Ultra cozy and with all the warming spices, this keto mulled wine might just be the definition of holiday cheer. i.e. its Christmas spirit in a drink!
Keto Mulled Wine 🍷
A totally refined sugar free delight
Whether you call it glühwein, gløgg, vin chaud, or simply just mulled wine… one things for sure, if Christmas had a spirit drink this would surely be it.
And it’s definitely a personal favorite. Because to make a not-so-long story even shorter, it will always remind me of Christmas markets in Europe. And of my German best friend in college, who adored the holidays more than any person I’ve ever met… and ensured a flowing supply around this time of year (thank you Tini!).
Now, there are countless (countless!) of ways to prepare it so feel free to deviate form my standard recs. Say you can alter the spice ratios to taste, or even to throw in some cranberries (though you might want to add the greater amount of sweetener if you go down this route).
Whatever path you decide to go down, know that your Christmas spirit is sure to be replenished!
But (but!) is wine keto?
OK, so while its not nil carbs as hard liquors, a glass of red wine averages around 5g net carbs so it can definitely be squeezed into a keto diet. The important thing to remember here is that you most definitely don’t want to splurge in a bottle… nor pick one that is bone dry.
You actually want a little fruitiness here, which is why merlots or malbecs are generally the recommended choice. Or just ask at your local wine store!
My one (vip!) top tip
Ever had mulled wine that was horribly bitter? Yeah me too. It might surprise you, but said bitterness in fact comes not from the spices, but from the white part of the orange peel. You know, the part that comes after the rind.
So instead of quartering and boiling an orange as many recipes have you do, I’m going to *highly* incentivize you guys to spend a few more minutes and peel away the orange rind in strips (using either a pairing knife or peeler). After all, this is the part of the orange that actually has the essential oils and is going to give you all the good flavor, without any of the bitterness. #winning
Other than that I also like to squeeze the orange itself into the mulled wine and use that as my sole sweetener. But it does (obviously) add a bunch of extra carbs, so this is only a good option if you’re trying to avoid adding any refined sugars or sweeteners.
If keto you can just go ahead and add some good old sweetener (anything but pure monkfruit and stevia will work here). And if paleo go ahead and use some good old honey (my top choice for flavor), but maple syrup will be ace too.
Looking for more keto cozy boozy treats?! Be sure to check out my eggnog (a reader favorite!) and hot toddy (a personal favorite!).
(Refined Sugar Free!) Keto Mulled Wine
Ingredients
- 2 large oranges
- 1 bottle red wine such as merlot
- 1/4-1/2 cup allulose or sweetener of choice, to taste*
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 2 star anise
- 3 cardamom pods lightly crushed (optional)
- 1 cup brandy
Instructions
- Slice one orange and set aside for garnish. Using a peeler (or pairing knife), peel away the orange rind of the second orange, doing your very (very!) best to avoid the white peel (you know, the part that results in bitter mulled wine).
- Add the wine and spices to a non reactive pot (I used my dutch oven), and sweeten to taste. I find 1/4 cup more than enough, but know that traditional mulled wine uses about 1/2 cup. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the brandy at the *very* end (you want an alcoholic drink after all!). Pour into mugs or heat proof glasses, garnishing with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick (optional, but pretty).
- Turn on some holiday music, sit in front of your tree and enjoy all the cozy vibes!
can you please explain why you can’t use pure monk fruit or stevia to sweeten this recipe??
Cheryl I suppose technically you can if you want to, but I don’t think their sweet profile (particularly stevia’s) will pair too well with wine. Monk fruit would be your best choice if you’re avoiding the other sugar alcohols, but also consider the juice of the orange itself maybe? Xo!
Not keto! Wine and oranges are filled with carbs! Please relabel this as Paleo.
Dave Dave Dave… I made it very clear that if you add the juice of an orange you go into paleo territory. It’s a good option though for those that care more about ingesting highly processed ingredients, than a few carbs.
And wine? It’s considered keto widely across the internet. Plus, ketosis is a metabolic state not a list of foods 🕵🏻♂️
You’re absolutely right there, Paola.
I wonder if it would be possible to use orange essential oil, and not dealing with peeling an orange at all? That would get the essence of orange into the drink, with absolutely no risk of the white part getting in. Just a thought
I’m sure you can Darcy! But I should also say: don’t overthink it that much! I definitely had a few pieces here and there of white bits and it was fine. The issue is when you’re literally throwing in the whole thing 🙃
This actually explains a lot. Last year we made another keto recipe that not only had you boil the entire orange quartered, but also add the brandy at the very beginning. It was bitter to the point of undrinkable and non alcoholic. Brandy is expensive so what a waste it was. Thank you for taking care of details like this. Happy holidays Paola!
Sounds yummy. Suggestion put the whole cloves in the peeled orange skin
Ahhhh Debbie for the win! 🙌🏼