Maple Cranberry Sauce

As the holiday season approaches, there’s nothing quite like the classic taste of cranberry sauce to accompany your festive feast, especially when it takes less than 20 minutes to prepare! This homemade maple cranberry sauce is sweetened naturally with maple syrup and can be made ahead of time for large gatherings. The tartness of the cranberries is balanced by the addition of lemon zest, which adds such nice depth and flavour to the sauce.

I was never a fan of cranberry sauce growing up, especially the canned stuff. But all that changed when I started hosting my own Thanksgiving dinners and decided to get fancy and prepare a homemade cranberry sauce. Let me tell you, now I understand the hype surrounding cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving and holiday dinners. This recipe is tart and sweet, and the cardamom just adds so much warmth. Trust me, you won’t regret trying it out!

• Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries are both suitable for this recipe. If you use fresh cranberries, do not thaw them ahead of time. Instead, rinse them and add them directly to the pot. I prefer buying bags of cranberries, bringing them home, and then freezing them. This way, I can pop them out as needed and have them on hand for whenever I want to use them in a recipe.
• Maple syrup: Choose 100% pure maple syrup and avoid using low-sugar maple syrup as it alters the taste.
• Orange juice: Orange and cranberry are a perfect match, and freshly squeezed orange juice really enhances the tartness of this cranberry sauce.
• Orange zest: Don’t skip out on the orange zest as it adds a pop of colour and acidity.
• Cardamom: This is the secret ingredient for an AMAZING cranberry sauce. The warmth and subtle flavour of cardamom just elevate the cranberry sauce.
• Cinnamon: A pinch of cinnamon or a cinnamon stick helps to add more flavour and a nice nutty aroma.

Step 1: Rinse the cranberries under cold water and discard any cranberries that are rotten.

Step 2: To make cranberry sauce, start by combining cranberries, orange juice, water, maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, orange zest and salt in a pot over medium to high heat. Once the cranberries begin to boil, lower the heat to medium. Allow the cranberries to burst and thicken while stirring occasionally.

(Note- if you prefer a thinner cranberry sauce you can remove the pot from the stove once the cranberries have burst. Alternatively, for a thicker consistency reduce the cranberry sauce until it reaches your desired thickness).

Step 3: Once the cranberry sauce cools, transfer to a container, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sweetener: If you’re not a fan of maple syrup, substitute it for brown sugar, honey or Splenda.

Spices: Add 1/4 teaspoon of warm spices like nutmeg, cloves or all-spice.

Liquor: Cranberries and bourbon go well together, so get creative and add a splash of bourbon to the cranberry sauce to accentuate the flavours further.

Vanilla extract: Once the cranberry sauce is done, remove the pot from the heat stove, add a splash of vanilla and stir.

Fruits: Add chopped apples along with the cranberries for a crunch.

You can prepare this cranberry sauce up to three days before serving. Simply place it in a container or a closed jar, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it. Alternatively, you can freeze the cranberry sauce in a container for up to three months. To defrost, thaw the cranberry sauce at room temperature.

Maple Cranberry Sauce

There's nothing quite like the classic taste of cranberry sauce to accompany your festive feast, especially when it takes less than 20 minutes to prepare! This homemade maple cranberry sauce is sweetened naturally with maple syrup and can be made days in advance!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 340 grams fresh or frozen cranberries (1 bag)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (see note)
• 1-2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

 

• Rinse the cranberries under cold water and place into a pot.
• Add water, orange juice, orange zest, maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, cardamom and sea salt to the same pot. Over medium heat allow the mixture to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir occasionally as the cranberries burst. Once the cranberry sauce reaches your desired consistency remove from heat.
• Allow the cranberry sauce to cool to temperature and then serve.

Notes

Storage: Refrigerate cranberry sauce in a sealed container or jar for up to 2 weeks.  

Sweetness: Add an extra 1/4 cup of maple syrup or 2 tablespoons of brown sugar if you prefer a sweeter cranberry sauce. 

Frozen cranberries: DO NOT thaw frozen cranberries, just rinse them under cool water and add them to a pot. 

 

Keyword Canned cranberry sauce, Cranberry Sauce, Maple Cranberry Sauce, Thankgiving