This tangy, naturally sweet cranberry sauce has a touch of spice and only takes minutes to make. It goes great on everything from holiday dinners to curries to hearty winter meals to sandwiches. It's loaded with immune boosting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to boot.
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Calling All Cranberry Sauce Lovers!
It's cranberry season and you want a tangy, chunky sauce you can put on everything. Turkey dinner, sandwiches, eggs, curries, toast, roasts, yogurt.
I'm with you!
I have been a life-long cranberry lover. I have tried all kinds of cranberry sauces, cranberry chutneys and cranberry relish recipes over the years. I love them all, but find the simplest ones are often the best.
This one is just that: a few ingredients thrown in a saucepan for a few minutes taking on an explosion of flavor.
This recipe is a current family favorite of ours because it's a cinch to make, tastes great with so many meals and is naturally sweet with no refined sugar added. Most cranberry sauce recipes use A LOT of white sugar to counterbalance the acidity of the cranberries. I get that.
This recipe, however, is naturally sweetened by fresh squeezed orange juice, whole tangerines and a bit of either maple syrup or honey. It's tastes amazing served warm (not hot; it does need to cool a bit for flavors to come together) or cold with a piping hot winter meal, a spicy curry, Thanksgiving dinner or piled on a turkey or chicken sandwich. I have even enjoyed it with eggs and toast for breakfast!
Try it out and see what you think!
6 Awesome Ingredients
This recipe only has six ingredients, but each one packs a punch:
Cranberries: Cranberries are one of the most powerful superfoods on the planet loaded with numerous antioxidants like quercetin, epicatechins, anthocyanins and others. Each of these phytonutrients wield mighty benefits for heart, brain, gut and immune health. These tart berries are also rich in vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and manganese. Research has shown benefits of cranberries against various diseases such as cancer, heart disease and neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon is one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet. Among its many benefits, it has formidable immune boosting properties against viruses, bacteria and fungal infections and even cancer. It also works against candida overgrowth. I love it for its potent blood sugar balancing properties making it a preferred ingredient for diabetics and those who struggle with blood sugar issues. Plus it supports brain health by preventing build up of proteins in the brain linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Ginger: Ginger is the star of the show in this recipe-- the reason most of us gravitate towards ginger ale when we have an upset stomach. It is food-as-medicine at it's finest. Ginger supports the GI tract by reducing bloating, gas, nausea and heartburn and it also aids in digestion and gut motility (pooping💩). Plus it's a powerful natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that boosts immunity against various illnesses ranging from common colds and viruses to heart disease to many types of cancer. And it's associated with many positive neurological outcomes for brain and memory health. One of my favorite gut-brain foods! We eat it daily here!
Orange and Tangerine: Citrus fruits are rich source of vitamin C which supports heart, brain and immune health. This recipe uses whole tangerines which are rich in a fiber known as citrus pectin which has been shown to support intestinal health by acting as a prebiotic fiber which nourishes healthy bacteria in the gut. Pectin also binds up toxins and supports healthy bowel movements. Again, this recipe includes whole tangerines so there is loads of this beneficial fiber to nourish your GI tract which houses the majority of your immune system.
Honey: Raw honey is soothing for the digestive tract and works against a variety of harmful gut pathogens, including H. pylori. Howwever, you don't need raw honey for this recipe as it will get heated up in the saucepan. But you can add it in later if you do want the benefits of raw honey. Unlike processed sugar and other sweeteners (agave, artificial sweeteners), honey is a blood sugar stabilizer. You can add as much or as little as suits your taste.
Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is another great option for this recipe instead of refined white sugar. Still, maple syrup is high in naturally occurring sugar, but having it in balance with these other ingredients and loads of fiber will help blunt any blood sugar spikes. Also, maple syrup contains polyphenols and numerous vitamins and minerals.
My favorite, clean (non-toxic) brand of cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon is Simply Organic! I'd love to know of any other clean brands or sources you like. Comment below!
Also, I love this non-toxic glass measuring cup that doubles as a citrus juicer. It's all glass and has been tested by Lead Safe Mama, Tamara Rubin, as free of heavy metals. It's also linked in my Shop.
Grab this simple ingredients and get ready to stir it up!
