Homemade Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce naturally sweetened with oranges and spices. Easy, warm, filling! Gluten Free + Paleo + Vegan + Low Calorie
Hey Friends! How was your weekend? This weekend was a blur to me. I did a whole lot of nothing and it felt wonderful. Friday night I made Italian chicken in the crockpot (recipe coming soon) we watched an old movie and laughed at the 80’s hair. On Saturday I walked 8.7 miles (WOOHOO) in the morning and later we ate pizza and watched hockey. Yesterday I taught spin then met an old friend for lunch and watched the Packer game. Gotta love fall weekends!
That said, over the weekend the guy says to me “yeah, it’s almost Christmas!” I was like OMG I’m so not ready to think about that. When we were at Costco a few weeks ago, they had Christmas trees next to the Halloween candy which reminded me that Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away.
It gave me an excuse to remake this Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce. It’s one of the very recipes I ever put on this blog, and one of my most popular one’s during the holidays. It was due for updated pictures with a revamped recipe! I added cloves this time and it made all the difference.
Cranberry sauce is something I’ve never liked. Not ever. Something really creeps me out about the ridges jellied cranberry gets from the side of the can. Seems so alien-like. I’ve never been able to bring myself to eat it. It wasn’t until I ate this sandwich that had cranberry chutney on it that I discovered how good it can be. Ever since I had that sandwich a few years ago, I’ve been dreaming of re-creating my own version of it with this homemade sugar free cranberry sauce.
This sugar free cranberry sauce is naturally sweetened with oranges and spices. If you feel it needs a little something more, you can always add maple syrup or honey. It’s always easier to add then to subtract. Delicious, EASY to make and will make your house smell like holiday heaven. No excuses with this recipe! Just 10 minutes of boiling and simmering and voila it’s done! I recommend you make it ahead of time. It tastes so much better after chilling in the refrigerator for a night or two.
I enjoy my cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving turkey, salmon, pumpkin pancakes, leftover turkey sandwiches or even on yogurt. Put it in a mason jar, tie it with a bow and give it as a present. People love food as gifts!
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Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
Homemade Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce naturally sweetened with oranges and spices. Easy, warm, filling! Wonderful as a side or gift. Gluten Free + Paleo + Vegan + Low Calorie
Ingredients
- 24 ounces cranberries
- 1 cup orange juice freshly squeezed from an orange
- 2 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- liquid stevia optional, to taste
Instructions
Add orange juice (or water may be subbed) and cranberries to a large pot.
Bring to a boil ~7 minutes until cranberries begin to pop.
Reduce to a simmer then add cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and orange zest.
Simmer on high 3-5 minutes until fragrant then reduce to low for another 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer to an airtight container or serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
While orange juice has sugar, this is an all natural source of sugar. Our bodies need real sugar from real foods. The brain and kidneys need real sugar to function properly. I recommend that all my clients look for natural sources to sweeten their foods which is why this recipe uses oranges to balance the tartness of the cranberries. When you look at the nutritional info, a serving of this cranberry sauce breaks down to very few carbs per serving.
Trader Joe's liquid stevia is perfect for adding sweetness to this side without adding sugar or calories.
1/4 cup equals 1 serving
My shop has more products similar to those used for this recipe and that recommend to my nutrition clients.
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This looks So good! Simple and delicious without a lot of sugar. I need to try this. Thanks for sharing it. Have a great weekend!
Of course, hope you like it!
YUM! Cranberry sauce is one of my favorite things ever, and I eat it year-round. In Norway, they often serve a cranberry-esq type sauce with most meat dishes, so I have a hard time enjoying a steak or roast without some. Love that this is sugar-free! Great recipe 🙂
Are you Norwegian? I am & had no idea about the cranberry with meat dishes, but that sounds like a great idea.
I’ve actually never tried cranberry sauce. Crazy right??
No, not crazy. I’ve never had a desire to eat the canned stuff. I tasted it once, but the funky shape creeps me out.
Yum! I love cranberries, but this recipe without sugar is even better 🙂
Thanks!
I love cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving! Maybe because I only have it once a year? I grew up having canned, but it is so much better to make it from stratch. Enjoy your Friday!
I don’t see fresh cranberries the rest of the year. That could be why a lot of people only eat them once a year.
Love this! I used to hate the over sugared stuff my family made. It was wasn’t…. right… 😛
There’s a lot of stuff I grew up on that wasn’t right.
Confession: I’ve never had cranberry sauce! At my grandmas we have canned cranberry sauce but it never looks very appetizing…this is something I might try though!!
Thanks for linking up last week, lady!
Me either until I started making my own.
Ps don’t you LOVE that recipe plugin?? So pretty and customizable!
It is. I wish I knew of a good nutrition plugin. Know of any?
Oh my! This looks incredible! Pinned and tweeted. We always love partying with you, I hope to see you Monday at 7 pm at our party. Happy Saturday! Lou Lou Girls
Used raw honey and clementines instead of oranges. A bit tart, which I like, but not sure if the rest of the crowd would like this. Anyway, happy to try something without a cup of sugar added!
I love tart, but yes it can be too much for some. This is a REALLY old recipe. I’ll probably be updating it next year.
Used apple juice instead of water and it’s STILL super bitter. I’ll be adding sugar. 🙁
It is sugar free so that should be expected. I add Trader Joe’s liquid stevia to mine and it’s perfect.
Can I use powdered stevia, how much approx. & when should I add it? Thank you for the recipe!
I haven’t tried powdered, but I’m sure you can. The amount will depend on how much sweetness you want. I recommend starting with 2 teaspoons then trying it to see if it needs more. You’ll add it when you add the spices.
Thank you! That’s what I needed to know. Happy Thanksgiving!
y’all know there is hella sugar in orange juice, right? Like more carbs than I eat in 1 day. I do water and orange extract.
Hi Emily, I don’t understand your comment and what makes you think oranges are bad for you. Oranges are a natural source of sugar that is good for you. Unless you are diabetic, you shouldn’t be restricting natural sources of sugar like fruit. What is bad for you are unnatural sources that are highly refined like white sugar, Truvia, Splenda, etc.
A serving of this cranberry sauce has very few grams of sugar and carbs. Are you eating fewer than 4 grams of sugar a day? Unless you’re eating the entire batch in one sitting, you should not be worried about the sugar from the orange. Your brain and kidneys need sugar to properly function and I always recommend that comes from a natural source. The recipe card also states you can use water and stevia as an alternative to the orange for those with blood sugar problems.