Paleo Cran-Cherry Sauce

Presenting my Paleo Cran-Cherry Sauce! It’s Part 3 of my Nomtastic Thanksgiving series! (Check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you’ve just joined the cooking party!)

Sweet and sour is one of my favorite flavor combinations. It perfectly describes my personality. And although I never tried cranberry sauce until I began attending the annual Thanksgiving potluck at my in-laws’, I fell hard for it right away. It didn’t matter if I got a dry piece of turkey breast; a dollop of tangy cranberry sauce would make it all better. But sadly, once I started eating Paleo, I had to skip the cranberry sauce altogether. After all, I knew that most recipes are sweetened with LOADS of white sugar.

But this year, I was determined to come up with a Paleo and Whole30-friendly version of cranberry sauce—one inspired by the cranberry-cherry-apple juice blends from my childhood. By themselves, cranberries can be unpalatably bitter and sour. But by adding an equal amount of cherries and simmering the fruit in apple juice, I was able to counter the mouth-puckering tartness of the cranberries with some natural sweetness. Prefer a sweeter sauce? Just a touch of honey will do the trick. And if you make this Cran-Cherry Sauce a day ahead and allow the flavors to meld further, it tastes even better. In fact, you can make this dish a week ahead and it’ll still be awesome!

Time to make paleo cran-cherry sauce!

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces frozen cranberries
• 6 ounces frozen sweet cherries
• ¾ cup apple juice (I like Martinelli’s brand)
• ½ teaspoon minced ginger
• Pinch of salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey (optional)

Equipment:

• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Bowls
• Medium saucepan
• Silicone spatula
• Liquid measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Microplane rasp grater

Here’s how to make it:

Measure out the cranberries and cherries…

…and place them in saucepan.

(No kitchen scale? Just use half a 12-ounce bag of cranberries and measure out an equal amount of frozen cherries. Easy peasy.)

Pour in the apple juice…

…minced ginger…

…and a pinch of salt.

Bring the contents of the pan to a boil over high heat…

…and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.

Cook the sauce for 8 to 10 minutes or until  it’s thickened and the fruit has broken down.

Taste for sweetness and add honey if needed.

If you prefer a smoother sauce, blitz it with an immersion blender!

Cool to room temperature and serve with your Turkey Day dinner—or better yet, make it up to 5 days in advance and keep it in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).

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5 from 3 votes

Paleo Cran-Cherry Sauce

This Paleo and Whole30-friendly version of cranberry sauce—inspired by the cranberry-cherry-apple juice blends from my childhood—is perfect for your Thanksgiving feast. By themselves, cranberries can be unpalatably bitter and sour. But by adding an equal amount of cherries and simmering the fruit in apple juice, I was able to counter the mouth-puckering tartness of the cranberries with some natural sweetness. Prefer a sweeter sauce? Just a touch of honey will do the trick. And if you make this Cran-Cherry Sauce a day ahead and allow the flavors to meld further, it tastes even better. In fact, you can make this dish a week ahead and it’ll still be awesome!

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Thanksgiving

Keyword: gluten-free, holiday, paleo, Primal, Whole30

Servings: 2 cups

Calories: 168kcal

Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

• 6 ounces frozen cranberries
• 6 ounces frozen sweet cherries
• ¾ cup apple juice I like Martinelli’s brand
• ½ teaspoon minced ginger
• Pinch of salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

• Measure out the cranberries and cherries and place them in saucepan. (No kitchen scale? Just use half a 12-ounce bag of cranberries and measure out an equal amount of frozen cherries. Easy peasy.)
• Pour in the apple juice, minced ginger, and a pinch of salt.
• Bring the contents of the pan to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook the sauce for 8 to 10 minutes or until  it’s thickened and the fruit has broken down.
• Taste for sweetness and add honey if needed. Cool to room temperature and serve with your Turkey Day dinner—or better yet, make it up to 5 days in advance and keep it in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.

Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

Nutrition

Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Fiber: 6g