Tangerine Ginger Cranberry Sauce
Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 5-10 minutes Total: 15 minutes Servings: 6-8
You may want to double this recipe if you are serving a large holiday feast or just want a big batch to use for toppings. I prefer to make this 1-2 days ahead of eating for flavors and texture to come together, but you can also make the same day-- just allow to cool a bit.
The links below are affiliate links chosen for product quality and purity.
Ingredients:
1 bag of fresh or frozen organic cranberries (12 ounces)
2-4 inch ginger knob, peeled (more ginger = more spice)
2-3 oranges, juiced (or about 1 cup of organic orange juice)
1 large or 2 small tangerines (or 1 medium sized orange or tangelo if you can't locate tangerines), thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch or so) and then quartered into triangles
2+ tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a saucepan and turn on medium heat.
When cranberries begin to pop, turn to low heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn off heat, allow to cool somewhat, taste and adjust flavors (more honey or maple syrup for sweetness, more ginger for spice).
Enjoy warm or cold with a holiday dinner, any winter dinner, on sandwiches or whatever suits you! Keeps well in the fridge for several days.
Let me know if you try this recipe @nourishandcherish.ntp
Need personalized nutrition help to balance your brain and hormones? Feel free to contact me for a free 20-minute Discovery Session to see if we are a good fit. You can learn more about my services here.
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References:
Bian, X., Shi, T., Wang, Y., Ma, Y., Yu, Y., Gao, W., & Guo, C. (2022). Gut dysbiosis induced by antibiotics is improved by tangerine pith extract in mice. Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.), 101, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2022.01.005
Ka, H., Park, H. J., Jung, H. J., Choi, J. W., Cho, K. S., Ha, J., & Lee, K. T. (2003). Cinnamaldehyde induces apoptosis by ROS-mediated mitochondrial permeability transition in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. Cancer letters, 196(2), 143–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0304-3835(03)00238-6
Kirkham, S., Akilen, R., Sharma, S., & Tsiami, A. (2009). The potential of cinnamon to reduce blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 11(12), 1100–1113. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-1326.2009.01094.x
Link, R. (2023). Cranberry Benefits for UTIs, Immune Health & More. Retrieved from https://draxe.com/nutrition/cranberries/
Mashhadi NS, Ghiasvand R, Askari G, Hariri M, Darvishi L, Mofid MR. Anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of ginger in health and physical activity: review of current evidence. Int J Prev Med. 2013 Apr;4(Suppl 1):S36-42. PMID: 23717767; PMCID: PMC3665023.
Neto C. C. (2007). Cranberry and blueberry: evidence for protective effects against cancer and vascular diseases. Molecular nutrition & food research, 51(6), 652–664. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.200600279
Nikkhah Bodagh, M., Maleki, I., & Hekmatdoost, A. (2018). Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials. Food science & nutrition, 7(1), 96–108. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.807
Penniston, K. L., Steele, T. H., & Nakada, S. Y. (2007). Lemonade therapy increases urinary citrate and urine volumes in patients with recurrent calcium oxalate stone formation. Urology, 70(5), 856–860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2007.06.111
Peterson, D. W., George, R. C., Scaramozzino, F., LaPointe, N. E., Anderson, R. A., Graves, D. J., & Lew, J. (2009). Cinnamon extract inhibits tau aggregation associated with Alzheimer's disease in vitro. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 17(3), 585–597. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-2009-1083
Wang, G. S., Deng, J. H., Ma, Y. H., Shi, M., & Li, B. (2012). Mechanisms, clinically curative effects, and antifungal activities of cinnamon oil and pogostemon oil complex against three species of Candida. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan, 32(1), 19–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0254-6272(12)60026-0
About the Author
Roxie Daggett is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) with a virtual holistic nutrition practice in Sedona, Arizona. Her passions include studying nutritional research pertaining to brain health, gut health, genetics and longevity. When she is not geeking out on nutrition she enjoys cooking, hiking, organic gardening and hanging out with her wonderful husband, and her adorable, energetic son who happens to have Down syndrome. Learn more on her About page and stay in touch by grabbing your FREE BRAIN HEALTH BREAKFAST GUIDE above or below!