Get my newsletter, tips, deals, and the Seven Small Easy Habits that changed my life. CLICK HERE to become a VIP member!
,

Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe (Low Sugar)

Katie Wells Avatar
Katie Wells

Reading Time: 2 minutes

This post contains affiliate links.

Read my affiliate policy.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce is a healthy recipe that has hints of pineapple and citrus. It has no sugar and is optionally sweetened with honey.
Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Side Dish Recipes » Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe (Low Sugar)

I’ve always thought that homemade versions of classic recipes taste much better than store-bought versions, and cranberry sauce is a perfect example of this. Although I loved the canned jellied cranberry sauce that we always ate on Thanksgiving when I was young, after I tried making cranberry sauce from scratch one year, I was hooked.

Now I have a whole list of re-invented, healthier recipes for the holidays, most of which call for real food ingredients, little prep, and a lot less sugar.

Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Sauce

Most homemade cranberry sauce recipes call for a lot of sugar… enough that I’d classify cranberry sauce a dessert and not a side dish!

For those who haven’t tried them, plain cranberries are very tart, so I wasn’t sure how much it would be possible to reduce the sugar and still have an enjoyable sauce. I shouldn’t have worried, because unrefined natural sweeteners (honey) and delicious applesauce filled in the gaps.

healthy cranberry sauce recipe

This recipe still has more natural sugars than we normally eat, but is a much healthier option than the ones that actually contain refined sugar and is a delicious treat for Thanksgiving dinner.

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, also check out my healthy versions of green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, butternut squash soup, and root vegetable stuffing.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce is a healthy recipe that has hints of pineapple and citrus. It has no sugar and is optionally sweetened with honey.

Cranberry Sauce Recipe

A homemade alternative to store-bought cranberry sauce with delicious hints of pineapple and orange to complement the flavor!
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Calories 98kcal
Author Katie Wells
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings

4 cups

Ingredients

  • 24 oz fresh cranberries
  • ¾ cup pineapple juice or orange juice
  • ½ cup no sugar added applesauce
  • ½ cup water
  • juice and zest of one orange
  • 3-4 TBSP  honey or to taste optional

Instructions

  • Put cranberries, pineapple juice, applesauce and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce to medium heat and stir constantly until the cranberries start to explode (about 10-15 minutes).
  • Reduce to a simmer and add the juice and zest to the cranberry mixture.
  • Simmer 10-15 minutes and remove from heat.
  • Cool completely and store in fridge at least 4 hours but preferably overnight before serving.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 /2 cup)
Calories 98 Calories from Fat 1
% Daily Value*
Fat 0.1g0%
Sodium 2mg0%
Carbohydrates 21.2g7%
Fiber 3.7g15%
Sugar 14.9g17%
Protein 0.3g1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

This is not as sweet as store-bought versions! Taste at the end of cooking. It is naturally sweet from the fruit juice and applesauce but you can add more honey or stevia to taste if needed.

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Do you eat cranberry sauce? What foods do you always have at Thanksgiving? Share below!
Homemade Cranberry Sauce is a healthy recipe that has hints of pineapple and citrus. It has no sugar and is optionally sweetened with honey.

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

75 responses to “Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe (Low Sugar)”

  1. Grace Avatar
    Grace

    5 stars
    This cranberry recipe sounds delicious. I usually buy extra fresh cranberries at Thanksgiving and freeze them . Then I can make this recipe anytime of year. My question is, can I use Stevia instead of honey?

    Reply
  2. Heim Avatar
    Heim

    I eat turkey all year ’round and enjoy cranberry sauce with it. Recently I’ve begged the supermarket to get organic or other cranberry sauce without high fructose corn syrup which is so unhealthy and seems to be in all prepared brands. I read all labels and refuse to ingest that dangerous sugar substitute.
    Dole made some in a box (!) with just sugar…now I can’t even get that. Guess I’ll have to make my own from some of your great recipes. Thank you!

    Reply
  5. Natasha Field Avatar
    Natasha Field

    this is an awesome alternative to homemade cranberry sauce.. I’m a cranberry addict 🙂

    Reply
  6. Kathleen H Avatar
    Kathleen H

    I always make my own cranberry sauce,usually with a hint of orange, but pear is good too:) I like roasted root veggies,, and my children love mashed potatoes, and apple sausage stuffing. I love the idea of butternut squash soup as a starter, and your cranberry sauce is much healthier than the one I usually make, so thanks a bunch for sharing!

    Reply
  8. Lindsay Herfst Avatar
    Lindsay Herfst

    Can this recipe be canned in a hot water bath? I am thinking of doubling the recipe and gifting it.

    Reply
    1. Katherine Durham Avatar
      Katherine Durham

      I’ll let you know in a few days 🙂 After years of making two cranberry sauces, one with all the sugar and one with sugar substitutes plus some thickener for my diabetic cousin, this recipe passed all the hurdles for everyone, though some would like it sweeter next year. My cousin loved it as is, so I will be replacing this recipe for the prior I used for his Christmas present: twelve jars of cranberry sauce that he loves on toast a couple of times a week. I will add a spoonful of lemon juice to the top of each jar for a little insurance, may or may not be needed.

