This low sugar cranberry sauce with a hint of orange and spice is made using Marsala wine for a festive feel and cayenne pepper for a bit of bite. Ready in under 15 minutes.

Today I am going to share my super easy to make, low sugar cranberry sauce which is ready in under 15 minutes! This recipe is so simple and delicious that I usually carry on making it until cranberries disappear from the shops. Which is well into February!

Why I love this recipe

Primarily for its delicious rich, tangy, sweet flavour with a hint of savouriness!

What I also love about this healthier cranberry sauce is that I am in complete control of the amount of sugar that goes into it. Because cranberries are naturally very sour they do need to be combined with sugar in one form or another. In this cranberry sauce recipe I chose ordinary sugar, naturally sweet orange juice and Marsala wine (use port or sherry instead if you prefer). My homemade cranberry sauce contains approx. 30 % less sugar than commercially produced cranberry sauce. And it's really sweet enough!

Top tip

You can always add more sugar to this sauce if you like but do it gradually so you don't end up making it too sweet.

Can I use frozen cranberries

Yes, you can! Either fresh or frozen cranberries are absolutely fine to use. If you choose frozen there is no need to defrost them. Put them straight into the pot and combine with the other ingredients. The only difference is that they might take a couple of minutes longer to cook.

Low sugar cranberry sauce ingredients

I cooked the cranberries in a mixture of Marsala wine, orange juice (along with the zest) and a splash of balsamic vinegar for more depth of flavour. I used a moderate amount of granulated sugar and a mixture of spices including ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cayenne pepper as well as a pinch of sea salt (tweak the amounts to your preference).

Top tip

I recommend waiting until the sauce has cooled before adding any more liquid or sugar/spice. The sauce will thicken as it cools and the flavour will intensify.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is incredibly easy to make!

1.Place the cranberries, sugar, wine, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, spices and salt plus some of the orange zest in a saucepan, stir, cover and bring to the boil.

2. Simmer for about 9-11 minutes stirring once or twice. Once the cranberries stop making popping sounds the sauce is pretty much ready. Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining orange zest and set aside to cool completely. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

3. Once cooled completely transfer into a jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Top tips

Cranberries: Use fresh or frozen (no need to defrost them). If you use frozen cranberries your sauce will take a couple of minutes longer to cook.
Cooking time: Typically this sauce is ready after about 9-11 minutes of simmering. The cranberries should still hold their shape quite well. Try not to cook them for too long. Don't worry if there is still quite a lot of moisture in the sauce after it's been cooked - the sauce will thicken as it cools. If your sauce becomes too thick add a splash of orange juice/wine.
The flavour will intensify as the sauce cools so if you want to add more sugar/spice I recommend you wait until the sauce has cooled completely before adjusting the amounts.
For best results cool completely and refrigerate for 30 minutes (ideally) before serving.
Storing: Refrigerate in a jar for up to 2 weeks.
Not suitable for freezing.

Substitutions

Spices: I used a little cayenne pepper for a bit of heat but you can use black pepper instead. You could also add a pinch of cinnamon and/or allspice into the mixture.
Marsala: Use either port or sherry instead if preferred.
Sugar: Use either regular or light brown sugar.

Serving suggestions

I can't imagine the festive season without cranberry sauce. It's delicious with roast turkey, meat stuffing, roast ham or chicken, stuffing meatballs as well as vegetarian stuffing. And if you make a big batch you can also enjoy it with Thanksgiving/Christmas leftovers!

Consistency and texture

Because this sauce cooks so quickly the cranberries become soft but do not disintegrate completely. This homemade sauce does not resemble the overprocessed cranberry sauces sold in the shops, which often contain more jelly (sugar!) than fruit. This sauce is chunky and thick, but with a good amount of moisture in it.

Keep in touch!

Have you made this low sugar cranberry sauce recipe? I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Did you make any swaps? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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