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Introducing my delicious Homemade Cranberry Sauce! It’s super easy to make with just 2 ingredients and ready in 10 minutes. This is the best cranberry sauce recipe and it’s actually refined sugar free unlike most recipes or shop bought sauces out there. 

homemade cranberry sauce in a saucepan

Recipe Difficulty – Very Easy

📋About The Recipe

Have you ever tried homemade cranberry sauce before? While it might be more convenient to get cranberry sauce from a can or jar, making cranberry sauce beats it every single time for me. You won’t even miss the canned stuff!

If you’re looking to continue to eat healthy throughout the holiday season, you’re going to want to try my healthy cranberry sauce. I much prefer this to the canned version as this is a sugar free cranberry sauce. There are also no preservatives added! It’s definitely a much healthier option for the holiday dinner table.

This cranberry sauce is sweet but tart and goes with a variety of dishes. You can even use it as an ingredient itself instead of having it on the side! For example, my Christmas Nut Roast pairs so well with it.

👨🏻‍🍳Why Make This Recipe

  • Super Easy – No cranberry sauce is easier than this one!
  • 10 Minutes – You will be surprised how quick this is to make which is ideal for a busy Christmas day or Sunday roast.
  • 2 Ingredients Only – You literally only need to buy 2 ingredients for this!
  • Refined Sugar Free – Unlike most cranberry sauce recipes or store bought jars, you aren’t adding refined sugar to this homemade cranberry recipe.
  • Gluten Free & Vegan Friendly – So it caters for everyone! Meaning you don’t have to make different versions for allergy sufferers.

🥘Ingredients to make Homemade Cranberry Sauce

cranberry sauce ingredients on a white background.

The only 2 ingredients you need to buy for this homemade sugar-free cranberry recipe (it takes 2 more ingredients that you’ll have which is water and salt).

  • Fresh Cranberries – In season during mid-September until around mid-November. You can usually buy them in store in November and December. I often get mine from Waitrose but have also spotted them frozen in Tesco. Other green grocers should stock them around Christmas time though.
  • Maple Syrup – This keeps this cranberry sauce refined sugar free. It also gives it an incredibly flavour that I think makes it better than the store bought or other sugar packed cranberry sauces online.

🔪How to make homemade cranberry sauce

Step 1: It’s as simple as adding the fresh cranberries, maple syrup, water and salt to a pot and simmering for 3 minutes until the cranberries soften. Then with a fork squash them and continue simmering until desired consistency, that’s it!!

Close up image of homemade vegan cranberry sauce inside of a pot.

👪Recipe FAQ’s

Where can I buy fresh cranberries?

You can usually buy them in stores in November and December. I often get mine from Waitrose but have also spotted them frozen in Tesco. Other green grocers should stock them around Christmas time though.

Can I swap the maple syrup for honey?

Absolutely! I think the taste works better with maple syrup but this homemade cranberry sauce will definitely work with honey instead.

Can I make this in advance?

Yes! Although this homemade cranberry sauce is incredibly quick you can prepare it in advance if you wish. Simply follow the recipe and then either store in the fridge in a jar up to 7 days or freeze down for another time.

💭Top Tips

  • Did you know that cranberries on their own are extremely bitter, I have naturally sweetened these with maple syrup which adds sweetness and flavour.
  • Be sure to buy real maple syrup. Real maple syrup is made from the sap of a maple tree while imitation maple syrup, is sugar that has been flavoured to taste like maple syrup. Real maple syrup costs a little bit more but is worth every penny as this cranberry sauce with maple syrup is just two ingredients.
  • If you want a hint more sweetness, you can add a pinch of orange zest to brighten up the flavour.
  • You might hear popping sounds while making this vegan cranberry sauce but not to worry, that’s just the sound of the cranberries popping open!
  • If you want to break down the cranberries faster, instead of a fork, you can use a potato masher.
  • If you want a super smooth easy cranberry sauce, you can always blend it up when done instead of mashing.

🍽Serving Suggestions

There are many ways to use this easy cranberry sauce. Either as a side to a roast or even topping salmon for the main event dish.

