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Homemade Cranberry Sauce

This easy healthy cranberry sauce has been a Thanksgiving table tradition for years. Once you taste fresh cranberry sauce you will never buy the canned stuff again!

cranberry sauce in a white bowl


This healthy cranberry sauce is a traditional favorite every year at our Thanksgiving table.

Cranberries are so delicious and a baking favorite of mine during the holiday season.

From cranberry eggnog bread, to cranberry cream cheese muffins, cranberry blueberry crisp, cranberry orange muffins, cranberry apple crisp, to cranberry white chocolate chip cookies.

Fresh cranberries are tart, and add so much sweet tart delicious flavor to holiday treats!

Holidays just aren’t the same without delicious fresh cranberry recipes.

cranberries, salt, and maple syrup in bowls

Healthy Cranberry Sauce Ingredients

  • fresh cranberries
  • pure maple syrup: to make this sauce healthier we are using real maple syrup to sweeten in place of granulated sugar
  • salt: just a little bit to make all of the flavors pop

Tip for buying fresh cranberries

The cranberries should be bright red and firm to the touch. Try to avoid mushy darker colored cranberries, as this means they are starting to turn bad.

cranberry sauce ingredients in the sauce pan

How to make cranberry sauce

Step 1: add the fresh cranberries, maple syrup, and salt to a medium sized sauce pan.

bubbling cranberry sauce

Step 2: Heat the pan over medium high heat until the cranberry mixture starts to boil.

Step 3: Once the cranberries begin to boil, turn the heat to low and stir the cranberry sauce often for 10 – 15 minutes.

As the cranberries cook, they will start to soften and burst. Use the bottom of a spoon to mash the cranberries as you go.

healthy cranberry sauce in the sauce pan

Step 4: Once the cranberry sauce is finished cooking, transfer it to a covered container and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

This healthy cranberry sauce is perfectly thick, sweet and tangy. It really could not be any easier to make.

This is a great recipe to make the day before Thanksgiving and store in the fridge until it’s time for Thanksgiving dinner. I do this every year to save on time.

Now that I’ve made my own cranberry sauce, I can’t imagine Thanksgiving without it!

cranberry sauce in a white bowl

It’s one of my favorite parts of the holidays.

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cranberry sauce in a white bowl

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cranberry sauce in a white bowl

Healthy Cranberry Sauce

Yield: about 3 cups
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

This fresh healthy cranberry sauce is the perfect recipe for Thanksgiving. The best easy cranberry sauce.

Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cups fresh cranberries
  • ¾ cup maple syrup
  • Scant ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  1. Add fresh cranberries, pure maple syrup, and salt to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil
  2. After it boils, turn down to low and cook 10-15 minutes, until thick, stirring frequently and smashing the bubbling cranberries with a spoon. The cranberries will begin to burst the longer they boil.
  3. Refrigerate the cranberry sauce until cold and serve chilled
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 80Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 109mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 0g

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Sandy

Tuesday 5th of October 2021

Wondering how long this will last in the fridge? Dinner is Saturday and I'm doing prep work through the week.

Joy Shull

Thursday 7th of October 2021

I would think it would be fine to make it 2 days in advance.

Arlene

Wednesday 29th of September 2021

Is salt necessary? I am on a low sodium diet.

Jen

Wednesday 27th of November 2019

Easy recipe and tastes delicious!! Thank you!!

Joy Shull

Wednesday 27th of November 2019

So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Happy Thanksgiving!!

Alice

Wednesday 21st of November 2018

This recipe is super fast, easy and fun! I used 1/3 cup of maple syrup. Just right.

Joy Shull

Saturday 17th of November 2018

We love this recipe and make it every Thanksgiving!

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