      Reply
    1. Kathi Avatar
      Kathi

      Try pear sauce instead – I often substitute pear sauce if I don’t have any applesauce ready. Don’t have any… dice up some pears (peel if you prefer it smoother) and place in a saucepan. Add a tablespoon or two of water and heat on top of the stove for about 30-45 minutes (all you are doing is letting the water content cook off until it is thicker). Keep your heat around med low (just so the sauce stays at a slow boil so the water can cook off). When the fruit and water has cooked down, turn it off and let it cool if you like fruit sauces with soft chunks. If you prefer it smooth, use a food processor, blender etc. and whirl it up until you lose all the chunks. You can make fruit sauce with almost any kind of fruit like this. It’s a great replacement too for store bought jams, jellies etc. As long as you are in the kitchen, place some on the stove and let it cook. I usually stir a couple of times just to make sure it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. If it’s sticking too much, your heat is too high.

      Reply
  11. Debbie Dever Avatar
    Debbie Dever

    Do you think I could use lemon juice instead of orange? I can’t have orange or pineapple, but I really want cranberry sauce. I think I’m going to give it a try, although I love orange with cranberry.

    Reply
    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      You can, but you might need to add some honey or something to balance out the sourness…

      Reply
      1. Lorraine Avatar
        Lorraine

        I made the recipe exactly as written but I did need to add more honey and a little stevia to take out some of the sourness. It was very tart. But now it is delicious!! Thanks!

        Reply
    3. Mary Foster Rodriguez Avatar
      Mary Foster Rodriguez

      My husband and I can’t do sugars, including honey , pineapple
      Or orange!
      I have made up this recipe that is great for those who can’t
      Do even the sweeter things like pineapple.

      3 bags of frozen or fresh cranberries( 30oz)
      12oz blueberries
      12oz strawberries
      12oz raspberries
      3 cinnamon sticks
      1/2 tsp ginger
      1/2 tsp allspice
      1 tsp Himalayan salt
      1/4 cup vegetable glycerin

      All above put in large pot and bring to a slow boil, immediately turn to
      Low and
      Summer
      For
      5 min or so and Mix in :

      3 tbsp beef gelatin, mixed in while hot stirring well
      3-4 drops of lemon essential oil
      Put in refrig after cooling on counter top for about an hour!

      All berries used can be of the frozen organic
      Kind
      So u can
      Make
      This all year round! We also use it as a pie filling! Firms up nicely with the gelatin

      Reply
      1. Valerie Avatar
        Valerie

        You really should never ingest any essential oil. Why not use real lemon so you can get the health benefits?

        Reply
  12. Sandi Huisman Rund Avatar
    Sandi Huisman Rund

    I’m thinking it might be great with crushed pineapple too. Has anyone tried it? Thoughts?

    Reply
    2. Rhea Avatar
      Rhea

      5 stars
      My homemade cranberry sauce is simmering on the stove right now…2 bags of cranberries, 2 cans of crushed pineapple with juice, and some agave to sweeten. If it doesn’t thicken I may add some cornstarch or arrowroot to it at the end…it tastes yummy!

      Reply
      1. Annie Avatar
        Annie

        5 stars
        Hi Rhea,
        You might want to know, that regular, or organic Agave is the same as eating , High Fructose corn syrup.

        Reply
  14. Margie Jackson Avatar
    Margie Jackson

    this looks good. Have you ever tried adding quince to your cranberry sauce. i am just learning about making marmalade, and last year made experimented a little – this year I was thinking of putting these two items together…?

    Reply
  15. Jean Avatar
    Jean

    Just finished making this for tomorrows Thanksgiving dinner.  I added some honey, but love that it doesn’t require the huge amounts of sugar my old recipe called for.  I also made your pumpkin cheesecake (double recipe) and am using your brussel sprout recipe too.
    Thank you for all the healthy ideas and Happy Thanksgiving.

    Reply
  16. Jean Avatar
    Jean

    Just finished making this for tomorrows Thanksgiving dinner.  I added some honey, but love that it doesn’t require the huge amounts of sugar my old recipe called for.  I also made your pumpkin cheesecake (double recipe) and am using your brussel sprout recipe too.
    Thank you for all the healthy ideas and Happy Thanksgiving.

    Reply
  17. Connie Avatar
    Connie

    Adding a pinch of cloves & pinch of ginger & some dry mustard to this gives it a lot more flavor with no more sugar.  I might try adding a bit of port next time too.  Yum!  Thanks for the great idea!

    Reply
    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      I haven’t actually tried it, but I’d think just rehydrate them by soaking in water overnight and then boiling like normal to get them to thicken..

      Reply
      1. Marie Avatar
        Marie

        Thanks, I’m going to try it.  I’ve been looking for a recipe for a while.  I can’t find fresh cranberries here in South Africa.

        Reply
      2. Cheryl Avatar
        Cheryl

        5 stars
        I have a recipe that uses whole cranberries, dried cranberries and pears, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger. It’s yummy. I make it for Thanksgiving. Years ago we had a cranberry bog in a town I lived in, in Maine. I would dawn the orange clothing of hunting season, put tall gum rubber boots on and trudge through the woods into the bog, about a half mile and pick all I could get. I made the cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving and froze the rest for muffins, breads etc.
        Now I live in Las Vegas, no bogs here, I just buy fresh from the market.
        I like squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnip, green beans for veggies on Thanksgiving.

        Reply
        1. Jan Isaacs-Wade Avatar
          Jan Isaacs-Wade

          Oh Cheryl, if it is not too much bother, would you share the recipe? It sounds amazing? The sugarless cranberry sauce sounds great, too!

          Reply
  20. Stef Avatar
    Stef

    I love homemade cranberry sauce! I especially love it with orange flavors, so I’m looking forward to trying this one!

    Reply
1 2 3
Newer Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating