This months theme for The Recipe Redux was to re-create a favorite Thanksgiving dish with a healthy makeover, so I decided to make a clean eating version of cranberry sauce.
Cranberry sauce is the perfect balance between tart and sweetness.
However, traditional cranberry sauce contains refined sugars and even homemade versions use white refined sugar as the sweetener.
My healthier recipe uses medjool dates as a natural sweetener with health benefits that refined white sugar just can’t provide. And it’s ready in under 10 minutes because all you need to do is put everything in a food processor and process it. That’s it!
Here are the typical ingredients in store-bought canned cranberry sauce:
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Ocean Spray Canned Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients: Cranberries, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water
Although it has a minimal ingredient list, it is still made with non-organic cranberries (which can be sprayed with up to 13 different pesticides) and contains GMO high fructose corn syrup.
This clean eating version is really simple to make, can be made in a matter of minutes, and it’s raw, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly and contains no refined sugars.
And, make sure you try my Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cheesecake recipe I made using this recipe…it’s amazing!
Want more healthy recipes? Check out Smoked Paprika Habanero Sauce, How To Make Homemade Peanut Butter, Vegan Creamy Mushroom Sauce or my Clean Eating Cookbook with over 140 healthy, clean eating recipes just like this one that you will love!
5 Fast Facts About Cranberries:*
- 1/2 cup contains 10% vitamin C
- 1 cup contains 18% DV of manganese
- 1 cup contains 18% DV of fiber
- provides anti-inflammatory benefits
- ORAC score of 9584 per 100 g
5 Fast Facts About Apples:*
- rich in anti-oxidants
- good source of B complex vitamins
- helps to reduce cholesterol
- 1 apple contains 17.4% RDA of fiber
- helps to regulate blood sugar
5 Fast Facts About Medjool Dates:*
- natural energy booster
- high in iron content
- rich in potassium
- good source of dietary fiber
- excellent source of vegan protein
5 Fast Facts About Cinnamon:*
- contains anti-inflammatory properties
- helps to control blood sugar
- excellent source of manganese and iron
- can help to lower bad cholesterol
- aids in eliminating migraine headaches
5 Fast Facts About Clove:*
- 2 teaspoons contain 126.4% DV of manganese
- 2 teaspoons contain 5.6% DV of fiber
- rich in minerals iron and potassium
- contains anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory properties
- helps aid in elimination of fungus, bacteria and parasites
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Clean Eating Raw Vegan Cranberry Sauce
Prep
Total
Yield 1 cup
Raw / Vegan / Gluten-Free / Dairy-Free / Nut-Free / No-Cook / Paleo-Friendly / No Refined Sugar
Ingredients
- 2 cups organic cranberries
- 2 cups organic green apples (diced)
- 12 organic medjool dates (pitted)
- 1/8 teaspoon organic vanilla bean powder
- 1/8 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon powder
- 1 pinch organic ground clove
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until it gets to your desired consistency.
- Adjust spices and/or sweetener to your preference.
- Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy!
Notes
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Ā The recipe and photographs for "Clean Eating Vegan Cranberry Sauce" by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home website are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and cannot be used without my written permission.
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Another perfect recipe! Just made a half batch of this, and it’s delicious. So easy and healthy. I can’t believe cranberry sauce is made any other way. Thank you again!
Hi there Usnea! I’m so excited to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I’m like you – when I see pictures of the store-bought canned cranberry sauce I just smh lol!
Thanks for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to let me know you liked it…I really appreciate it š
Yum! This looks amazing! I love the healthier cranberry sauce idea. I’m a huge fan of cranberry sauce, I put it on everything this time of year!
Hi there Alex! Thanks and I do too! I appreciate you stopping by š
love that this is made with dates! Awesome!
Hi there Rachel! Thanks so much and I appreciate you stopping by š
What a great recipe! I was going to make cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving this year, but my husband isn’t a huge fan! Crazy, right?! I think I will still make some for my kiddos to enjoy š
Hi there Sarah Jane! I hope your little ones enjoy it! Thanks so much and I appreciate you stopping by š
I’ve been thinking about making my own cranberry sauce this year and your recipe would be perfect! I recently read about canned cranberry sauce and was honestly surprised by what I learned. I guess I thought it was cleaner.
Hi there Jill! I think you will be pleasantly surprised to see what a difference fresh, homemade cranberry sauce tastes compared to the canned…you will never go back! Thanks for stopping by š