Refined sugar-free cranberry sauce takes 10 minutes to make and is a perfect accompaniment to Christmas dinner. Healthy homemade cranberry sauce beats store-bought hands down!
In addition to being healthier, adding less sugar means that the tangy sauce complements roast meat much better.
A quick check of a leading supermarket brand showed that nearly half of the sauce was sugar. So one tablespoon contains over a teaspoon of sugar, and tastes like jam.
Refined sugar-free cranberry sauce is so quick and easy to make, it's definitely worth making the switch.
Ingredients for refined sugar free cranberry sauce
Cranberries. Fresh cranberries seem to be readily available in most supermarkets now in the run up to Christmas. Frozen berries would also work perfectly well in sugar free cranberry sauce.
If you end up with more than you need, cranberries freeze well. You could also add them to muffins or use them as a topping for cheesecake. Whatever you add them to, their bright ruby colour looks appetising and attractive.
Cranberries do have some health benefits. In particular, they are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.
But take care if you opt for packaged cranberry drinks or dried cranberries as they can be very high in sugar.
Honey. Cranberries are incredibly tart, and you'll need to add some sweetness. I've used honey in this recipe to avoid refined sugar.
If you want to make a low carb keto cranberry sauce you could also use a sweetener if you prefer.
For a vegan cranberry sauce, use maple syrup.
A spoonful or two of applesauce will also help to sweeten the sharp cranberries, although in my experience you'll still need a little bit of honey as well.
Orange and spices. Orange adds a lovely tang to this sugar free cranberry sauce recipe. Or you could use 2 clementines instead for the zest and juice.
If you don't have this exact combination of ground cinnamon, ginger and allspice, use what you'd prefer. Ground mixed spice would work perfectly well. Or use some grated fresh ginger and a cinnamon stick.
How to make healthy cranberry sauce
This easy low sugar cranberry sauce recipe takes just minutes to make.
Grate the orange zest using a fine grater. Squeeze the juice.
Then pop everything in a pan and simmer for 5 minutes, and your easy homemade low sugar cranberry sauce is done.
Expert tip
Ensure you don't include any of the white pith when you grate the orange zest as it can be very bitter.
Serving and storage
This homemade low-sugar cranberry sauce can be stored in the fridge for about a week. So you can make it ahead of time and know that it is ready for the big day. It also freezes very well.
Traditionally cranberry sauce is served cold, but it is also very nice served warm.
If you've got some pretty jars, this homemade low sugar cranberry sauce would also make a lovely gift. That way your friends can enjoy it too!
Frequently asked questions
Fresh cranberries are usually available from around the middle of November in all the major supermarkets.
Frozen cranberries will work well in this recipe, and are available in some supermarkets year round. However, dried cranberries are very different, and are usually sweetened. (If you've bought them by mistake, try them in these healthy Christmas cookies!)
You can keep this sauce in the fridge for up to a week. If you want to make it further ahead, it'll freeze well.
If you don't want to freeze leftover cranberry sauce, try serving it with other meats, lentil burgers or roast salmon. It also goes well with cheese, so try a posh toasted cheese sandwich with a layer of cranberry sauce. You could also pop some in this leftover turkey cobbler.
You might also like these other healthy Christmas recipes
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Recipe
Refined Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
- saucepan with lid
Ingredients
- 400 g cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 orange
- 50 ml honey see notes above
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Finely grate the zest from the orange and add it to a pan along with the juice from the orange. Add the cranberries, honey and spices. Bring to the boil, stir and cover.
- Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes until the cranberries have burst and most of the liquid has evaporated. As the sauce cools, it will thicken more.
Notes
- If you'd prefer a vegan cranberry sauce, substitute maple syrup instead of honey.
- If you don't have ground cinnamon, allspice and ginger, use a teaspoon of ground mixed spice. Or if you prefer, use a cinnamon stick and a little grated fresh ginger.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
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