For many people, cranberries are only eaten at Thanksgiving dinner, or perhaps in a juice that happens to have cranberries as an ingredient. Craisins are an excellent way to add this healthy fruit to your diet. Made by Ocean Spray, a company that knows its cranberries, Craisins are a quick, delicious snack. But for those following a gluten-free lifestyle, are craisins considered gluten-free?
Yes, all varieties of plain or flavored Craisins are gluten-free. They’re low fat, and except for the 50% Less Sugar variety, have quite a bit of sugar. It’s important to note that Craisins trail mix is not gluten-free. The best gluten-free and healthier alternatives to Craisins include Navitas Organic Goji Berries and Patience Fruit & Co Organic Dried Wild Blueberries.
Let’s look at where cranberries come from, what you can use them for, and why you should eat them. Then we’ll talk about Craisins and some delicious alternatives – other dried cranberries, goji berries, and dried blueberries. Let’s dig in!
Contents
- Ocean Spray
- Cranberry Harvest
- Are Cranberries Healthy?
- Craisins Nutritional Information by Product
- Alternatives to Craisins
- Patience Organic Dried Apple Juice Sweetened Cranberries
- Decas Farms Organic Premium Dried Cranberries
- Mariani Dried Cranberries
- Cherry Bay Orchards, Unsweetened Low Moisture Dried Cranberries
- MiNU Organic Premium Dried Cranberries
- Patience Fruit & Co Organic Dried Wild Blueberries
- Navitas Organic Goji Berries
- Roots Circle USDA Organic Dried Goji Berries
- MiNU Organic Thompson Raisins
- Sun-Maid Organic Raisins
- Related Questions
Ocean Spray
Back in 1930, three cranberry growers joined forces to form a cooperative called Ocean Spray. Today, that cooperative is comprised of more than 700 growers in the United States, Canada, and Chile. Ocean Spray’s first product was jellied cranberry sauce and then cranberry juice drinks. As the cooperative grew, more products were created. The farmer-owners that comprise Ocean Spray get all of the profits from these innovative products.
Craisins hit the market in 1995 to compete with raisins. In 1996, they were added to Post Cranberry Almond Crunch Cereal. In July 1998, Ocean Spray acquired an international food technology research company that held the patent for technologies used to create Craisins. This proved to be a wise investment as Craisins proved to be very popular.
Cranberry Harvest
When you think of cranberries, you see a big water area known as a bog, with beautiful red berries floating on them. One might think the cranberries grow in the water, but this is not the case. They thrive on a vine in the soft, marshy ground with acid peat soil. When harvest time comes each fall, cranberries are ready to be harvested, which can happen in one of two ways.
In dry harvesting, the farmer goes over the vines with a small machine that looks like a lawnmower that plucks them off the vine. These are sent to the packaging plant and are sold as whole cranberries.
In wet harvesting, the field of cranberry vines is flooded with up to 18 inches of water. The next day, the growers use water reels to churn the water and shake the cranberries off the vine. When the berries float to the surface, they are corralled in nets, loaded into trucks, and sent to the factory. There, they are made into juices, jams, and, of course, craisins. 90-95% of cranberries are harvested by wet picking.
Are Cranberries Healthy?
Cranberries are incredibly healthy. They are 87% water and 12% carbohydrates. They are low in calories, provide vitamin C, dietary fiber, and dozens of vitamins and minerals.
Nutritional Information
Nutrients in plain raw cranberries (1 cup):
- 46 Calories
- 12g Carbohydrates (4g Sugar, 4g Dietary Fiber)
- 0g Fat
- 1g Protein
- 2mg Sodium
Vitamins
One cup of raw cranberries has tons of vitamins and nutrients. Dried cranberries lose most of these vitamins.
- 25% RDI Vitamin C
- 9% RDI Vitamin A
- 6% RDI Vitamin K
- 2% RDI Potassium
- 1% RDI Calcium
- 1% RDI Iron
- 8% RDI Vitamin E
- 16% RDI Manganese
- 7% RDI Copper
- 8% RDI B-complex Vitamins
Health Benefits
Cranberries may have these benefits to your body:
- Help with urinary tract health
- Help with gut health
- Improve eyesight
- Lower blood pressure
- Improve cardiovascular health
- Protect against liver disease
- Contain multiple antioxidants: Quercetin, Myricetin, Peonidin, Ursolic Acid, A-type Proanthocyanidins
Craisins Nutritional Information by Product
Craisins are dried, so they lose a lot of their vitamin content. Craisins also add sugar to the mix, which makes them suitable for quick energy. Sticking to the serving size, they are a reasonably healthy snack. Just don’t eat them every day and don’t eat the whole bag!
