Healthy Cranberry Sauce

Bowl of chunky cranberry sauce with orange peel and cinnamon sticks.

5 from 1 vote

Healthy Cranberry Sauce

Homemade cranberry sauce that's perfectly sweetened with just a touch of maple syrup and orange juice, thickened with chia seeds, and all gussied up with toasted walnuts, orange peel and a secret ingredient that makes it the most delicious cranberry sauce out there!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 42kcal

Author: Debra Klein

Equipment

Ingredients

12-oz bag fresh cranberries
2 oranges
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoon chia seeds
½ cup walnuts
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Optional Ingredient

splash triple sec

Instructions

Wash cranberries under cool water, picking out any that are soft or bruised.
Zest one orange over a small saucepan, then squeeze out the juice in same pan.
Place cranberries, and maple syrup into saucepan where the orange juice and zest is. Add 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cranberries will start to soften and pop.
Continue to cook for about 3 more minutes, until cranberries are tender enough to mash with the back of a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat, then sprinkle in the chia seeds and cinnamon. Mix well.
While cranberries are cooking, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Coarsely chop the walnuts and dry toast them for about 3 minutes, until golden. Shake the pan often while cooking, so they don’t burn
Now take the other orange and use a potato peeler to grab a few long and thin slices of peel, then finish peeling and roughly chop the flesh.
Stir in the walnuts, chopped orange flesh and orange peel. It will continue to thicken as the chia seeds gel and the jam cools.
Mix again and then swirl in a generous splash of triple sec, if desired. Let jam completely cool and then mix again before transferring to airtight containers. This recipe will make about 2 cups of cranberry sauce.

Notes

OPTIONAL: Just a dash of triple sec adds a unique element to this naturally sweetened cranberry sauce recipe...some depth and for sure an interesting twist.

Nutrition