It’s almost the end of Cranberry Season, so I picked up a couple more bags last week. Eating the seasons is something I look forward to because I love browsing through the produce department at the grocery store looking for the latest seasonal items to purchase. And cranberries were still there. But if fresh cranberries are not available, frozen will work just fine for this recipe.
Cranberries are a great Real Food addition to a healthy diet since they provide a variety of powerful nutrients. Check out my blog post, Cranberries, the Small Powerful Superfruit for the details. They also fit into my Embracing a Healthy Immune Boosting Lifestyle program very well.
THE TART AND SWEET REAL FOOD INGREDIENTS
To begin, clean the cranberries, washing them good and picking out any that are not their best. Then add the good berries to a saucepan along with pure maple syrup, unsweetened applesauce, pure vanilla extract, good quality cinnamon and filtered water.
Next, bring everything to a boil over medium heat and cook until the cranberries start to pop, then turn the temperature down to low. Once they begin to soften, you can help the cranberries pop by pressing them against the side of the pan with the back of your spoon.
After about 15 minutes remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce cool, it will thicken as it cools. Then place the cranberry sauce in a cute container and either serve immediately or refrigerate. I think the both sweet and tart sauce is actually better after 24 hours, so it can be prepared in advance.
Serve with a holiday turkey dinner along with all the other sides or with everyday chicken recipes. The meal above is roasted chicken with whole grain dressing and a healthy veggie salad dressed with fresh lime juice and avocado oil, finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Cranberry sauce also goes great on a turkey sandwich. Or stir some in a cup of plain Greek yogurt topped with a drizzle of local honey and raw walnut pieces for a tasty snack or a quick breakfast!
Some people say cranberries are one of the worlds healthiest foods. They are a fantastic antioxidant and have important anti-inflammatory benefits and contribute to a whole food diet. I try to use natural sugars whenever possible, so I used pure maple syrup and unsweetened applesauce for this recipe.
Check out my Hubby’s Spinach and Mushroom Dressing blog post if you’re looking for a new dressing recipe. Or try my Simple Fresh Cranberry Sauce blog post if you’re looking for a basic cranberry sauce recipe.
Apple, Maple & Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce
Some people say cranberries are one of the worlds healthiest foods. They are a fantastic antioxidant and have important anti-inflammatory benefits and contribute to a whole food diet. I try to use unrefined sugars whenever possible, so I used pure maple syrup and unsweetened applesauce for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 12 Ounces of Fresh Cranberries (I Was Able to Get Local Cranberries)
- 5 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup (I Used Grade A Syrup – Add a Little More if You Like Things on the Sweeter Side)
- 1/2 Cup Organic Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 Teaspoon Organic Pure Vanilla Extract (I Use Simply Organic Vanilla Extract)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Organic Cinnamon (I Use Simply Organic Cinnamon)
- 1/2 Cup Filtered Water
Preparation
- To begin, clean the cranberries, washing them good and picking out any that are not their best.
- Then add the good berries to a saucepan along with pure maple syrup, unsweetened applesauce, pure vanilla extract, good quality cinnamon and filtered water.
- Bring everything to a boil over medium heat and cook until the cranberries start to pop, then turn the temperature down to low.
- Once they begin to soften, you can help the cranberries pop by pressing them against the side of the pan with the back of your spoon.
- After about 15 minutes remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce cool, it will thicken as it cools.
- Place the cranberry sauce in a cute container and either serve immediately or refrigerate. I think the both sweet and tart sauce is actually better after 24 hours, so it can be prepared in advance.
- Serve with a holiday turkey dinner along with all the other sides or with everyday chicken recipes, like roasted chicken with a little whole grain dressing and a healthy veggie salad dressed with fresh lime juice and avocado oil, finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
- Cranberry sauce also goes great on a turkey sandwich. Or stir some in a cup of plain Greek yogurt topped with a drizzle of local honey and raw walnut pieces for a tasty snack or a quick breakfast. Enjoy!
DIANNA’S EASY REAL FOOD RECIPES – easyrealfoodrecipes.com
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Dianna’s Easy Real Food Recipes
Dianna's Easy Real Food Recipes 
This sounds amazing and I have one bag of cranberries left!
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Perfect! Thanks!
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