This year I am adding a spin on the traditional cranberry sauce by substituting 1 cup blueberries in place of cranberries. I also am using a grape nectar, natural liquid sweetener, from Domaine Sante instead of granulated sugar.
You can also use maple, honey, or agave for a sweetener or use granulated sugar 1:1.
Everything in this recipe uses natural ingredients from the fruit to the extra flavors. I use fresh squeezed orange juice and the zest to give it more of a citrus zing that will refresh your pallet during your Thanksgiving meal. All the heavy carbs (not complaining) can weight us down so this sauce is used as a reset to bring in a lighter touch.
PLUS- this is loaded with antioxidants, so eat up!
This process takes a whopping 10 minutes. Let cool completely to thicken and serve. This can be made a day before, chilled and stored in refrigerator. Alternatively, allow to cool to room temperature then store in air tight container in the freezer. This freezes beautifully! Re-heat the day of!
Homemade Cranberry-Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 cups fresh cranberries
- 1-1/4 cup sweetener*
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/4-1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Directions
- Zest then juice 1 small orange. Set aside.
- In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add cranberries sweetener, and water.
- Stirring constantly and lightly mashing cranberries down as they heat up. Sauce will start to come together and thicken.
- Once thickened, add blueberries and juice. Same process, mash as they heat up. Easy to do with a fork.
- Add more sweetener if needed.
- Remove from heat. Let cool completely, sprinkle with zest and serve!
*Honey, maple, agave, granulate sugar all work well here.
**Substitute water for orange juice.
You can leave out the orange juice, if helps brighten the dish and take away some of the tart from the cranberries. As the mixture cools, the taste will not be a pungent.
