Thanksgiving and Christmas wouldn't be the same with out serving up some cranberry sauce. This recipe is super simple, using only a handful of ingredients yielding a combination of sweet and zestiness from the orange.
At the moment Cranberries are abundant here, I'm talking about everywhere in sight and what's even better is there affordability.
Last month I was on a cranberry frenzy I brought basket loads during my weekly visit to the grocery store and did plenty of experimenting too.
As a result,I couldn't resist making this fresh vegan cranberry recipe. It's sweet, zesty and made within a matter of 15 minutes. A great side dish for a main course.
Although, I usually partake in a Caribbeans traditions such as eating Black Cake and/or drinking some Sorrel. I do like to make relish, sides and sauces that different to what I grown up on.
Cranberry relish is big business during the festive season and there are so many variations including this one containing orange juice and zest for that tangy flavour!
Is cranberry sauce vegan?
For the most part cranberry sauce is vegan. However...... the core issue comes from the canned sauce which can sometimes be sweetened with honey and some are prepared with gelatin.
Gelatin derives from boiling animal skin, tendon and the bones in water.
For that reason you may find it beneficial to make your own instead because you have complete control in what goes into it.
Cranberry Sauce with a Twist
Rather than make an ordinary sauce I pushed the boat a little by incorporating some orange and slivered almonds for a fruity and crunchy effect. The nuts are optional and have no negative bearing if omitted, so it's your choice.
The cranberries are rinsed and placed in a saucepan along with the rest of the ingredients and left to simmer for 15 minutes.
The ginger and cinnamon really enhances the cranberry flavour, making it even more irresistible.
No refined sugars were used, only maple syrup which is minimally processed with a low GI index which thankfully won't cause a major inflammatory trigger or raise blood sugar levels.
So let's get cracking with cooking this dish in less than 20 minutes. Feel free to add this cranberry sauce to;
- Orange Cranberry Oatmeal
- Cassava Pancakes
- Sweet Potato Oatmeal
- White Chocolate Orange Cranberry Cookies
- Plantain Pancakes
The steps
- Place the cranberries in a saucepan then add the maple syrup
- Add the zest of orange and orange juice to the saucepan
- Add the fresh ginger and the cinnamon
- Then allow the cranberries to simmer for 15 minutes so the relish gradually thickens with time.
Notes and tips
- If the sauce isn't thick at the time of finishing, it's okay as it will thicken with time.
- Use whatever sweetener you see fit but be sure to use either coconut nectar, maple syrup, agave nectar.
- If you don't want to use ½ cup of sweetener, just use less.
- Keep your cranberry sauce refrigerated at all times.
- Your cranberry should keep for about a week.
More festive recipes to try
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Vegan Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cups of fresh cranberries roughly 12oz
- ½ cup of maple syrup or sweetener of your choice
- The juice of one large orange about ¾ cup
- 1 tablespoon zest of an orange
- 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- 3 tablespoon of slivered almonds optional
- water if required
Instructions
- Toss all of the ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to the boil.
- Once boiled reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- During simmering the cranberries will start to burst and the sauce thicken.
- When 10 minutes have passed remove pan from heat, allow to cool and serve or store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- If the sauce isn't thick at the time of finishing, it's okay as it will thicken with time.
- Use whatever sweetener you see fit but be sure to use coconut nectar, maple syrup, agave nectar.
- If you don't want to use ½ cup of sweetener, just use less.
- Keep your cranberry sauce refrigerated at all times.
- Your cranberry should keep for about a week.
Christina Heggins says
Sounds divine, this would be splendid over a pork loin!
Charla says
Thanks Christina, you should try it and let me know.
Charla says
Thanks Christina, you should try it and let me know.