Low Carb Sangria

This refreshing, fruity low carb sangria is just what you’re looking for at the end of a hot summer day. It’s perfect for parties, celebrations or ‘just because’.

This low carb sangria takes less than twenty minutes to make from start to finish. All the while you’re anticipating the rich, fruity goodness you’ll get to enjoy over ice. Sangria is truly a celebration in your mouth. I can’t wait for you to try it.

I got the idea to create a low-carb sangria a few years ago. We were getting ready for a get-together with friends when they asked if I could figure out how to make low-carb sangria. We all wanted a special treat for the hot summer days that would allow us to stick to our Keto Diet.

I tried a few times and wasn’t blown away with my results. My friend tried a few online recipes and we both felt it just wasn’t right.

Inspiration for Low Carb Sangria...

Enter new inspiration… In our recent travels, we had cocktails at a hotel in Canada and they had unique tea-infused cocktails. I had taken a picture of the menu and referred back to that...thinking about using a fruit tea instead of real fruit to create a fruity tea-infused sangria.

If this idea worked, there would be a lot of flavor options available!

First, I ordered a few different strong fruit teas online. I settled on Tealyra - Grandma's Garden Berry for my first attempt at a low carb sangria. Opening the package, my senses were comforted by the warm, berry smell floating up from the tea leaves. Excitedly, I brewed a heaping tablespoon in 2 cups boiling water for 7 minutes.

I then mixed in a quarter cup of BochaSweet (my favorite sugar substitute) and then muddled in a sliced lime. Finally, I poured in a bottle of Merlot that I knew we liked. I then put it in the refrigerator to chill until we could enjoy it out on the deck that same evening. I was excited to surprise my husband with a treat when he got home from work.

Evening came and I pulled out the low-carb sangria. My husband’s eyes lit up. I added ice cubes to a few wine glasses and poured the sangria on top. The aroma of berries and summer wafted up to tickle our taste buds as we made ourselves comfortable on the deck.

One sip and we were hooked, it turns out using fruit tea is the perfect way to infuse sangria without all the sugar from fruit and fruit juices.

This low-carb sangria is meant to be enjoyed occasionally as alcohol itself does have calories and even dry red wine packs a carb punch. When we indulge we always pair it with fat in an attempt to balance out our macros. We notice that this will not throw us out of ketosis if we’re already there.

What Wine Should I Choose?

There are a lot of wines out there with added sugar. We find that the best low-sugar wines actually come from overseas.

If you want a truly sugar-free wine that’s been tested, we recommend you indulge in Dry Farm Wines. The prices are a little higher than what we would usually spend on wine, but the peace-of-mind of knowing what’s in the bottle is well worth it.

I also notice that my feet swell and ache when I drink wine...except when it’s Dry Farm Wines. This made me think that maybe I need to start ordering only overseas wine in restaurants. I tried that on a recent trip and found that the dry wine I ordered (red or white) that weren’t made in the U.S.A. didn’t cause my feet to swell.

Has anyone else had this experience? It’s something that I’ve noticed over the past few years and have been curious about what's going on. A fellow ketonian said she has the same problem and as long as she drinks Dry Farm Wines she’s fine. Comment and let me know if you’ve had this same experience!

Sweetness Preference

Some people want their low-carb Sangria even sweeter than I’ve made it here. There are a few options that I would recommend. First, simply add more BochaSweet! Another idea is to brew the tea with some dried whole-leaf stevia so that it’s quite sweet to begin with. 

We’ve actually been growing real stevia in our AeroGarden and then drying it and steeping it along with various teas we make and enjoy. We use just a pinch of dried stevia in our loose leaf tea when we brew it and we find this is the perfect sweetness.

Finally, you can just add a few drops of liquid stevia directly to your cup or a few more to the whole pitcher.

Adjust the sweetness to your tastes and enjoy.

If you are curious about different sugar substitutes and why I use BochaSweet or Stevia in my daily life...check out my Sugar Substitute Guide here.

What Tea Should I Use?

A few of my favorite teas to make low carb sangria are:

• Fruity & Herbal Tea by Tealyra
• Grandma’s Garden by Tealyra
• Raspberry Zinger Tea by Celestial Seasonings

My tip is to pick a flavor of tea that will complement the flavors of your wine. So, if you’ve already got your wine -- read the label or google the wine to find out what the flavor profile is. Then, choose your tea based on this profile.

If you already have a tea, choose a dry wine that will complement it. If you have a raspberry tea then find a wine with a raspberry flavor profile.

This helps to ensure your flavors don’t clash and will give you great results!

Optional Add-Ins

There’s a few things you can do to jazz up the flavor of this low carb sangria. My favorite flavor enhancer is to add a teaspoon of real vanilla extract to the recipe. This helps the fruit flavors really meld together and adds a gentle vanilla finish at the end of each sip.

If you’re a fan of strong sangria, you can add a quarter to a half cup of no added sugar Brandy or dry vermouth.

Another fantastic idea is to add a quarter teaspoon of orange extract to the recipe if you’re a fan of sangria made with orange juice.

Cinnamon sticks can also be added when you mix up your low carb sangria. I like how cinnamon imparts a little heat to the mix.

What Flavor Combinations Did You Come Up With?

Did you make this low-carb sangria and make it your own and absolutely love it?? Comment below and share your unique recipe with us all. I believe this is a sangria recipe that is very flexible. We can use different fruity teas and wines to make limitless flavor combinations. So, share your favorites with us and other readers in the comments below.

Ingredients for Low Carb Sangria

Here's a few things you'll need for your low carb sangria….

• dry red wine
• fruit tea
• lime (optional)
• BochaSweet (my favorite superfood sugar alternative)

Tutorial Video: Low Carb Sangria

Check out my YouTube channel “Tara's Keto Kitchen”! 

I share new videos and recipes every week. Subscribe so you're notified by YouTube when the recipes post.

📖 Recipe

This low carb sangria is best enjoyed in moderation. We always pair any alcoholic drink with fat to balance out our ratios. To avoid added sugars hidden in wines, we strongly recommend doing your research... or for those of us who lack the time for this... investing in a company such as Dry Farm Wines who will do the research for you and send you wine!

Other Keto Recipes

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•