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    November 6, 2021

    Dried Cranberry Sauce Recipe (Low Sugar!)

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    This dried cranberry sauce recipe is made with simple ingredients and has less sugar than traditional cranberry sauce. It's an easy cranberry sauce recipe that is the perfect addition for any Thanksgiving meal!

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Full Disclosure Policy for more information.

    dried cranberry sauce recipe in a pink bowl with a spoon in it
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Dried Cranberry Sauce Recipe
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make
    • Variations & Substitutions
    • Pro Tips
    • Storing, Serving, & Making Ahead
    • What to do with Leftover Cranberry Sauce
    • Recipe FAQ
    • Other Recipes You May Enjoy
    • Dried Cranberry Sauce Recipe (Low Sugar!)

    Why You'll Love This Dried Cranberry Sauce Recipe

    This delicious homemade cranberry sauce is a flexible recipe that can be used as a cranberry relish or more of a smooth sauce, or somewhere in between! It's an easy recipe with basic ingredients. Fresh cranberries can be hard to find, especially out of the holiday season, so this is an easy year-round recipe!

    One of the best parts of this recipe is it has a lower sugar content than store-bought tradition cranberry sauce! Making cranberry sauce at home is a great way to cut back on the amount of sugar commonly found in holiday recipes.

    dried cranberry sauce recipe in a pink bowl with a spoon in it and a linen and cinnamon sticks around it.

    Equipment

    • Medium saucepan - you want a saucepan that holds at least 5 cups, just to prevent overfilling.
    • Rubber spatula - this recipe can get sticky so a rubber spatula is perfect!

    Ingredients

    Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    ingredients to make dried cranberry sauce recipe
    • No sugar added dried cranberries - you can use regular, but if you're trying to cut back on sugar content, I like to use reduced-sugar!
    • Cranberry juice cocktail - this simply enhances the cranberry flavor!
    • 100% apple juice - you can use apple or orange juice, it just depends on your preference.
    • Honey - I prefer using honey over white sugar because it's less processed. I still like to add some sweetener, like honey or even pure maple syrup, to cut back on the tartness of the cranberries!
    • Ground cinnamon - cinnamon adds the perfect amount of warm spice to this delicious cranberry sauce! You can also add 1-2 whole cinnamon sticks if you want more cinnamon flavor.

    How to Make

    ingredients to make dried cranberry sauce in a medium saucepan

    1: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

    ingredients to make dried cranberry sauce in a medium saucepan after being stirred and brought to a boil

    2: Reduce to medium heat to bring the mixture to a low boil and cook until cranberries plump up and rehydrate, about 50-55 minutes. Stir occasionally.

    dried cranberry sauce recipe in a medium sauce pan after its cooled with a rubber spatula

    3: Remove from heat and squash the berries with the back of a rubber spatula to break them apart.

    Let cool for at least 30 minutes (the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools!).

    *Note: if you like a smooth cranberry sauce, put the cooled mixture into a blender or food processor. Blend on high for 20-30 seconds, or until desired consistency is reached.

    Variations & Substitutions

    • You can add a Tablespoon of fresh orange zest to this recipe if you want a hint of orange flavor!
    • Orange juice can be used in lieu of apple juice if you like the orange flavor.
    • Add 1-2 whole cinnamon sticks for a stronger cinnamon flavor!
    • For unique spins on the classic cranberry sauce flavor, you can add the following as it cooks:
      • A Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
      • A teaspoon of orange liqeueur
      • A teaspoon of grated fresh ginger

    Pro Tips

    • Use the back of the rubber spatula to squish the cranberries and break them apart after cooking. This will give the dried cranberry sauce a better texture!
    • Let the sauce cool for at least 30 minutes (ideally longer!). It will thicken as it cools.
    • You can put the cooked cranberry mixture in a blender or food processor and blend on high for 20-30 seconds if you prefer a smoother cranberry sauce!
    • If the consistency becomes too thick either as your cooking or after it cools, you can loosen it up with a Tablespoon of either of the fruit juices or water until your desired consistency is reached.
    dried cranberry sauce in a pink bowl with a spoon and linen next to it with dried cranberries scattered around.

    Storing, Serving, & Making Ahead

    • STORING: Store this dried cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months!
    • SERVING: This is a fantastic side dish to serve in a fancy serving dish on the holiday table with turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, althought it's great any time of year! You can serve it chilled or at room temperature, whichever you prefer.
    • MAKING AHEAD: Since this recipe stores really well, I recommend making it 2-3 days ahead of when you plan to serve it to save time on the day of (hello Thanksgiving dinner craziness!). Plus, it thickens as the sauce cools so it'll be the perfect consistency!

    What to do with Leftover Cranberry Sauce

    If you have leftover cranberry sauce, there are many things you can do with it! Here are some of my favorite ideas:

    • Whisk it into a salad dressing
    • Spread it on leftover turkey sandwiches
    • Dollop some onto pumpkin spice oatmeal
    • Make a PB&CS (peanut butter and cranberry sauce) sandwich
    • Mix into a fruit salad or salsa
    • Swirl into muffin batter before baking to make a delicious cranberry muffin
    dried cranberry sauce recipe in a pink bowl with a spoon, linen, and dried cranberries around it.

