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    Home » Recipes » Sauces and Spreads

    By Kaleigh McMordie - November 9, 2020, Updated December 8, 2020

    Lower Sugar Cranberry Sauce

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    Lower sugar cranberry sauce.

    Ditch the canned sauce and make this homemade cranberry sauce instead! This lower sugar cranberry sauce is so simple to make with just 3 ingredients and goes perfectly with your Thanksgiving turkey! (gluten-free, vegan)

    Lower sugar cranberry sauce in a clear glass container with a golden spoon inside of it with cranberry around it.

    For as long as I can remember, we have never had canned cranberry sauce at our family's Thanksgiving. Never.

    And why should we when homemade cranberry sauce is so simple to make? The original recipe you'll find on most bags of fresh cranberries calls for only 3 ingredients: cranberries, water, and sugar. That's it! And that simple recipe has always been a thousand times better than the congealed junk that flops out of the can. (Sorry if the can is your jam, no judgment here.)

    Why You'll Love This Cranberry Sauce

    I decided to make a reduced sugar version of the original cranberry sauce with just as much flavor as the full-sugar kind. It only takes one extra ingredient that you probably already have lying around in your kitchen - orange juice - and it takes no extra time.

    Seriously, this reduced sugar cranberry sauce is ridiculously easy, and it's the perfect complement to that turkey you've been slaving over for days. If you've never made homemade cranberry sauce before, give this recipe a try. You'll wonder why you didn't try it sooner, and I promise you'll never go back to the canned stuff again!

    How to make lower sugar cranberry sauce.

    How To Make Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce

    1. Add everything to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
    2. Reduce heat and gently boil for 10 minutes, or until cranberries start to burst.
    3. Remove the cranberries from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
    4. Refrigerate, covered, until completely chilled.

    Tips For Making The Best Cranberry Sauce

    • We always make the cranberry sauce the day before Thanksgiving. That way, it's one less thing to worry about, and you know it will be chilled and set up. You can make it up to 3 days ahead.
    • Leftover cranberry sauce can be frozen in a freezer safe container.
    • If you prefer sweeter sauce, increase the sugar to ⅔ cup.

    Recipes For Using Leftover Cranberry Sauce

    Lower sugar cranberry sauce in a clear glass container with a golden spoon inside of it with cranberry around it.
    • Turkey, Cranberry and Brie Sandwich
    • Cranberry Orange Pecan Crumb Muffins
    • Cranberry Brie Crostini
    • Use it in place of cranberries in Cranberry Chipotle Pulled Pork
    • Stir into yogurt or oatmeal, or spread on toast

    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

    Print

    Lower Sugar Cranberry Sauce

    overhead view of spoon lifting cranberry sauce from a jar.
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 3 reviews

    Ditch the canned stuff and make this homemade reduced sugar cranberry sauce instead! It is so simple to make and goes perfectly with your Thanksgiving turkey! (gluten-free, vegan, nut-free)

    • Author: Kaleigh
    • Prep Time: 0 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10 minutes
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: about 2 cups 1x
    • Category: sauce
    • Method: stovetop
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries (about 3 cups)
    • ⅓ cup orange juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
    • ⅔ cup water
    • ½ cup granulated sugar, cane sugar or raw sugar

    Instructions

    1. Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring.
    2. Gently boil for 10 minutes, stirring, until cranberries have burst.
    3. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, until chilled and set.

    Notes

    • We always make the cranberry sauce the day before Thanksgiving. That way, it's one less thing to worry about, and you know it will be chilled and set up. You can make it up to 3 days ahead.
    • Leftover cranberry sauce can be frozen in a freezer safe container.
    • If you prefer sweeter sauce, increase the sugar to ⅔ cup.

    Keywords: easy homemade cranberry sauce, low sugar cranberry sauce

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @livelytable on Instagram and hashtag it #livelytable

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    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission off of your purchase with no extra cost to you. Please read my affiliate disclosure for more information.

    About Kaleigh McMordie

    Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN, LD, is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian in Abilene, Texas, as well as a member of the Baby Led Weaning Dietitians Network. Kaleigh can be found at kaleighmcmordie.com.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dottie Barker says

      October 11, 2021 at 2:58 pm

      Using Swerve or Truvia in place of the sugars listed. I know it won't gel the same as if we used sugar but that's OK.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Kaleigh says

        October 13, 2021 at 4:56 pm

        Let us know how it works! If using Stevia, be sure it's an equal measuring one or reduce the amount you use!

        Reply
      • Mel Miller says

        November 11, 2021 at 3:03 pm

        Used equal amounts of Truvia and a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin to the water! Set up great! no added calories and no sugar added! Tasted GREAT!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
        • Kaleigh says

          November 12, 2021 at 6:18 am

          I'm glad it worked out well! Thanks for sharing your tips.

    2. Michele Fuglestad says

      December 06, 2020 at 8:45 pm

      Great recipe! Can you tell me what your serving size is that you used to calculate the 7.6 g of sugar per serving?

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Kaleigh says

        December 07, 2020 at 7:17 am

        I'm glad you like it, Michele! It's based on a 2 tbsp serving.

        Reply

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