Cranberry sauce adds a pop of color and tangy zing to any Thanksgiving spread. With so many savory and hearty flavors on the table, this old-school side adds balance to your plate. Unfortunately, cranberries are naturally pretty sour on their own, and the familiar sweetness you taste in most recipes usually comes from more sugar than a can of soda.
If you’re going to indulge in sweets, save it for dessert. This no sugar added cranberry sauce recipe is sweetened with applesauce. You can use maple syrup, honey, or your favorite natural sweetener if you want to tone down the natural tartness. A fresh, homemade no added sugar cranberry sauce is the perfect side dish to your turkey and green bean casserole for the holiday feast.
No sugar-added cranberry sauce is easy to make, and will likely be the quickest recipe you’ll make for your whole Thanksgiving celebration. Here’s how to make a whole berry cranberry sauce from scratch, right at home.
Place the cranberries and water in a pot and heat over medium heat.
Mix in the applesauce, orange juice, honey, and orange zest.
When the pot comes to a boil, reduce it to a simmer and stir in the ground cloves and ginger and the cinnamon.
Allow the sauce to simmer for around 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches the consistency of your liking. Taste the sauce occasionally and adjust the sweetener to taste.
Serve this cranberry sauce alongside your favorite meat or holiday meal. It’s also delicious as a lower sugar sweet option when paired with a bit of coconut cream, dark chocolate or fresh whipped cream.
Tips:
– If the cranberry sauce is too tart for you as written, feel free to add additional honey. You could also use maple syrup.
– Depending on the strength of your stove top burner and the size of your cranberries, you may need a little more or less time for the sauce to finish cooking.
No sugar added cranberry sauce is easy to make, and will likely be the quickest recipe you’ll make for your whole Thanksgiving celebration. Here’s how to make a whole berry cranberry sauce from scratch, right at home.
Ingredients
Scale
18 oz. fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1/2 cup applesauce
3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice
2 Tbsp. honey
Zest from ½ orange
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
Instructions
Place the cranberries and water in a pot and heat over medium heat.
Mix in the applesauce, orange juice, honey, and orange zest.
When the pot comes to a boil, reduce it to a simmer and stir in the ground cloves and ginger and cinnamon.
Allow the sauce to simmer for around 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches the consistency of your liking. Taste the sauce occasionally and adjust the sweetener to taste.
Serve this cranberry sauce alongside your favorite meat or holiday meal. It’s also delicious as a lower sugar sweet option when paired with a bit of coconut cream, dark chocolate or fresh whipped cream.
Notes
If the cranberry sauce is too tart for you as written, feel free to add additional honey. You could also use maple syrup.
Depending on the strength of your stove top burner and the size of your cranberries, you may need a little more or less time for the sauce to finish cooking.
A food blogger, recipe developer, and personal chef based in Missouri, Priscilla specializes in low-carb, Paleo, gluten-free, keto, vegetarian, and low FODMAP cooking. See what she’s cooking on Priscilla Cooks, and follow her food adventures on Instagram and Pinterest.
Allow the sauce to simmer for around 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches the consistency of your liking. Taste the sauce occasionally and adjust the sweetener to taste.
