Cranberry Apple Sauce
A delicious homemade cranberry apple sauce made with nutmeg, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Naturally sweetened with honey and maple syrup. Paleo, Gluten-free.
I love this cran-apple sauce. It is tart yet sweet. It has great texture. And it’s a wonderful cranberry sauce recipe to make for Thanksgiving, Christmas, the holidays, or anytime that your heart desires.
If you love using fresh cranberries in your recipes, try my Pear Cranberry Crisp, Healthy Cranberry Orange Banana Bread, or my Paleo Orange Cranberry Muffins.
Table of Contents
- What makes this recipe great
- Recipe ingredients
- Additions/ Substitutions
- Step by step instructions
- Recipe FAQs
- How to serve this sauce
What makes this recipe great
- It is naturally sweetened with honey and maple syrup.
- You only need a handful of real food ingredients to make it.
- It tastes like cranberry sauce but with a wonderful apple aftertaste.
- Making cranberry sauce at home means there are added chemicals, refined sugar, or preservatives inside.
Recipe ingredients
- Cranberries– fresh cranberries! I try to find organic ones.
- Apple– use any kind of apple, but I like using crisp ones like Honeycrisp apples.
- Lemon– you’ll need lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Nutmeg– this adds nice warmth to the sauce.
- Cinnamon– this pairs well with the cranberries to give it a festive taste.
- Honey– this is used to naturally sweeten the sauce.
- Maple syrup– make sure to use pure maple syrup.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/ Substitutions
- Instead of honey, you can use maple syrup.
- Instead of maple syrup, you can use honey.
- You can add cloves or ginger to the sauce.
- Instead of lemon, you can use orange.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Put all of the ingredients into a pot.
Step 2: Mix the ingredients together and heat on medium-high heat until the liquid starts to boil.
Step 3: Once the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat and let everything simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Step 4: Pour the apple cranberry sauce into a bowl to cool for 30 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Put the sauce into an airtight container and refrigerate. This sauce stays good for 5-6 days in the fridge.
Yes! I always like making it a day before Thanksgiving. Once you make it, let it cool, put into an airtight container, and refrigerate.
I love using it as a side dish. I also love adding it to brie sandwiches or turkey sandwiches. I also love topping my grilled salmon with it.
How to serve this sauce
I like serving this cranberry apple sauce as a side dish for a Thanksgiving or holiday type meal. My personal holiday meal menu includes:
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
Cranberry Apple Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 large apple peeled and diced (or 2 smaller ones)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients into a saucepan, mix, and heat over medium-high heat until the mixture boils.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15-20 minutes, mixing every so often, until all the cranberries have burst and the apples are fork tender.
- Pour mixture into a bowl and allow it to cool for 20-30 minutes at room temperature. You can serve it at this point or cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Notes
- Instead of honey, you can use maple syrup.
- Instead of maple syrup, you can use honey.
- You can add cloves or ginger to the sauce.
- Instead of lemon, you can use orange.
Nutrition
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