Nateur Cooking: Our Four Ingredient Healthy Cranberry Sauce
Not everyone has the time to cook absolutely every item of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner from scratch, but homemade cranberry sauce is the perfect touch for any table, at home or as a gift for your hosts.
Our homemade cranberry sauce is so quick and easy to make and super healthy too, as it’s sweetened naturally. If you’re keen to avoid store bought versions that have sugar as the main ingredient, or include corn syrup or fructose - we’ve got the perfect recipe!
Sweet and tangy, it’s the ideal side for a turkey dinner - but we’ve also got some healthy ideas for cute breakfasts if you do have any leftovers!
Ingredients:
- 1 bag (12oz) of fresh cranberries
- 1 orange - you’ll need the zest - the juice is optional
- Half a cup of honey or maple syrup
- Half a cup of water
- Optional extras - a little cinnamon + some fresh OJ.
Method:
- Combine all the ingredients in a pan and cook over a medium heat.
- Simmer for 5-10 minutes until most of the berries burst and the consistency is to your liking. At this stage, some people like to mash them all with a fork or masher but we like a few left in for texture.
- Remove from the heat. As the sauce cools down, it will continue to thicken.
- Taste. It should be a little tart, but if you need to sweeten it up, just add more fresh orange juice or a little more honey or maple syrup.
How to store:
Keep this in a jar, in your refrigerator. You can make it on the day, but if you make it ahead (up to 3 days is fine) the flavors get even better overnight!
Health benefits of cranberries:
- high in natural fiber
- rich in antioxidant compounds
- linked to benefits such as lowered blood pressure, improved cholesterol and lowered inflammation
Healthy Breakfast Options:
With all those health benefits it’s no wonder that cranberry sauce is also a great breakfast option.
- try it as a topper on your warm oatmeal,
- include it in your overnight oats,
- swirl some into your Greek yogurt and chopped fruit, or
- spread it with some healthy nut butter on sourdough toast or a toasted protein bagel.