Baked Christmas Salmon is the perfect Christmas main event dish to share! It’s as simple as making the cranberry sauce, layering it onto a side of salmon and baking.

A serving platter container a cranberry sauce baked salmon.

Or how about as a dip for roasted potato Christmas trees.

I thinly sliced potatoes and baked with olive oil for 45 minutes until golden and crispy. Finally stuck a sprig of rosemary through them and then used the sugar-free cranberry sauce as a dip. The perfect starter or snack to share at Christmas.

Roasted potato Christmas trees placed by a bowl of cranberry sauce.

Finally this homemade vegan cranberry sauce can be used to side any Christmas or Sunday roast. Here are a few of my favourite Christmas recipes it goes really well with:

Easy Lentil Wellington

Rosemary Infused Roast Potatoes

🥡Preparing Ahead And Storing

Although this homemade cranberry sauce is incredibly quick to make you can always prepare it in advance if you wish.

You can either store in the fridge in a jar up to 7 days. Reheat it on the stovetop when ready to serve.

Or if you have leftover cranberry sauce you can freeze it down for another day. Freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months and when ready to use, thaw it in the fridge the night before and then heat it up on the stovetop.

Since this homemade cranberry sauce doesn’t contain a high amount of sugar or any preservatives, I would not can this for later.

Potato slice dipped in a bowl of homemade sugar-free cranberry sauce.

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5 from 3 votes

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Super easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce with just 2 ingredients and only 10 minutes to make!
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 large servings
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup fresh cranberries , (130g)
  • ¼ cup maple syrup, (60ml)
  • ¼ cup water, (60ml)
  • Pinch salt

Instructions 

  • Simply add all the ingredients into a small pot over a medium/low heat
  • Once the cranberries soften (2-3 minutes) gently press with a fork until mashed
  • Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens to your desire consistency

Notes

Preparing ahead and storing:
Although this cranberry sauce is incredibly quick to make you can always prepare it in advance if you wish. You can either store in the fridge in a jar up to 7 days. Or if you have leftovers you can freeze it down for another day.
Top Tips:
  • Be sure to buy real maple syrup. Real maple syrup is made from the sap of a maple tree while imitation maple syrup, is sugar that has been flavoured to taste like maple syrup. Real maple syrup costs a little bit more but is worth every penny as this cranberry sauce with maple syrup is just two ingredients.
  • If you want a hint more sweetness, you can add a pinch of orange zest to brighten up the flavour.
  • You might hear popping sounds while making this vegan cranberry sauce but not to worry, that’s just the sound of the cranberries popping open!
  • If you want to break down the cranberries faster, instead of a fork, you can use a potato masher.
  • If you want a super smooth easy cranberry sauce, you can always blend it up when done instead of mashing.
Serving Suggestions:
Try using it to top my Cranberry Sauce Baked Salmon or scroll up to serving suggestions for more ideas.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Sugar: 8g
Did you make this recipe? Tag me Today!Tag @HealthyLivingJames on Instagram and use #HealthyLivingJames!
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About James Wythe

Hey, I'm James! A fully qualified health coach, cookbook author, full time food blogger and new dad with over 1 million followers. I started this journey after a sudden illness left me bed bound for 2 years and housebound for 4 years! I’m here to help you make healthy and delicious food for you and your family in less time!

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Recipe Rating




5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Tastes, amazing, easy to make even using dried cranberries. Thats all I can get in Auz.

    The resident Canadian is happy so must be ok….
    I am using the same recipe for some Cherries that I need to cook as I dont want to watch them rot or throw them out…

  2. 5 stars
    A simple yet fantastic recipe! I made this over the weekend and have frozen the majority in preparation for Christmas Day. We did have some with our roast this Sunday and it was absolutely delicious!

  3. This is a really interesting take on cranberry sauce, I had never thought of using a sugar substitute. It must bring an added dimension to the flavour. Do you think honey would work? Just thinking about the food miles associated with real maple syrup!