Healthy Spiced Cranberry Sauce (Reduced Sugar)

This reduced sugar, spiced, healthy cranberry sauce is made with Marsala wine for a bit of festive character, cayenne pepper for a bit of bite, and is ready in only about 10 minutes.

Today I am going to share my super easy to make, reduced sugar, healthy cranberry sauce, which is ready in under 12 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!

I can’t imagine Christmas without cranberries.  I put cranberries in homemade stuffing, both the meaty kind as well as vegetarian, scatter them over roasted brussels sprouts, and even add them to my Christmas dark chocolate truffles.

And I always make sure my Christmas menu includes homemade chunky cranberry sauce.

Can I use frozen cranberries to make healthy cranberry sauce

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.

Healthy cranberry sauce

What I love about this easy cranberry sauce is that I am in complete control of the amount of sugar that goes into it.  Because cranberries are very sour they do need to be combined with sugar in one form of another.  In this recipe I chose ordinary sugar, naturally sweet orange juice and Marsala wine (use port of 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!

You can always add more sugar to this recipe if you like but do it bit by bit so you don’t end up making it too sweet.

If you like this cranberry sauce recipe you may also like cranberry beetroot chutney.

How to make easy, healthy cranberry sauce: step-by-step

This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is incredibly easy to make!

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

2. Simmer for about 8-10 minutes stirring once or twice.  Once the cranberries stop making popping sounds the sauce is pretty much ready.  Stir in the remaining orange zest and leave in the saucepan to cool completely.  The sauce will thicken as it cools.

3. Once cooled 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.
• Spices: I used nutmeg, ginger and allspice as well as a little cayenne pepper for a bit of heat but you don’t have to.  You could also use cinnamon and/or cloves.
• Marsala: Use either port of sherry instead if you prefer.
• Cooking time: Typically this sauce is ready after about 7-9 minutes or 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.
• Storing: Refrigerate in a jar for up to 2 weeks.
• Not suitable for freezing.

Consistency and texture of homemade cranberry sauce

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.  Perfect with roast turkey, Christmas stuffing casserole or vegetarian stuffing!

Keep in touch!

Have you made this reduced 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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Quick Cranberry Sauce (Low Sugar)

This spiced, healthy cranberry sauce is made with Marsala wine for a bit of festive flavour, cayenne pepper for a bit of bite, and is ready in under 12 minutes.

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Course: Condiment, Party Food

Cuisine: International

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 60.01kcal

Author: Monika Dabrowski

Ingredients

• 300 g cranberries fresh or frozen
• 50 ml Marsala wine/sherry/port
• 80-100 ml fresh orange juice plus zest of 1/2 small orange
• 1/4 tsp each: nutmeg, ginger, cayenne pepper plus a pinch of allspice and/or cloves
• 80 g granulated or light brown sugar approx. 6-7 tbsp
• Good pinch of salt

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Place the cranberries, sugar, spices, salt, wine and orange juice as well as some of the zest in a saucepan, stir, cover and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 7-9 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the cranberries have softened (and stopped making popping sounds). 
• Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining orange zest and set aside to cool.  The mixture will thicken as it cools.
• Once completely cooled transfer into a clean jar. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

• 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.
• Spices: I used nutmeg, ginger and allspice as well as a little cayenne pepper for a bit of heat but you don't have to.  You could also use cinnamon and/or cloves.
• Marsala: Use either port of sherry instead if you prefer.
• Cooking time: Typically this sauce is ready after about 7-9 minutes or 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 the sauce becomes too thick add a splash of orange juice/wine.
• Storing: Refrigerate in a jar for up to 2 weeks.
• Not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 60.01kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.09g | Protein: 0.24g | Fat: 0.07g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1.4mg | Potassium: 61.98mg | Fiber: 1.73g | Sugar: 10.46g | Vitamin A: 48IU | Vitamin C: 11.36mg | Calcium: 4.4mg | Iron: 0.12mg

*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

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