Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

This 3-ingredient recipe for a traditional Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce is so easy, quick, and customizable! This homemade cranberry sauce is naturally gluten-free, vegan, and made sugar-free, keto, and paleo! Learn how to make a basic and simple cranberry sauce that can be used as a condiment or side dish beyond just Thanksgiving and the holidays!

Today you'll learn how to make the EASIEST and quickest whole berry cranberry sauce ever! The most basic recipe, so simple, and customizable. This cranberry sauce recipe will be the base for so many variations of the Thanksgiving classic. Any flavor combo you can think up, an addition to any savory meal, or even sweet dessert! Whether you need a last-minute sauce for the holidays or something to jazz up a weeknight winter meal, this is the only cranberry sauce you'll ever need!

Healthy Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce

While you may think cranberry sauce needs to be loaded with sugar to sweeten up the cranberries' natural tart and sour juices, think again! You're going to love that this simple 3-ingredient recipe can be made sugar-free and keto; none of the added sugar, calories, or carbs for this holiday staple! This sauce is:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Coconut-Free, Corn-Free)
• Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo
• Sugar-Free
• Kid-Friendly
• Customizable Flavors
• Easy & Simple 3-Ingredients
• Quick & Made In 10 Minutes
• Make-Ahead & Meal Prep Holiday Essential

Cranberry Nutrition Facts

People don't typically eat whole raw cranberries due to how tart and sour they are. That's why you'll find sweetened cranberry treats, dried cranberries, or juices that have been diluted with enough water that the sour taste and tartness is palatable. When it comes to fresh cranberries there's a host of benefits to love!

1 cup (100g) of Cranberries is:

• 45 calories, 12g carbs, 4g sugar, 4.6g of insoluble fiber, and 87% water!
• Full of Vitamins C, A, E, and K1.
• Packed with Manganese and essential Copper.
• Contain the antioxidants Quercetin, Myricetin, Peonidin, Ursolic acid, A-type proanthocyanidins.

You can see why they're considered a superfood! In their whole natural form, when they're not saturated in added sugar or dried (which causes them to lose most of their vitamin profile), they're a fantastic berry to include in your diet!

3 Simple Ingredients

• Whole Cranberries: One bag of whole cranberries (3 cups) is all you need for this recipe. You'll easily be able to find these 12-ounce bags in the produce section during the Fall and Winter seasons. If you're making this cranberry sauce out of season, stock up on a few bags! You can pop the entire bag in the freezer and have them ready to go anytime during the year.
• Granulated Sweetener: You'll need your choice of granulated sugar. You can go with something like Swerve which is a 1-to - natural sugar-free replacement or you can opt to use any kind of granulated sugar you and your family enjoy!
• Water: The final ingredient you need is a simple cup of water! Budget-friendly for sure!

Ways To Customize Your Cranberry Sauce

You can keep this whole berry sauce simple with just the taste of tart and sweet cranberry shining through or you can get a little fancy and add in some flavoring additions like spices and extracts!

• Add warming spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, or ginger.
• Add pure vanilla extract or whole vanilla bean.
• Add orange zest, peel, or fresh orange juice (be sure to decrease the amount of water in its place).
• Add tangy crushed pineapple or pineapple juice (again, decrease the amount of water in its place).
• Add chewy texture with dried fruits like cranberries (craisins), apricots, figs, blueberries, raisins, etc.
• Add crunchy texture with chopped nuts or seeds like pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, roasted sunflower seeds.
• Add spice with diced jalapeno or pepper jelly.
• Add fragrant herbs like rosemary, mint, or thyme.

How To Make Cranberry Sauce Without Sugar

1. Add your sweetener and water to a medium saucepot and bring to a boil.
2. Add the whole cranberries and bring the pot back to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, stirring every few minutes and crushing some of the berries with the back of a spoon.
4. Once most of the berries have popped, remove from heat and let cool.

Can You Use Frozen Cranberries?

If you're making this sauce with a frozen bag of whole cranberries, you don't need to worry about defrosting them beforehand! You can just toss the cold berries into the boiling sugar and water and follow the same process. You will just need to increase the simmering time for the sauce until the berries pop and the sauce thickens.

How To Reduce The Bitterness In Cranberry Sauce

You only need 1 cup of sweetener to get the perfect cranberry sauce consistency. However, if you want a sweeter sauce, add more sugar. You can even add a liquid sweetener at the end of the cooking process, like sugar-free syrup, maple, honey, brown rice syrup, or agave.

Will Cranberry Sauce Thicken Without Sugar?

Cranberry sauce thickens (jells) as it cooks. This is due to the natural sugars in the cranberries when they pop from the heat and the added sugar you put in. Make sure you use the amount called for, at least 1 cup per 3 cups of cranberries. If your sauce is too soupy, that means you didn't add enough sweetener and/or you added too much water. You only need 1 cup of water per 3 cups of berries.

How To Turn Whole Cranberry Sauce Into Jellied Cranberry Sauce

If you want to make a thick jellied sauce, check out this homemade Jellied Cranberry Sauce recipe post! You'll only need to do a few more steps after you make this basic sauce!

How To Serve Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Sauce is meant to be served chilled or at room temperature, unlike this roasted cranberry sauce. Once you've made your sauce from scratch, allow it to cool at room temperature before chilling in the fridge to further gell. Mix the whole berry cranberry sauce to loosen it up before serving.

How To Store Fresh Cranberry Sauce

You can store from-scratch cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10-14 days. It's a fantastic dish to make ahead of time, ready to go for that big holiday dinner! You can even freeze leftovers by freezing the sauce flat in a Ziplock bag, once frozen you can stack it neatly in your freezer. Thaw the sauce overnight in the fridge when ready to use.

What To Eat With Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is the perfect addition to your holiday roast or mashed potatoes. Deliciously sweet and tangy as a spread on sandwiches, bake it into bread and muffins, even swirl it in some breakfast porridge! Serve it up for dessert as a topping on your favorite ice cream!

More Thanksgiving Sides:

• Gluten-Free Vegan Stuffing
• Healthy Green Bean Casserole
• Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow
• Easy Creamy Mushroom Gravy
• Rustic Gluten-Free Cornbread

Print

All the berry goodness without all the added sugar! This easy homemade cranberry sauce will be a staple ALL year long!

So tell me:

+ Do you prefer whole berry or jellied sauce?

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