What’s in store for you today? A healthy fresh cranberry sauce that’s a little tart, subtly sweet, and goes perfectly with your turkey.
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen some photos of my press trip with Ocean Spray a few weeks ago. It was an amazing sponsored travel experience – I found myself knee deep in the bogs, helping to harvest these delicious little berries. {OK, let’s be real. It was probably more like hindering the harvest because I was snap happy with my camera. Bless those growers who hosted us.}
And the FOOD. Ya’ll, I was treated to some of the most delicious cranberry concoctions that I’ve ever tasted. From a gorgeous rustic barn dinner with the Gilmores (a multi-generational family of growers – dinner event shown below) to a hands-on cooking class in Plymouth, we were able to taste clever ways to use cranberries in ways you might not expect. I put together my 10 favorite ways that we learned to cook with them in this article on The Daily Meal.
Harvest Dinner at Gilmore home in Rochester MA, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016. (Josh Reynolds/AP Images for Ocean Spray)
Of course, when you think of cranberries, nothing comes to mind quicker than cranberry sauce.
It’s a traditional staple on the Thanksgiving table. Both sweet and tart, it lends a nice contrasting flavor to the turkey.
Most canned versions of cranberry sauce and traditional fresh cranberry sauce recipes contain a pretty hefty dose of sugar though. I think many of us are probably used to that super syrupy version, and it sure does taste good. 🙂
But today, I’m bringing out a better-for-you version of this holiday gem – a naturally sweetened, healthy & fresh cranberry sauce. This one is minimally sweetened using pear fruit and juice, as well as a smidgen of maple syrup.
The result is a subtly sweet sauce with a little sour punch (in a good way!). The orange zest adds a bright citrus note to the sauce. And this version contains less added sugar and more fiber than many canned varieties.
We actually enjoy cranberry sauce year round, which is why I’ve developed the recipe. I make it frequently to use if we’re eating baked chicken breast or chicken meatballs, or to top a turkey sandwich. I figured it’d be much better for our bodies to have a sauce recipe with less added sugar to turn to for regular use. Plus, I typically prefer making products from scratch when time allows since I can control the ingredients more than buying it pre-made.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, try adding this healthy fresh cranberry sauce to your holiday menu. It’s super simple to make and will have you wondering why you didn’t try it sooner!
A healthy fresh cranberry sauce that's naturally sweetened using pears and a little maple syrup!
- 1 cup canned pear halves with juice (about 3 halves, then fill the rest of the cup with the juice from the can)
- 12 ounces fresh whole cranberries (this is one normal sized bag - about 3 cups)
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
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Add pear halves/juice to a small pot. Cook for a minute or two over medium heat, then mash pear halves a few times with the back of a fork or a potato masher.
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Add cranberries and orange zest. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until cranberries have burst. (If you need to, you can add a little water to thin the sauce).
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Remove from heat and bring to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!
Notes:
If this is too tart for your liking, you can add extra maple syrup to taste.
Looks like you had a great time and the recipe looks amazing! Yum!
It was a blast! Thanks!
Yep this is the key to my heart! I look forward to cranberry sauce the most during Thanksgiving. I know, I’m weird 😉
My husband would echo that sentiment. He’s been known to pop open cans and eat it straight out of there. That’s why I started making it more often, lol!
Great photos! And I like that there’s not too much added sugar in your recipe. I love making a fresh relish with fresh cranberries, orange segments, & walnuts.
I’ve been hearing about lots of versions with oranges lately – that sounds so tasty!!
Looks like you had so much fun wading in the cranberry bog! Love the addition of orange zest in your sauce!
The bog was a blast. That whole trip was just amazing. I’m so grateful I was able to go on it.
I would LOVE to get knee deep in some cranberry bogs! Looks like you had a great time, great recipe too!
Thanks Cara! And yes, that trip was SO fun!
This looks like an absolute blast, and the recipe looks delish!!
It was definitely a blast!
This is so fun! And what a pretty recipe!
Thanks Amy! 🙂
I am totally doing this this year!! Thank you for the idea!
Yay! Hope you love it Sarah.
This sounds awesome! I would love to add pears to cranberry sauce!!
It adds a nice sweetness and texture (I think). 🙂
I’m so grateful for this recipe! I have always wanted to make my own cranberry sauce! I’d rather have cranberry sauce than gravy. YUM!
You’re so welcome Tara! Hope you love it this holiday season.
Pears add an interesting twist! Who knew a cranberry bog could look so fun?! Thanks for sharing.
It was definitely a blast being in the bog! 🙂