Once you try this easy and homemade Cranberry Sauce with maple syrup, you will never want to buy that canned stuff again! This recipe is easy, delish, and perfect for any time you would like to add some colour and tang to your dish or baking.
I feel like cranberry sauce is one of the most underrated sauces out there. People either love it or they loathe it (if you’re here, I hope you LOVE it). This cranberry sauce with maple syrup is sure to change any undeciding mind.
I am a cranberry sauce lover through and through. I wish more people would stop, taste and appreciate the simplicity of the sauce and the different flavours it can bring.
If you aren’t into hearing my reasoning for the delish side dish, just check out the recipe below. It is the most simple recipe I have created using yummy fresh cranberries and local maple syrup.
Some facts about cranberries and maple syrup…
Not only is this cranberry sauce with maple syrup easy, and tasty, but it is healthy too. Cranberries are known to lower and help manage high cholesterol and are high in fibre. Cranberries are also known to be high in anti-oxidants and can promote heart health. It is also high in vitamin C, which makes me want to eat more of it in the fall and winter to avoid those pesky colds.
Now on to the benefits of maple syrup, I am talking the tree juice kind, not the additive sugary kind. Maple syrup is very low on the glycemic index, which means that you are less likely to have that sugar crash after consumption (but when paired with turkey, this may cancel out). Maple syrup is also very high in anti-oxidants. Did you know that maple syrup is known to have up to 24 different kinds of anti-oxidants within its compound? But most impressively is the minerals and vitamins that are found in “real” maple syrup such as; zinc, manganese, potassium and surprisingly calcium.
I love that maple syrup can be used for more than just pancakes (though, obviously delish on those too).
Ooops, back to the recipe…
This recipe puts the canned variety and any other cranberry sauces that I have tried or made to shame. It is an absolutely must-try.
Maple Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Orange Juice Grate the rind of the Orange to add (optional)
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 3-4 Cups Fresh Cranberries
- 1/2-3/4 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 4-6 Whole Cloves (make sure you count)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan heat the orange juice, rind (if you choose to add), water, and maple syrup until it begins simmering.
- Add the fresh cranberries
- Then add the cinnamon stick and cloves (don't forget to count how many cloves you put in). Allow it all to boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Watch that it doesn't boil over.
- Take off the heat and allow it to cool. If you are planning on jarring it, place in jar while still hot to seal.
- The sauce will thicken upon cooling.
There is more to cranberry sauce than just turkey
Cranberry sauce is so versatile and even more simple. I put this sauce on anything that I can to add some tang and a touch of sweetness. Think outside of the turkey. Think on top of fresh baked brie. Or swirl into a loaf or a cheesecake. Smear some of this jammy sauce on a turkey sandwich any time of the year…honestly, you could do so much with it. Oh, don’t forget the turkey because it makes the meal complete in my eyes.
I created this recipe by accident last year when I had a small baby and I forgot to get all the things I needed for our holiday dinner. I ran out of sugar (honestly, how does that happen?). So, I decided that I was going to improvise. Luckily, my in-laws are maple syrup producers in Ontario and I have an abundance of syrup.
It was the tastiest improvision I have made to date. The maple syrup adds some sweetness that pairs well with the cranberries, along with enhancing the spiciness of the clove and cinnamon.
Feel free to improvise. You can totally use white or brown sugar, agave, or honey. Add more cloves or take them away. Don’t have cinnamon sticks, try 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Put your own spin on it. There are so many flavours that you could add and create your own masterpiece for your holiday dish!
I wish you all the Merriest Christmas and Happiest Holiday and here’s to the new year and may it bring joy and health to 2021!
