• Condiments | Side Dishes
  • Maple Orange Cranberry Sauce

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    This healthy homemade maple orange cranberry sauce is made with no artificial sugar and takes minutes to make! Made with just 3 ingredients, this sauce is sweet and tangy and perfect for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

    homemade cranberry sauce in a clay bowl

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    This week, I am sharing with you this incredibly easy orange cranberry sauce recipe. A lot of people usually use sugar to balance out the tart taste of the cranberries. I made it Paleo by using maple syrup.

    This cranberry sauce tastes incredible and it’s healthy too! It’s quick to make and you only need 3 ingredients. This is a great addition to your festive Thanksgiving table.

    Serve this up with your other favorite Thanksgiving sides like Garlic Roasted Potatoes and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.

    Why you will love this paleo cranberry sauce!

    • Make ahead: You can save some time during the Thanksgiving week by preparing this ahead of time, and refrigerating it or freezing it.
    • No added sugar: This sugar-free cranberry sauce is sweetened with maple syrup so it’s a great healthy alternative as well as being vegan friendly.
    • Quick: It only takes about 15 minutes to make a batch of this sweet and tangy sauce.
    close up shot of orange cranberry sauce with orange peel swirls

    Ingredients for Fresh Cranberry Sauce

    • Orange: We use both the zest and the juice of an orange for a bright and fresh flavor.
    • Cranberries: Cranberries are high in antioxidants and vitamin C. It’s a healthy addition to your table that everyone will love!
    • Maple syrup: To naturally sweeten the sauce and make this paleo-friendly.
    ingredients for making cranberry sauce

    How To Make Cranberry Sauce from Scratch

    • Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the orange juice, half of the orange zest, cranberries, and maple syrup.
    • Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue boiling over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the cranberries burst and break down, and the sauce thickens.
    • Top with the remaining orange zest and serve warm.
    process shots of making cranberry sauce

    Can you make it ahead of time?

    Once you have made the maple orange cranberry sauce, let it cool to room temperature and place it in a sealable glass or plastic container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days and can be served straight out of the fridge or warmed through on the stovetop.

    Can you make this with frozen cranberries?

    I prefer to make this cranberry orange sauce with fresh cranberries as there is an abundance of them this time of year. You can use frozen cranberries if you have those. The recipe remains the same, but they will take a couple of extra minutes to cook.

    easy cranberry sauce recipe served in a clay

    Can you freeze it?

    Yes, this sauce freezes really well, so be sure to make a big batch to see you through the holiday season! Transfer the cooled homemade cranberry sauce to a ziplock bag or freezer-safe container and it will keep well for up to 2 months. Thaw the sauce overnight in the fridge to serve.

    Recipe Notes and Tips

    • This recipe for cranberry sauce serves 10 and it is easily halved and doubled.
    • Cook the sauce until the cranberries start to burst.
    • Don’t have the pan on too high a heat during cooking.

    More Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes

    homemade cranberry sauce in a clay bowl
    5 from 8 votes
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    Maple Orange Cranberry Sauce

    This homemade orange cranberry sauce is sugar-free and takes minutes to make! This sauce is sweet and tangy and perfect for Thanksgiving.
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    Servings 10
    Calories 62kcal

    Email Me This Recipe

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    INGREDIENTS

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • Place medium sauce pan over medium heat and add the orange juice, half of the orange zest, cranberries and maple syrup.
    • Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue boiling over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the cranberries burst and break dow, and the sauce thickens.
    • Top with the remaining orange zest and serve warm.

    TIPS & NOTES

    • This recipe serves 10 and it is easily halved and doubled.
    • Cook the sauce until the cranberries start to burst.
    • Don’t have the pan on too high a heat during cooking.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 56g | Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.3g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 11.1g
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Keyword homemade cranberry sauce, paleo cranberry sauce, vegan cranberry sauce
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    Comments

    Katie

    5 stars
    Made this for the family and it was a hit!

    Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry

    5 stars
    So delicious! I love that it only needs a few ingredients, definitely making this for the festive season – we use a lot of cranberry sauce and this sounds SO good.

    Liz

    5 stars
    I love how easy this is! I’m not a fan of canned cranberry sauce so I’ll definitely give this a try next time we have turkey!

    Patty at Spoonabilities

    5 stars
    It’s amazing how simple and quick it is to make fresh, homemade cranberry sauce. I absolutely love the orange zest in this sauce. So yummy!

    Tara

    5 stars
    Yum! This cranberry sauce looks amazing! Love that color and the addition of the maple syrup. So perfect for the season.

    Gina Woods

    I am looking forward to making this this week- I have fresh Florida oranges I can’t wait to use and LOVE cranberry- I have 2 Thanksgiving dinners so I will make enuff and freeze for next week to….I created an Organic Energy Bar this past year (we will be launching early 2017) and one of my seasonal favs is cranberry.. maybe a cranberry bar?

    Kim Julliane

    I wish to win!

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      Good luck, Kim!

    roz b

    I would make a great bread dough!

    Michelle

    This is such a great recipe! I’ve been looking for a good cranberry recipe to try this thanksgiving and this looks amazing!

    Paige @ Where Latin Meets Lagniappe

    5 stars
    This is such a beautiful cranberry sauce! And I love the orange zest on top!

    Teresa

    I love it, it’s so simple and I’m thinking instead of sauce I could use it as a delicious pie filling! Thank you for sahring the recipe!

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      Yes, that’s a great idea!! I bet it will taste amazing!

    Rebekah | Kitchen Gidget

    When I was little cranberry sauce was one of the things I turned my nose up at, but now it’s one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes! Love this white sugar-free version for sure.

    Kathy Hester

    Thanks for this awesome recipe. My family will love it on Thanksgiving!

    Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness

    5 stars
    I love cranberry sauce. This is the perfect recipe for Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing.

    Marie

    Cranberries, orange, and maple go so well together, and cranberry sauce is a breeze to make! Love your photos too.

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      Thanks, Marie! Yes, the flavors go wonderfully together! Sweet & slightly tart.

    Charles-Linda Bradshaw

    I would make a cake for my dad’s Birthday. He would love to have one made by me!

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      That sounds wonderful! I am sure he would love that!

    Michelle L

    5 stars
    If I won, I’d take the paypal cash.

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      That’s fine. Good luck, Michelle! I hope you win!

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