Sweet, delicious cranberry sauce without all the refined sugar?! I think yes. This Refined Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce is a tasty and healthy side dish to serve at a holiday dinner. Completely plant-based and fruit sweetened!
I've never been a huge fan of cranberry sauce. I mean, cranberries by themselves are actually pretty bitter. Most store-bought AND homemade cranberry sauces are absolutely loaded with sugar to mask the bitterness of the cranberries.
Is a bit of sugar okay? Sure. But I'd rather save my sweets for the holiday pie and make a completely refined sugar free & fruit sweetened cranberry sauce instead.
This sugar free cranberry sauce still tastes sweet. Because even if you're avoiding white sugar, cranberries STILL taste super bitter. And no one wants a bitter sauce.
The secret to a sauce that is sweet without a ton of added sugar? Fruit.
Dates, to be specific.
I love using fruit as a sweetener in my cooking.
Unlike white sugar, fruit still has all the original nutrients and fiber from the plant. So your body doesn't have the same reaction to fruit as it does sugar.
Fiber actually helps slow down the blood sugar spike (think: no sugar high or crash). When sugars are packaged with fiber, like in fruit, your body has a much better time processing the sugars. You won't have a large blood sugar spike. Allowing your body to use the sugars as energy instead of storing them as fat.
It's perfect! You still get to enjoy sweet flavors and your body is able to handle the sugar correctly.
Step 1. In a medium pot, heat the water and date syrup until emulsified over medium-high heat.
Step 2. Add the cranberries, lower the heat, and cook for about 10 minutes until most of the cranberries have burst.
Step 3. Remove from the heat and stir in orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Step 4. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. The sauce will thicken in that time. Serve and enjoy!
Thank you God for this sauce. Thank you for the people we're surrounded by. Amen.
Looking for more plant-based holiday sides? Try these next:
Please leave a review in the comments section below. You can also stay in touch with me on social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter.
**This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase from these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information see my disclosure here.
Sweet, delicious cranberry sauce without all the refined sugar?! I think yes. This Refined Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce is a tasty and healthy side dish to serve at a holiday dinner. Completely plant-based and fruit sweetened!
Leave a comment