Sweet, delicious cranberry sauce without all the refined sugar?! I think yes. This Refined Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce is a tasty and healthy side dish to serve at a holiday dinner. Completely plant-based and fruit sweetened!
I've never been a huge fan of cranberry sauce. I mean, cranberries by themselves are actually pretty bitter. Most store-bought AND homemade cranberry sauces are absolutely loaded with sugar to mask the bitterness of the cranberries.
Is a bit of sugar okay? Sure. But I'd rather save my sweets for the holiday pie and make a completely refined sugar free & fruit sweetened cranberry sauce instead.
This sugar free cranberry sauce still tastes sweet. Because even if you're avoiding white sugar, cranberries STILL taste super bitter. And no one wants a bitter sauce.
The secret to a sauce that is sweet without a ton of added sugar? Fruit.
Dates, to be specific.
Jump to:
Fruit as a sweetener
I love using fruit as a sweetener in my cooking.
Unlike white sugar, fruit still has all the original nutrients and fiber from the plant. So your body doesn't have the same reaction to fruit as it does sugar.
Fiber actually helps slow down the blood sugar spike (think: no sugar high or crash). When sugars are packaged with fiber, like in fruit, your body has a much better time processing the sugars. You won't have a large blood sugar spike. Allowing your body to use the sugars as energy instead of storing them as fat.
It's perfect! You still get to enjoy sweet flavors and your body is able to handle the sugar correctly.
Why I Love this Refined Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
- Dietary needs - this recipe is dairy-free, plant-based, oil-free, and completely refined sugar-free
- Delicious side dish - it's not Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce
- SO easy - there's basically no prep work and most of the time needed for this sauce is hands-off
- Customizable - pick your favorite flavors to spice up this sauce
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Date Syrup: the key to making this recipe refined sugar free! Date syrup is just dates blended to a syrup. If you don't want to use date syrup you can also use maple syrup
- Water: we'll heat the syrup with water to make a nice sauce
- Cranberries: fresh cranberries are easy to find in the fall and winter.
- Orange Zest: cranberry and orange is a classic combo. If you don't like orange, you can omit the zest.
- Spices: cinnamon and nutmeg. Fill free to choose your favorite spices - some cloves or allspice would be nice. Or even a pinch of cayenne.
How to make Refined Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
Step 1. In a medium pot, heat the water and date syrup until emulsified over medium-high heat.
Step 2. Add the cranberries, lower the heat, and cook for about 10 minutes until most of the cranberries have burst.
Step 3. Remove from the heat and stir in orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Step 4. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. The sauce will thicken in that time. Serve and enjoy!
FAQ & Expert Tips
Store this sauce in the fridge for up to a week. It can also be frozen in an air tight container and thawed on the counter or in the microwave on the defrost setting.
For a thicker sauce, use half the amount of water called for in the recipe
Enjoy this sauce on its own, over mashed potatoes or cauliflower, with your tofu, or even on ice cream for dessert
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for this sauce. Thank you for the people we're surrounded by. Amen.
More holiday sides
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📖 Recipe
Refined Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Date Syrup or Maple Syrup
- 1 Cup Water
- 4 Cups Cranberries 12 ounces
- Zest of an Orange
- ¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon
- Pinch Nutmeg
Instructions
- In a medium pot, heat the water and date syrup until emulsified over medium-high heat.
- Add the cranberries, lower the heat, and cook for about 10 minutes until most of the cranberries have burst.
- Remove from the heat and stir in orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. The sauce will thicken in that time. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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