Cranberries scream Thanksgiving and growing up I always loved a good cranberry sauce, but I know they are typically full of lots of added sugars. I wanted to make one that was healthier and great for the holidays and that’s how this cranberry sauce came to be! It is a sauce mixed with chopped apples, orange juice, some cinnamon, and lightly sweetened with maple syrup. It is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and refined sugar free.
This dish is really super easy to make. You will want to use either frozen or fresh cranberries and place them into a large saucepan along with the chopped apples, orange juice, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Leave the mixture on the stove for 15-20 minutes, until everything softens, then use a wooden spoon to puree. There are no fancy pieces of equipment needed to make this and if you are looking for the sauce to be a bit sweeter rather than a bit tart, you can add in an additional ¼ cup of maple syrup!
If you have extra sauce as leftovers, you can use it as the filling to my favorite breakfast oat bars or in a sandwich. I love how this sauce can be used as both a sweet or savory option!
Apple Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh cranberries (about 2 bags)
- 2 apples, chopped
- juice from 1 large orange
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel apples, remove the core and chop into cubes.
- Wash the cranberries and pat them dry. Remove any that seem rotten or crushed.
- Combine all of the ingredients into a saucepan over low heat.
- Simmer until everything softens, then use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to puree the mixture.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, let cool, and serve.
