2 cup sugar. I placed the fruity teabag in the cup and poured the boiling water over the bag. Stirred well and tasted a few drops of the hot tea. Plenty sweet as a cup of tea…but not for a spread for bread. So, I added another 1/4 tsp powdered stevia and stirred again. Plus 2 x 1/16 tsp BLACKCURRANT flavouring extract. And walked away for about 20 minutes. Returned and pulled out the teabag surrounded by thickening goo gel. And again tasted… delicious. And then placed the coffee mug in the fridge to really set. I just retrieved that mug. It smells divine. It tastes wonderful. It is set like Welch’s grape jelly. I love it…but being tough on myself, I think it could use 1/16 tsp more extract….so it really pops those taste buds on bread! And this is from a tea bag that includes added black tea. Let’s call it a caffeinated jelly. So, today, I ordered the WILD STRAWBERRY HERBAL TEA by AHMED and it is on its way from Amazon.ca. It is herbal, no tea added. I bet I can do the same and make a truly zero carb, no fruit jelly to enjoy on great PSMF keto bread, or toast. Now I wait for my new Amazon delivery. I am so proud of myself… did it and had to share!
Janet
0Gladys, how interesting! You’re very innovative. I have little food imagination and as such, I have no desire to experiment. Thanks for sharing your good results and detailed information about how to do it. I may be trying it. (For me, that’s close to a commitment.?)
Gladys
0Is there a way of preparing jelly for toast without fruit…. Just fruit extract flavouring!
But sweet and thick like Welch’s Grape Jelly.
And can I sweeten it with NOW stevia powder which dissolves completely.
Here in Canada,??Allulose is hard to find and over the top expensive.
I purchase NOW stevia powder by the pound and use it for most things.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Gladys, I’m not aware of a way to make this without fruit. Besti is available here, including in Canada — just select the Canadian flag at the top.
Marlene Westendorf
0I mistakenly made mint jelly with monk sugar before I knew it wouldn’t dissolve. Going to use the methods use here to see if I can fix my mess. Wish me luck.
Rachael
0This looks delicious! I love making conventational jams, jellies, and preserves and canning. Could this be frozen?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Rachael, This jelly can be frozen, just make sure the container is air-tight.
Jim Bishop
0I tried this and mine came out like Jello – in other words, it doesn’t spread. I feel like I am bound to have done something wrong. Should I maybe reduce the amount of gelatin? By the way, the flavor was great!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jim, Stir it with butter knife to help break up your jam. This should help you be able to spread it. Feel free to adjust the amount of gelatin if you prefer for the next batch.
Carolyn O
0The recipe looks great, but, I don’t have Besti Monk Fruit Allulose blend sweetener, what other sweetener will work in this recipe? Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carolyn, I don’t recommend other sweeteners here as they turn out gritty. You can get Besti here.
ReneMarie
0Carolyn, I used 100% granulated allulose and made sure it was completely dissolved before adding the gelatin. I was worried as well but it turned out delicious, no gritty texture for me. (Maybe it was the brand?)
Karen
0Can this allulose-sweetened jelly be processed/sealed like traditional jelly?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Karen, I have not tested this so I can’t recommend canning this recipe.
Lucretia Goodwin
0This blackberry jelly was absolutely amazing!!! Super simple recipe! Can’t wait to make it with other fruits as well!!
Heiderose Banks
0I will try this Jelly. Can you also do it with other Berries? will i use the same amount? Thank you very much
Wholesome Yum M
1Hi Heiderose, Yes, you can use other berries (or a mixture of berries) in your jam recipe!
Sandra
0I had no idea that there was a way to make keto jelly! I’ve got a whole new world now 🙂 P.S. Straining the seeds out is sooooo worth it. Thanks!
Paula
0Looks really yummty
Swathi
0Keto jelly is delicious!
Kim
0Hi can I use concord grapes in this recipe and after I seal in jars can I freeze this .Thanks in advance
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kim, Concord grapes are significantly higher in sugar than blackberries. Using grapes instead of blackberries would make the carbs too high to be a keto or low carb recipe. If carbs are not an issue, then the recipe would work using grapes. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the amount of gelatin needed if your yield is more than 2 cups of liquid. Enjoy!
Michele
0I had bariatric surgery and have been looking for something like this recipe forever. Thank you for sharing.
Mackenzie
0This jelly recipe is so delicious!