15 Minute Cranberry Sauce

Posted in Dinner

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Back away from the canned stuff! An easy, super delicious, homemade cranberry sauce can be made in 15 minutes, and those whole cranberries have so many health benefits due to their potent antioxidants.

Yes, I made this 3 times in one month. Couldn’t get enough. I absolutely love how bright & beautiful whole cranberries are, and the immense power they have on the body. This sauce is just 5 ingredients & comes together in 15 minutes.

It’s sweetened with a perfect combination of raw honey & pure maple syrup…so it retains nourishing health benefits when used in small amounts! This is wonderful as a holiday sauce (of course), but also a spread for sandwiches, wraps, or to mix into a salad.

And it’s so easy. Just start with whole cranberries (fresh or frozen), and squeeze in some citrus juice (I love tangerine or clementine), then add in the zest of that citrus…

I use a combo of pure maple syrup and local honey for the perfect notes of sweet. This is a one-time-a-year sauce, so to me, it’s okay to use some natural sweeteners. A little of this delicious sauce goes a long way!

As the cranberries warm up, use the back of your fork to mash them against the side. They contain the perfect amount of pectin, so they thicken naturally on their own…

They will start to thicken quickly as they pop…and beautiful cranberry juice gets released in the to the sauce:

I love to add some cinnamon or a dash of cloves along with a splash of pure vanilla…

Isn’t it gorgeous?

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Thankfulness has the power to transform the heart into…

I would love to keep supplying you with great recipes and health tips on my social pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. I look forward to seeing you there!

Ingredients

1 bag fresh cranberries 
2 little tangerines/mandarins/clementines 
1/2 cup raw local honey 
1/2 cup pure maple syrup 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Preparation

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add cranberries and heat to medium-high. Add in the zest of the citrus, and squeeze in the juice of the citrus. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Cranberries will start to pop, and mash them to the side of the pan with a fork as they soften.
2. Pour in honey and maple syrup. Turn heat to medium and stir occasionally. Cook another 10 minutes, popping the cranberries by mashing them as they cook.
3. Turn heat off, stir in vanilla. If desired, add in two cinnamon sticks. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve warm and store in the refrigerator!

notes: 

  • ground cinnamon and a pinch of cloves may be added for another holiday flavor 
  • any orange citrus will work in this recipe if tangerines, mandarins or clementines are not available 
  • serve sauce on a charcuterie board, use sauce as a sandwich spread, or serve alongside any protein 
  • sauce may be served warmed or cooled – it is delicious either way! 

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 – 20

Serves: about 12
Serving size: 1/4 cup

Nutrition Facts: Calories 92.7, Total Fat 0.0 g, Saturated Fat 0.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 0.9 mg, Potassium 17.2 mg, Total Carbohydrate 24.6 g, Dietary Fiber 1.2 g, Sugars 22.8 g, Protein 0 g