These sweet and spicy low carb and Keto pickles have less than 1g net carb per serving.
"Smart moms know how kids minds grow upon... Sweet Pickles!"
I've had this jingle stuck in my head all morning as I worked on this recipe for sweet pickles (commercial below).
Sweet Pickles was this children's book subscription service in the 1980's.
The books chronicled a ragtag crew of over-sized animals. Each animal had a terrible character flaw. There was Jealous Jackal, Accusing Alligator, Yakety Yak and of course, their ringleader, Goof-off Goose. Every month their bad behavior got them into some kind of "pickle".
Hence the name.
Like so many things from my childhood, there are elements of Sweet Pickles that would never fly today. Enormous Elephant the over-eating pachyderm? Unlikely. And I don't even know what was going on with X-Rating Xerus (an actual character).
Nothing good.
But anyway, pickles.
Here's my recipe for sweet and spicy pickles. Not to be a Smarty Stork, but this might just be the best low carb pickle recipe on the Internet.
Sweet Pickles!
Low Carb Keto Sweet & Spicy Pickles
These sweet and spicy low carb pickles have less than 1g net carb per serving.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 64 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 6 cups sliced cucumbers (about 2 pounds)
- 1 cup sliced onion
- 1 cup sliced red and yellow bell peppers
- 1 ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 cup Swerve or equivalent granulated sweetener
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon mustard seed
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
1. Bring the vinegar, sweetener, and spices to a boil.
2. Pour the liquid over the onions and cucumbers in a resealable container.
3. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 slices
- Calories: 3
- Fat: <1
- Carbohydrates: <1
- Fiber: <1
- Protein: <1
Keywords: Low Carb Pickles, Keto Pickles, Paleo Pickles
If you liked this low carb pickle recipe, then you might like my recipe for pickled eggs.
Gina says
I made these today, did a taste test this evening, and love them!
I used a qt size Mason jar and was short on liquid, so I just topped it off with a little water.
They were great with a brisket sandwich. I've missed sweet pickles so thank you!
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Sure thing! Glad you like them.
Speedwell says
Hey folks, if you want a substitute sweetener for canning, use erythritol (a little more), xylitol, tagatose, or allulose. All of these sweeteners are great for canning, prevent microbial growth, and don't break down with heat. Do not water bath can with other sweeteners, *especially* aspartame. Don't reduce the proportion of vinegar. Can in pint jars for safety's sake.
It's a bit late for the person wanting relish, but I plan to use extra mustard seed and onion in this recipe and just give it a whiz in the food processor before canning in half pints (I don't think it would be safe water bath canned in larger jars).
Denise Freitas says
I used your recipe for some spicy sweet pickle slices to use up some of the abundance of fresh cucumbers from our 2021 garden. They are delicious. I canned 4 pints in a water bath. I added 1/8th tsp Pickle Crisp to each pint to ensure that they were not mushy. I used a combination of pure allulose and liquid sucralose drops. I used more red pepper flakes to make mine a bit spicier. I used minced dried onions because i didn't have any fresh onions. They remind me of my mother's bread & butter pickles. These will be made annually. Thanks for a great recipe
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Sure thing. These pickles are really big in my family.
CD says
How long will these last in refrigerator? and are they freezable?
EmilyKrill says
They'll last on the fridge for 2-3 months before starting to soften.
EmilyKrill says
And yes, they are freezable for up to a year.
Gary Sloan says
I have a recipe for a sweet pickle (I call a mustard pickle) and have used monk fruit sweetener and find them to be to vinegary what am I doing wrong? (according to the internet use 1/4 cup of monk compared to 1 cup of sugar). I have even added more monk but it doesn't seem to make a difference. This recipe doesn't call for the brine to be heated. Would heating help sweeten it?
EmilyKrill says
I can't really speak to somebody else's recipe. You should really try mine, it's delicious.
Kay says
Monk fruit/Erythritol blend is a 1:1 substitution.
Julie Scriver says
Love Love Love this SF pickle recipe! I made it last week, made my husband a salami bunwich with a Keto bun and put some of the pickles inside. He loved it! I confess, I canned them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes (for pint jars) on Friday and opened a jar up Sunday to use in his bunwich. They were perfect! I used Xylitol, a little less that a cup. I'll be making more of these while I can still get the small cucumbers.
