It’s almost turkey time. Give this healthier cranberry sauce a try and you’ll never want to buy canned again! This cranberry sauce recipe is naturally sweetened and is perfectly sweet and tangy. This makes a great Thanksgiving side or holiday jam. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Love, 

The Mom Chef

Ingredients:
1 (12oz) bag fresh cranberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (optional for more sweetness)

Method:
1. Rinse the cranberries well and drain. Pick out any mushy berries and discard.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine washed cranberries, maple syrup (or honey) and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low. 

3. Cook and stir occasionally until the cranberries pop and the mixture has thickened to your liking. This will take about 5-10 minutes.
4. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in orange zest. If you like, add cinnamon, vanilla extract and orange juice at this time. If needed, add more of any optional ingredient to taste. Keep in mind that cranberry sauce is supposed to be a little tart.

5. Use a fork or potato masher to further mash up cranberries. I like mine to be a bit chunky with some whole pieces of cranberry.

6. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. You can also make this a couple days ahead of Thanksgiving, which really helps.