Naturally sweetened cranberry sauce is the perfect addition to your holiday table. All you need is 6 ingredients and 1 pan! This is by far the best and easiest cranberry sauce EVER! (I might be biased, but F**K I could eat this stuff with a spoon)
When you are picking out cranberries in the grocery store, give the bag a good once-over. Check to make sure the berries are not soft or mushy and accumulating excessย moisture. A bag will last up to a month in the refrigerator and a year in the freezer.
Once you’ve looked over the bag take a closer look at the berries themselves. The color of the berries will determine how much liquid they will give off. ย The higher pectin levels are in the lighter berries which will help to thicken your sauce easier.
Since cranberries are harvested in the fall it coincides with the cranberry sauce enjoyed at holiday dinner tables everywhere.ย Fall, or Thanksgiving, in particular, is the time you’ll find cranberry sauce served the most. By many, it is considered the “relish” on the table accompanying the turkey.ย Whether you eat turkeyย or not, cranberry sauce is a side dish you won’t want toย pass up.
Only 6 ingredients for this amazingly easy and delicious cranberry sauce! In the picture above I includedย a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, I didn’t use it, but you might like the added flavor.
My daughter, Clare, makes the cranberry sauce for our holiday dinners. Clare’s old recipe used 1 cup of sugar, which we thought was too much. Clare and I developed a new recipe using less sugar and more natural ingredients. It turned out better than ever. Clare liked the addition of vanilla, I liked the batch without, it’s up to you.
This recipe will be the easiest dish you make thisย holiday. Throw everything into a saucepan, boil, reduce, chill, and serve. Top it with fresh orange zest and enjoy!
Cranberry sauceย is a long-standingย holiday tradition.ย Is the red colorย reminiscent of Santa’s suitย or the beautiful red poinsettias?ย Whatever it is,ย cranberry sauceย reminds me ofย lovingย timesย spent with family and friends.
Serve this delicious sauce with your millet muffins, gluten-free stuffing, mashed potatoes, mashed rutabaga, and much more.
Happy Holidays!
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce bag of cranberries
- 1/4 cup maple syrup 100%
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 cup oranges peeled and chopped coarsely
- 1/2 cup water
Topping
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
- Rinse cranberries, discarding any mushy or rotted ones.
- In a medium saucepan, on medium to high heat, combine cranberries, maple syrup, orange juice, oranges, and water.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Turn down heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until berries are split and tender.
- Serve it any way you like. Chilled for 2-3 hours, overnight, or serve at room temperature.
Mashed Rutabaga