These dried cranberry products have no artificial colors or preservatives, are gluten-free and peanut-free.
Varieties:
- Original
- Blueberry Juice Infused
- Cherry Juice Infused
- Pomegranate Juice Infused
- Whole & Juicy
- 50% Less Sugar
Craisins Original Dried Cranberries
Ingredients:
- Cranberries
- Sugar
Nutrition Facts (per ¼ cup):
- 130 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Sodium
- 33g Carbohydrates (3g Dietary Fiber, 29g Sugars)
- 0g Protein
Craisins Dried Cranberries – Pomegranate Juice Infused
No Artificial Flavors or Preservatives, non-GMO, Gluten-Free.
Ingredients:
- Sugar
- Cranberries
- Pomegranate Juice Concentrate
- Natural Flavor
Nutrition Facts (per ¼ cup):
- 130 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Sodium
- 33g Carbohydrates (3g Dietary Fiber, 29g Sugars)
- 0g Protein
Craisins Whole & Juicy Dried Cranberries
No Artificial Flavors or Preservatives, non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Good Source of Fiber.
Ingredients:
- Cranberries
- Cane Sugar
Nutrition Facts (per ¼ cup):
- 130 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Sodium
- 33g Carbohydrates (3g Dietary Fiber, 29g Sugars)
- 0g Protein
Craisins 50% Less Sugar Dried Cranberries
No Artificial Colors or Preservatives, 50% Less Sugar than Original Flavor, Excellent Source of Fiber, Gluten-Free.
Ingredients:
- Cranberries
- Soluble Corn Fiber
- Sugar
- Glycerin
- Sucralose
- Refined Sunflower Oil is used as a processing aid
Nutrition Facts (per ¼ cup):
- 100 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Sodium
- 33g Carbohydrates (10g Dietary Fiber, 12g Sugars)
- 0g Protein
Craisins Fruit & Nut Trail Mix
This is not gluten-free. It contains peanuts, cashew, and coconut. It may contain milk, egg, soybean, wheat, and other tree nuts.
Ingredients:
- Dried Cranberries
- Cranberries
- Sugar
- Glycerin
- Sunflower Oil
- Honey Roasted Peanuts
- Peanuts
- Sugar
- Honey
- Vegetable Oil (Peanut, Cottonseed, Soybean, and/or Sunflower)
- Salt
- Modified Potato Starch
- Maltodextrin
- Xanthan Gum
- Dried Papaya
- Papaya
- Sugar
- Sodium Metabisulfite
- Yellow #6
- Roasted Cashews
- Cashews
- Vegetable Oil (Peanut, Cottonseed, Soybean, and/or Sunflower)
- Salt
- Dried Banana Chips
- Banana
- Coconut Oil
- Sugar
- Natural Flavor
- Dried Pineapple
- Pineapple
- Sugar
- Citric Acid
- Sulfur Dioxide
- Dried Coconut
- Unsweetened Coconut
- Sodium Metabisulfite
Alternatives to Craisins
Patience Organic Dried Apple Juice Sweetened Cranberries
Gluten-free, Kosher, Low-fat, Low-sodium, Vegan, and Organic. It contains 150mg of Polyphenols per serving!
Ingredients:
- Organic Cranberries
- Organic Apple Juice Concentrate
- Organic Sunflower Oil (Less than 1%)
Nutrition Facts (per 1/3 cup):
- 120 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Cholesterol
- 10mg Sodium
- 30g Carbohydrates (2g Dietary Fiber, 26g Sugar)
Decas Farms Organic Premium Dried Cranberries
Gluten-free, Organic, No Artificial Colors or Preservatives, Antioxidant-Rich
Ingredients:
- Certified Organic Cranberries
- Certified Organic Cane Juice
- Certified Organic Sunflower Oil
Nutrition Facts (per 1/3 cup):
- 140 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Cholesterol
- 0mg Sodium
- 34g Carbohydrates (2g Dietary Fiber, 28g Sugar)
- 0g Protein
- 10mg Calcium
- 20mg Potassium
Mariani Dried Cranberries
Gluten-free, Vegan, Kosher, and Halal Certified.
