A better cranberry sauce recipe

November 15, 2017

Cranberry Apple Sauce

It may seem odd, but one of my favorite holiday foods is cranberry sauce.

It may be due to the deep, rich red color at a time of year when it is cold and grey where I live. I certainly enjoy how cranberry sauce enhances the taste of turkey, chicken, pork, roast beef and even some forms of fish.

As a registered dietitian nutritionist,  I love the phytonutrients and vitamin C in cranberries, but the amount of added sugar typically in cranberry sauce concerns me.

Commercially prepared jellied cranberry sauce is often so loaded with added sugar you might as well be eating candy.   Whole cranberry sauce, either commercially prepared or homemade, often has the same amount of added sugar (or more) as jellied cranberry sauce.

A little experimenting in our kitchen and tweaking my grandmother’s recipe resulted in what we now use for cranberry sauce.  The recipe is below. It has all the flavor, color, and texture you would expect from cranberry sauce with only 8 grams of carbohydrates.

Cranberry Apple Sauce

Cranberry Apple Sauce

Commercially prepared jellied cranberry sauce is often so loaded with added sugar you might as well be eating candy.   Whole cranberry sauce, either commercially prepared or homemade, often has the same amount of added sugar (or more) as jellied cranberry sauce.
A little experimenting in our kitchen and tweaking my grandmother's recipe resulted in what we now use for cranberry sauce.  It has all the flavor, color, and texture you would expect from cranberry sauce with only 8 grams of carbohydrate in a ¼ cup serving.
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Course: dinner
Cuisine: American, diabetes friendly, Farm to table, Gluten Free, vegetarian
Keyword: apple, Christmas, cranberry, Fall, Holiday, Thanksgiving, Turkey
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Resting time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 30kcal

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole cranberries, washed
  • 1 medium apple peeled (I recommend Cortland or Macintosh)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Place cranberries and apple in food processor and pulse until chopped. 
  • Place mixture in saucepan with water. 
  • Cover and heat on medium-high for about 3 minutes or until mixture begins to boil. 
  • Remove cover and simmer at medium heat for another 3 to 5, minutes stirring occasionally. 
  • Stir until sauce becomes smooth. 
  • Add in sugar and stir for 1 minute.
  • Remove from heat, pour into a serving dish, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. (The sauce will keep for days, so it can be made ahead of time.)

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cups | Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1.5g

 

Lisa-Garcia-registered-dietitian
Lisa Garcia_Name Mark_RDN+Health Coach_Color_1200

Having personally struggled with weight and gut health issues, I understand how easy it is to think that food is the enemy especially with the changes our bodies undergo as we age.  It doesn’t have to be that way!

I love using my extensive education and coach approach to help people realize it is possible to feel better and be healthier while still enjoying their life and food.

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