Hello, my chickpeas! Today I am excited to share with you my take on a Thanksgiving classic: my Homemade Maple Cranberry Sauce! This recipe only uses 5 ingredients, is naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, and is ready in under 30 minutes.
If you haven't had homemade cranberry sauce before, you are in for a treat this holiday season! Let's jump in.
Inspiration for Homemade Maple Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce was always my favorite Thanksgiving side growing up. When I first got into cooking I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make! Now I make it every year, and I'm excited for you to try it out yourself!
A lot of homemade cranberry sauce recipes use refined white sugar, so when I was first trying out WFPB I wanted to create a more wholesome version. I sweeten mine with pure maple syrup and a bit of orange juice, and it works perfectly! The orange also adds a fun citrus twist to our flavor.
Ingredients
This recipe only uses 5 ingredients (well, really 4 plus water). Let's get into them!
- Cranberries: the star of the show! On their own they are naturally very tart, but we will naturally sweeten them up with our other ingredients.
- Maple syrup: our main sweetener! I love using maple syrup as a sweetener in recipes because it is less processed than most other sweeteners and is delicious. The maple flavor also pairs very well with our cranberry!
- Orange juice & zest: this adds a bit more sweetness, and a zip of citrus!
How to Make
Keep scrolling for the full directions, but here are the basics!
- Add cranberries, maple syrup, and water to a pot and bring to a simmer on the stovetop.
- Simmer 10-15 minutes, mashing the cranberries a bit as they cook.
- Remove from heat, and stir in orange juice & zest. Serve warm or refrigerate to serve chilled.
Tips & Tricks
This Thanksgiving classic is easy to make and bursting with flavor! However you can still adjust some things to match your preferences. Here are some thoughts on how to do that, as well as how to best enjoy this recipe!
- Cranberries are naturally very tart. The maple syrup definitely adds some sweetness, but if it's still too tart for you feel free to add more!
- If you want more texture to your cranberry sauce, only slightly mash the cranberries. If you want it smoother, mash them like crazy!
- Obviously this Homemade Maple Cranberry Sauce is perfect for a holiday table, but get creative with any leftovers! Use it as a jam on a sandwich or on toast for breakfast.
- Looking for other holiday sides for your vegan Thanksgiving? Check out my Smoky Roasted Brussels Sprouts or my Pomegranate Wild Rice Salad next!
Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Maple Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 16 oz fresh cranberries - (frozen also works)
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 teaspoon orange zest - (zest from approximately one medium orange)
- ¼ cup orange juice - (juice from approximately one medium orange)
Instructions
- Add cranberries, maple syrup, and water to a medium pot over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat and continue to simmer 10-15 min, or until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency. As it simmers the cranberries will start to burst. Every few minutes, use the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the cranberries against the side of the pot.
- Once desired consistency is reached, remove from heat. Stir in orange juice & orange zest. Serve warm, or let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate to serve chilled.
Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your cranberry-sauce-making ways.
Stay joyfully balanced!
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