Quick and easy, healthy cranberry sauce has all of the festive cranberry flavor without the sugar! It comes together in minutes and is perfect for holiday meal prep or enjoying immediately.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- 🍽️ Flavor: Sweet and tart cranberries with a hint of maple
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 2 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 13 minutes
- 🕒 Ready In: 15 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6 people (1 1/2 cups)
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Cranberries and maple syrup
- 📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, refined sugar-free
- ❄️ Freezer Friendly: Yes
- 👩🍳 Tip: The maple syrup adds just the right touch of sweetness and rich flavor to perfectly balance the tart cranberries. No additional sugar or flavorings required!
My Family’s Favorite Cranberry Sauce (Made Healthy)
Homemade cranberry sauce is a staple for any holiday meal, right up there with my grandma’s Amish turkey and my mom’s healthy sweet potato casserole. If I’m invited to a celebration, it’ll be the first thing I volunteer to bring, just to make sure it’s there.
Even once we cut out most sugar from our clean diet, cranberry sauce was one of the few things I kept making with my old recipe, just because I didn’t want to do without it. But, after a few years of testing, I finally created this healthy cranberry sauce that tastes even better than the original!
What Makes this Cranberry Sauce Special?
- Easiest holiday dish you can make taking only 15 minutes from start to finish.
- Classic flavor without the sugar but no one will ever guess!
- Only uses 3 simple ingredients making it perfect for last-minute cooking.
Ingredients
Tools Needed
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: First, add the cranberries, water, and maple syrup to a small saucepan and stir to combine.
Step 2: Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer while stirring frequently. Turn down the heat slightly and let the mixture continue to simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Chef’s tip: Cranberry sauce thickens as it cools, so don’t worry if it still looks a little runny after cooking. As long as at least half of the cranberries have popped, it’s done.
Step 3: Pour the cranberry sauce into a glass dish (preferably what you plan to serve it in) and chill in the fridge or serve immediately.
If you’re looking for more cranberry recipes, check out my cranberry chutney and fermented cranberries!
Flavor Customization Ideas
Classic cranberry sauce is my favorite but if you’re looking for something new, there are so many ingredients you can add to spice it up!
- Orange or lemon zest
- Vanilla extract
- Warm spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves
- Chopped jalapeño peppers
- Fresh or crystalized ginger (like in my cranberry compote recipe)
- Splash of red wine
- Splash of balsamic vinegar
- Raspberries
For even more flavor, you can cook the cranberry sauce in fruit juice such as apple, orange, or pear juice instead of water.
Tips for Success
Pick out damaged cranberries – Before cooking the sauce, discard any cranberries that are wrinkled, shriveled, or discolored. These can give the sauce an “off” flavor.
Don’t overcook the sauce – The sauce continues to thicken significantly as it cools, so don’t wait until it’s fully thickened to remove it from the heat.
Make in advance – Cranberry sauce is delicious right away, but the flavor is even better after it’s had a chance to chill in the fridge overnight. It keeps extremely well, so I often make it up to a week in advance to avoid last-minute meal stress.
FAQs
You can store homemade cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 12-14 days. However, for maximum freshness, I prefer to serve it within a week.
Yes, you can freeze cranberry sauce in an airtight container or plastic freezer bag for 2-3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw in the fridge.
There are various recipes that use leftover cranberry sauce such as cranberry oat bars. You can also use it as a topping for foods like pumpkin pancakes and plain homemade yogurt.
Violet’s Tips for Serving
Cranberry sauce is a classic Thanksgiving and Christmas side, but there are so many other ways to enjoy it! It makes a festive sandwich topping, addition to charcuterie board, or even a homemade ice cream topping!
If you try this recipe, let me know in the comments! Tag me on Instagram @violet_rightathome
Healthy Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups (12 ounces) cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Place the cranberries, water, and maple syrup in a small saucepan and stir to combine.3 cups (12 ounces) cranberries, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup water
- Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently.
- Lower the heat slightly and let the mixture continue to simmer for 10-12 minutes (or until at least half the berries have popped), stirring occasionally.
- Pour the cranberry sauce into a glass dish (preferably what you plan to serve it in), and let it cool. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Enjoy immediately or, the best flavor, chill overnight (or up to a week) before serving.
Notes
Store
- Cranberry sauce keeps in the fridge for 12-14 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.
Variations
- You can stir in any additional flavorings while it’s cooking including: orange or lemon zest, vanilla extract, warm spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves, chopped jalapeño peppers, ginger, splash of red wine, splash of balsamic vinegar, or raspberries
- To add more fruit flavor, replace half of the water with fruit juice such as orange, apple, or pear juice.
Nutrition
If you tried refined sugar-free cranberry sauce, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Please make sure to come back and leave a comment and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating.
I love this recipe, and I know you will too. Leave a comment if you have any questions about making it!