Ingredients:
- Cranberries
- Sugar
- Sunflower Oil
Nutrition Facts (per 1/3 cup):
- 140 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Cholesterol
- 0mg Sodium
- 33g Carbohydrates (2g Dietary Fiber, 28g Sugar)
Cherry Bay Orchards, Unsweetened Low Moisture Dried Cranberries
No Added Sugar, All Natural Ingredients, Gluten-free, non-GMO.
Ingredients:
- Cranberries
Nutrition Facts (per 1/2 cup):
- 70 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Cholesterol
- 0mg Sodium
- 20g Carbohydrates (7g Dietary Fiber, 6g Sugar)
- 1g Protein
MiNU Organic Premium Dried Cranberries
No Added Sugar, All Natural Ingredients, Gluten-free, non-GMO.
Ingredients:
- Organic Cranberries
Nutrition Facts (per 1/2 cup):
- 70 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Cholesterol
- 0mg Sodium
- 20g Carbohydrates (7g Dietary Fiber, 6g Sugar)
- 1g Protein
Patience Fruit & Co Organic Dried Wild Blueberries
Since cranberries are closely related to blueberries, this is a great alternative as well. These are gluten-free, kosher, vegan, and organic.
Ingredients:
- Wild Blueberries
- Apple Juice Concentrate
- Sunflower Oil
Nutrition Facts (per ¼ cup):
- 140 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Cholesterol
- 10mg Sodium
- 34g Carbohydrates (3g Dietary Fiber, 23g Sugars)
- 1g Protein
- 266mg Potassium
- 1mg Iron
- 19mg Calcium
Goji berries are a superfood filled with tons of vitamins and antioxidants. These are gluten-free, low-fat, paleo-friendly, and vegan.
Ingredients:
- Certified Organic Goji Berries (Lycium Barbarum)
Nutrition Facts (per 3 Tbsp):
- 110 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Cholesterol
- 160mg Sodium
- 23g Carbohydrates (4g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugar)
- 4g Protein
- 23mg Calcium
- 3mg Iron
- 330mg Potassium
- 1282mcg Vitamin A
Roots Circle USDA Organic Dried Goji Berries
Produced in a nut, dairy, and egg-free facility. They do not mention gluten-free so there may be cross-contamination. They are organic, all-natural, vegan-safe, non-GMO, and Kosher.
Ingredients:
- 100% Raw Dried Organic Goji Berries
Nutrition Facts (per 1 oz):
- 90 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Cholesterol
- 100mg Sodium
- 18g Carbohydrates (3g Dietary Fiber, 7g Sugars)
- 4g Protein
- 52mg Calcium
- 1.8mg Iron
- 376mg Potassium
MiNU Organic Thompson Raisins
This company is mentioned above with dried cranberries, but they also have gluten-free dried raisins. Raisins are definitely a common alternative. These are also paleo-friendly, contain no sulfur, no added sugar, no preservatives, are non-GMO, and are 100% Organic.
Ingredients:
- Organic Raisins
Nutrition Facts (per 1 oz.):
- 70 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Cholesterol
- 0mg Sodium
- 18g Carbohydrates (2g fiber, 11g Sugars)
- 1g Protein
Sun-Maid Organic Raisins
These have no sugar added, are non-GMO, naturally gluten-free, and vegan.
Ingredients:
- California Organic Raisins
Nutrition Facts (per 1/4 cup):
- 120 Calories
- 0g Fat
- 0mg Cholesterol
- 10mg Sodium
- 31g Carbohydrates (2g Dietary Fiber, 29g Sugars)
- 1g Protein
- 20mg Calcium
- 1mg Iron
- 310mg Potassium
Related Questions
Are Craisins Keto-Friendly?
No, craisins are high in carbohydrates. Per serving, net carbs are 30g. That is pretty much all the carbs recommended on a keto diet for a full day. Craisins also contain sugar and juice concentrate, which spike your blood sugar. Finally, sunflower oil may cause inflammation.
Which is Healthier – Raisins or Dried Cranberries?
Raisins have slightly fewer calories, more protein, slightly less sugar, the same amount of carbs, less fiber, more sodium, more Calcium, more iron, more magnesium, a lot more potassium, and more folate. On nutrients alone, raisins win. There is room in a healthy diet for both in moderation.