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
So glad you guys liked the pickles! Thanks for letting me know.
Kay says
LOVE these pickles. The only downside is that I can’t stay out of them and I have to make them again 😊 I used Monkfruit/Erythritol blend as it is my ‘go-to’ sweetener. I used a little less than 1 cup, as I now prefer things less sweet, and they are just fantastic. I think next year I will add a bit more chili flakes and can a BUNCH to last the year. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Sure thing! Glad you like them.
Bernadette Schell says
Do you have a recipe for low carb sweet relish using stevia or keto approved sweetener? Want to make the kind that can be stored on shelves. TIA
EmilyKrill says
You know I haven't. I just did a quick search and found a very easy way to do it though. Hip2Keto takes pre-made dill relish and just adds stevia. https://hip2keto.com/recipes/easy-keto-relish-hacks-low-carb-recipes/
Tammie Sokoloff says
I do the same thing, take Bubbies kosher dill relish and add monk fruit drops until I get the right sweetness. It really works!!! I love your pickles too. Making a double batch this weekend.
Leslie says
If I water bath it will it last couple of months?
EmilyKrill says
Yes, they can like regular pickles.
Marie Smith says
I made this recipe too but sad thing is I ran out of the liquid too and added water to the jar hoping it will help the pickles but I’m concerned what size jars are u using because this recipe doesn’t produce enough for more than one quart jar
EmilyKrill says
When I make this recipe, I use a 2 quart rectangular plastic container and it works out perfectly. If you are short on liquid though, just double the liquid in the recipe.
Julie says
Be careful with how hot the vinegar solution is if using plastic. It warped my container when I poured in the hot vinegar, the same container I had used for the first batch without a problem. Had to repack into glass jars, reheat the liquid and pour over again.
Added some green grape tomatoes to this last batch and way more onions as they might be our favorite part. Waiting 4 days is hard!
★★★★★
Julie says
I also was way short on vinegar solution, even with leaving the cup of pepper slices out of the mix. Did two batches and had to pour additional cider vinegar on top to make sure veggies were covered.
I look forward to trying them and appreciate the recipe.
Lesley says
Just made these today and I didn’t have enough liquid to cover the pickles and veggies...wondering what I did wrong? Please advise as really need pickles!!,
EmilyKrill says
It sounds like the container you used is different than mine. Try doubling the liquid in the recipe. If you have leftover liquid, add more cucumbers to fill the container.
Aldana Spinozzi says
I don't get Swerve or equivalent keto granulated sweetener in my country, or they are super expensive, could I use Stevia instead?
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Honestly, I never use Stevia. I really, really, really don't like the taste. But it looks like it can be used for making sweet and spicy pickles. Here's a recipe that looks good: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/salad/other-salad/easy-sugar-free-sweet-and-spicy-pickles.html
Diane says
Can you water bath and seal containers?
EmilyKrill says
Sure. This pickle recipe is just like any non-diet pickle recipe.
Adrienne says
Great pickle recipe! My husband and son loves, loves, loves the added heat! I doubled the recipe and we're almost out. Going to make another batch this weekend.
Thanks for posting!
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Yay! Glad they were a hit. I usually have a batch of these in the back of the fridge. It's so nice to have a zero carb snack available whenever you want it.
Sandy Clark says
Wow, these are so easy to make, and are crispy, sweet and a bit spicy. They make a great side to almost anything, or a low cal, sweet snack.
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Thanks! I like a firm pickle too.
Ann says
I’m so glad I found your blog we started on Father’s Day and Keto is working well but you showed pickles I need in a tuna salad recipe so of course I looked at a lot of your stuff and I’ll be using it! Thank you soooo much
EmilyKrill says
Great! Welcome to Keto.
Abby says
How long can you store these before they go bad?
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
You can store these pickles in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Ryan says
I remember Sweet Pickles. I remember really wanting to see the bus pull up to deliver the books, but sadly, it never did.
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Me too. The always just came in the mail. So sad.