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Home » Condiments » Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Published: Nov 21, 2021 by Rebecca Pytell · This post may contain affiliate links.

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whole berry cranberry sauce with image text

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!

bowl of whole berry cranberry sauce

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!

bowl of fresh whole cranberries

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

ingredients for basic cranberry sauce

  • 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

four step process to making cranberry sauce on the stove

  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!

half bowl of whole berry cranberry 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

overhead view of whole berry cranberry sauce with metal ladle

Print

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

bowl of whole berry cranberry sauce
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

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!

  • Author: Rebecca Pytell
  • Prep Time: 0 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 Minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2 ¼ Cup 1x
  • Category: Condiment
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 oz (3 Cups) Whole Cranberries
  • 1 Cup Granulated Sweetener (or preferred granulated sugar)
  • 1 Cup Water

Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water and sweetener to a boil and dissolve.
  2. Add the whole cranberries, stir and bring the pot back to a boil before reducing the heat to a low simmer.
  3. Simmer the sauce for about 8-10 minutes until most of the berries have popped. Stir occasionally and use the back of a spoon to help pop the berries as needed. Add any other flavorings you want to use during this 8-10 minutes cooking cycle.
  4. Remove the sauce from the heat and pour it into a container before bringing it to room temperature and spring in the fridge to thicken.

Notes

  • See blog post for flavoring suggestions.
  • See this recipe post for how to make jellied cranberry sauce and how to can for storage.
  • You can double or triple this recipe and follow the same instructions.
  • Fresh cranberry sauce lasts in the fridge for about 14 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons

Keywords: whole berry cranberry sauce, whole cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce, sugar-free cranberry sauce, keto cranberry sauce

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @rebeccagf666 on Instagram and hashtag it #strengthandsunshine

whole berry cranberry sauce in bowl with ladle close up

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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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leslie

    November 20, 2022 at 11:15 am

    Wow, this is such an easy recipe to follow. I think I’ll try this on the family next week. Thank you for sharing with us.

    Reply
    • Rebecca Pytell

      November 20, 2022 at 2:07 pm

      Enjoy.

      Reply
  2. Rachel

    November 25, 2021 at 10:10 am

    great blog and recipe ideas. may use some of these this christmas. Thanks

    Reply
    • Rebecca Pytell

      November 25, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Michelle

    November 24, 2021 at 10:44 pm

    My favorite Thanksgiving dish! Thank you for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rebecca Pytell

      November 25, 2021 at 6:48 am

      A bright must for the table!

      Reply
  4. Lyssa

    November 22, 2021 at 11:22 am

    Yum! These look fantastic. I can't wait to try them for Thanksgiving!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rebecca Pytell

      November 22, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      The table isn't complete without!

      Reply
  5. Lindsay P

    November 22, 2021 at 7:14 am

    This looks delicious! I’ll definitely be trying this for Thanksgiving!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Pytell

      November 22, 2021 at 8:35 am

      So simple and easy, even last minute!

      Reply

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Hey there, welcome to Strength and Sunshine! I’m Rebecca and I'm so glad you're here! This is your go-to destination for delicious, fun, and (mostly) healthy gluten-free and allergy-free recipes, tips & tricks, advice, as well as celiac and food allergy coaching services! More about me



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