    Recipe FAQ

    Do dried cranberries need to be soaked?

    Dried cranberries do not need to be soaked for this dried cranberry sauce recipe! Cooking them long enough in the juices in this recipe allows them to rehydrate perfectly.

    Why is homemade cranberry sauce better for you?

    You can control the amount of sugar you add to homemade cranberry sauce, whereas store-bought cranberry sauce is loaded with added sugar like high fructose corn syrup and regular corn syrup.

    Is homemade cranberry sauce worth it?

    Absolutely! Canned cranberry sauce is fairly high in added sugar and other preservatives. Homemade cranberry sauce is just the right amount of tartness and you can adjust the sweetness to your preference.

    Do dried cranberries need to be refrigerated after opening?

    Nope! If you have any dried cranberries left after making this recipe, they do not need to be refrigerated. I love throwing them in a homemade trailmix or a salad if you have any left!

    Other Recipes You May Enjoy

    • Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
    • Stovetop Apple Butter Recipe
    • how to stew pears in a large saucepan with an anise star and wooden spoon
      How to Stew Pears
    • Cranberry Maple Vinaigrette (Great for Leftover Cranberry Sauce!)

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    If you give this recipe a try, please rate and review it below! I would love to hear your feedback. Also snap a photo and tag me on Insta @theperfectpearr so I can see your creation!
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    Dried Cranberry Sauce Recipe (Low Sugar!)

    dried cranberry sauce in a pink bowl with a spoon and linen next to it with dried cranberries scattered around.
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    This dried cranberry sauce recipe is made with simple ingredients and has less sugar than traditional cranberry sauce. It's an easy cranberry sauce recipe that is the perfect addition for any Thanksgiving meal!

    • Author: Lauren
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 2 cups 1x
    • Category: Sides
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 2 cups (492g) cranberry juice cocktail
    • 1 cup (255g) 100% apple juice, or orange juice
    • 1 cup (139g) reduced-sugar dried cranberries
    • ¼ cup (86g) honey, or pure maple syrup
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

    Instructions

    1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
    2. Bring mixture to a rapid boil, then reduce to low boil over medium heat.
    3. Cook until cranberries plump up, ~50-55 minutes. Stir occasionally.
    4. Remove sauce from heat and squash berries with the back of a rubber spatula.
    5. Cool for at least 30 minutes. Sauce will thicken the longer it cools!
    6. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve!

    Notes

    • STORING: Store this dried cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months!
    • SERVING: This is a fantastic side dish to serve in a fancy serving dish on the holiday table with turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, althought it's great any time of year! You can serve it chilled or at room temperature, whichever you prefer.
    • MAKING AHEAD: Since this recipe stores really well, I recommend making it 2-3 days ahead of when you plan to serve it to save time on the day of (hello Thanksgiving dinner craziness!). Plus, it thickens as the sauce cools so it'll be the perfect consistency!
    • Use the back of the rubber spatula to squish the cranberries and break them apart after cooking. This will give the dried cranberry sauce a better texture!
    • Let the sauce cool for at least 30 minutes (ideally longer!). It will thicken as it cools.
    • You can put the cooked cranberry mixture in a blender or food processor and blend on high for 20-30 seconds if you prefer a smoother cranberry sauce!
    • If the consistency becomes too thick either as your cooking or after it cools, you can loosen it up with a Tablespoon of either of the fruit juices or water until your desired consistency is reached.
    • You can add a Tablespoon of fresh orange zest to this recipe if you want a hint of orange flavor!
    • Orange juice can be used in lieu of apple juice if you like the orange flavor.
    • Add 1-2 whole cinnamon sticks for a stronger cinnamon flavor!
    • For unique spins on the classic cranberry sauce flavor, you can add the following as it cooks:
      • A Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
      • A teaspoon of orange liqeueur
      • A teaspoon of grated fresh ginger
      • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg and/or cloves

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: ¼ cup
    • Calories: 66
    • Sugar: 13
    • Sodium: 1
    • Fat: 0
    • Saturated Fat: 0
    • Unsaturated Fat: 0
    • Trans Fat: 0
    • Carbohydrates: 16
    • Fiber: 2
    • Protein: 0
    • Cholesterol: 0

    Keywords: cranberry sauce, thanksgiving sides, cranberry sauce recipe, homemade cranberry sauce, low sugar cranberry sauce, reduced sugar cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce from scratch, natural cranberry sauce, easy cranberry sauce recipe, fresh cranberry sauce recipe

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please comment below & let me know what you thought. I'd also love if you shared a photo on Instagram and tagged me @theperfectpearr so I can see! And don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to the Perfect Pear newsletter to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox!

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    Hi! I'm Lauren. As a dietitian, my goal is to provide you with nutrient-dense recipes that taste good with a sprinkle of indulgent recipes because I'm all about balance.

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