Healthy Cranberry Sauce Recipe

4.91 from 10 votes

Healthy Cranberry Sauce Recipe

This healthy cranberry sauce recipe is made in 15 minutes with 7 ingredients (no refined sugar)! Using apple cider and orange juice gives it a rich & spicy yet bright and citrusy flavor. It's even best when made ahead of time! Gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free & paleo-friendly!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Cooling time5

Total Time15

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: Servings

Author: Laura

Cost: $4

Equipment

Ingredients

12 ounces fresh cranberries (rinsed)
¼ cup orange juice
¾ cup apple cider (or unsweetened apple juice)
½ cup honey (or pure maple syrup)
¼ cup coconut sugar
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch fine sea salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium sauce-pan, whisk together orange juice, apple cider, maple syrup, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Once boiling, add the cranberries to the saucepan and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Simmer the mixture uncovered for 10 - 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries begin to pop and burst open.
Once most of the berries have popped/burst, use a potato masher, to gently mash the cranberries to thicken the mixture. The more you mash, the less chunky the sauce will be---your choice! (if you like very smooth cranberry sauce, blend the mixture in your Vitamix until smooth).
Simmer for another 3 minutes and then turn off heat but leave the pot uncovered on top of the burner to cool and thicken for 20-30 minutes.
Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions

Apple Cider: Unsweetened apple juice can be used to ensure there is no added sugar and that the recipe is paleo. I suggest adding a pinch of a few other spices if you opt not to use apple cider (nutmeg, cloves, etc). This will compensate for the absence of spices in regular apple juice.
Orange Juice. You can make the recipe as written or tweak the amounts of apple cider and orange juice to your liking. You can even omit the orange juice all together and just use apple cider! However, I love the bright, citrusy flavor it imparts in this recipe! Another option is to omit the apple cider and use 1 cup of orange juice. However you may need to increase the maple syrup or coconut sugar to reach your desired sweetness.
Maple Syrup. Honey can be used in place of maple syrup.
Coconut Sugar. Any granulated sugar works well in this recipe! If not coconut sugar, I recommend organic cane sugar.

To Prepare in Advance

You can make this recipe up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. I always make it at least 1 day before Thanksgiving because I like to give the flavors time to blend overnight.

Store/Freeze

Store this healthy cranberry sauce in an airtight container (preferably a glass container with a lid) in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Nutrition