5-Ingredient Healthy Cranberry Sauce that tastes perfectly sweet with just the right amount of tart. This recipe is naturally sweetened with dates and fresh orange juice. Cranberries are so good for you. Let's keep them that way with this lower-sugar recipe.
Finally, a homemade cranberry sauce recipe that you can feel good about eating! Commercial cranberry sauces are typically high in refined sugar, and traditional homemade recipes include sugar as a key ingredient to balance the tartness of the cranberries, sometimes as much as 1 to 2 cups of sugar per 12-ounce bag of cranberries!
However, this healthy homemade version is much lower in sugar and is naturally sweetened, yet still delicious and very flavorful. There's no refined sugar, no maple syrup, no honey, and no high-fructose corn syrup. Plus, this recipe keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, and the leftovers are delicious with oatmeal, or can be used to make chia seed jam!
Make this quick and easy recipe ahead of time for Thanksgiving and the holidays.
Serve with my tried-and-true gluten-free Tofu Turkey or my seitan-based Vegan Turkey recipe.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- Pitted Deglet Noor dates are my preferred choice of sweetener as they are lower in sugar and the sauce does not end up tasting like dates as they have a caramel-like flavor. Dates also add gut-healthy fiber to this healthy recipe.
- Fresh orange juice adds a delicate sweetness and an orange flavor that complements the cranberries and dates.
- Cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon
- Whole or ground cloves
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍊 Substitutions
- Cranberries - use fresh or frozen
- Dates - Pitted Deglet Noor dates have a honey flavor and the best consistency for making healthy cranberry sauce, but you can use Medjool dates instead.
- Orange - Use Valencia, Navels, or Minneola Tangelos for the best-tasting healthy cranberry sauce. Add a dash of orange zest for a bright and citrusy tang.
- Cloves - use whole cloves or a pinch of ground cloves
- Cinnamon - use ground cinnamon or one cinnamon stick
See my easy 6-ingredient Vegan Gravy. It takes 5 minutes to make and is gluten-free.
📖 How to Make Healthy Cranberry Sauce
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Step 1. Soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes beforehand.
Step 2. Blend the dates: Transfer the dates to the canister of a blender. Add the orange juice and one-half cup of water. Blend until smooth.
Step 3. Combine: Transfer the cranberries, blended dates, orange juice, cloves, cinnamon, and ¼ cup water to a small saucepan.
Step 4. Bring the reduced-sugar cranberry mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Step 5. Simmer covered: Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the cranberries burst and the mixture starts to thicken.
Step 6. Stir occasionally and add more water, one tablespoon at a time, as needed.
💡 Expert Tips
- Choose sweet and juicy oranges for the best-tasting, naturally-sweetened, healthy cranberry sauce.
- For garnishing: Use a microplane to add a dash of orange zest for a bright and citrusy tang.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Serve warm or at room temperature.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Medjool dates are typically larger, plumper, and sweeter than Deglet Noor dates. They are often enjoyed as a snack on their own or stuffed with nuts. They are also popular in desserts and smoothies.
Deglet Noor dates are drier and have a firm, slightly chewy texture. They are lower in sugar compared to Medjool dates and have a more subtle, honey-like flavor. They are commonly used in cooking and baking due to their firmer texture, and for making date paste.
Medjool dates are slightly higher in calories and sugar due to their larger size and sweeter taste. However, both can be used to make healthy cranberry sauce.
Add more dates for a sweeter sauce. Make sure to soak them first in hot water for 5 minutes. Then blend them with a little water or juice, and add them to the saucepan with the simmering cranberry sauce. Or add a touch of maple syrup to taste.
Pair cranberry sauce with vegan turkey, vegan cheeses, tofu sandwiches, and yogurt, or add it to pan sauces for a touch of sweetness. You can also use it as a glaze for tempeh or tofu.
Serve leftover healthy cranberry sauce with oatmeal, or add chia seeds and water to make cranberry jam! Or blend it to make cranberry salad dressing.
🫙 Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 13 pitted Deglet Noor dates or Medjool dates, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained
- 12 ounces cranberries fresh or frozen
- ½ large orange juice
- 4 whole cloves or ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon or one cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Blend the dates: Transfer the dates to the canister of a blender. Add the orange juice and ½ cup water. Blend until smooth.
- Combine: Transfer the cranberries, blended dates, orange juice, cloves, cinnamon, and ¼ cup water to a small saucepan. Bring the cranberry mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer covered: Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the cranberries are burst and the mixture starts to thicken. Stir occasionally and add more water, one tablespoon at a time, as needed.
Notes
-
- Oranges: Choose sweet and juicy oranges (Valencia, Navels, or Minneola Tangelos) for the best-tasting cranberry sauce.
- For a sweeter sauce, add more dates. Make sure to soak them first in hot water for 5 minutes. Then blend them with water or juice and add them to the saucepan with the simmering cranberry sauce. Or add a touch of maple syrup to taste.
- For garnishing: Use a microplane to add a dash of orange zest for a bright and citrusy tang.
- Storage: Refrigerate Healthy Cranberry Sauce for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Cat
Good flavor and I would make it again. I do enjoy that there are no added sugars, but calories are about the same as a regular cranberry sauce recipe. Picture is not representative of what it actually looks like.
Nisha Melvani, RDN
Hi. So glad you enjoyed it. Sugars are much lower and these are not empty calories:) Mine turned out exactly like the image. I hardly edited this photo so I'm not sure what happened.