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This healthy, homemade cranberry sauce uses only 3 ingredients and is Paleo friendly and refined- sugar free! It’s ready in 30 minutes and is perfect for Thanksgiving!
You know what trendy thing I just could never jump on board the everybody’s-doing-it-train with?
#throwbackthursday.
Why would I want to remember things I did on Thursday? Thursday is not the weekend. It is a work night. Therefore you never find me out doing anything cool, sipping on any delicious wine cocktails or really doing, well, ANYTHING.
My throwback Thursdays would be like “LOOK A PICTURE OF ME ON THE COUCH WITH MY COMPUTER IN MY PAJAMAS.” There might even be a plate of paleo magic cookie bars beside me…you know to keep me company. *shifty eyes*
And liiiike, every. Single. Thursday. you would see this.
And you thought being self-employed meant I got to frolic with unicorns all day long and do other super-fun and magical things like that.
Big. Fat. Nope.
Anyway. Clearly, I dislike throwing myself back at Thursdays. So, I’m not gonna do it. And that’s my final answer for ever and always the end.
Now, before you think I am sort of throwback-hating-grinch (wrong holiday?) let’s talk about the ONE version of this hip-and-happening Instagram hashtag that I am 110% TOTALLY ONBOARD with: #ThrowbackThanksgiving.
I mean. Thanksgiving. When I think about ALL the Thanksgivings I’ve EVER HAD, I think about eating my weight in turkey, easy gluten free stuffing, roasted brussels sprouts and roasted sweet potatoes. Then having the BEST NAP OF MY LIFE EVER. Only to WAKE up from said best nap ever to PUMPKIN PIE AND PALEO PECAN PIE BARS. <– It’s Thanksgiving. Eating two desserts is DEFINITELY required to fulfill the “food eating quota” that comes along with this holidy.
Seriously guys. I can throw myself ALL OVER Thanksgiving with memories like THAT.
So, umm, I did.
You all know and L-O-V-E Butterball Turkey…it’s sort of kind of, ok TOTALLY, the center piece of ANY Thanksgiving dinner. Do you remember when I cooked my first whole turkey last year? Obviously it was Butterball.
And, yes, I did make a whole turkey for 2 people. The weeks of leftovers afterwards were a magical combination of days that my taste buds will never forget.
I’m using the word “magical” a lot in this post. I’m just noticing this. Thanksgiving just calls for happy words like that.
I also might be eating the aforementioned magical paleo cookie bars RIGHT NOW.
You’ll never know.
[Tweet “Have a #healthy #Thanksgiving with some #Paleo Maple Orange Cranberry Sauce! @Butterball”]Anyway.
Pre-grown-up-gotta-pay-bills-and-do-other-awful-adult-things Taylor used to squirt ketchup ALL over the bird. Like, we’re talking a WEE bit of bird to a BOTTLE of ketchup. Spot on ratios friends. We all know it’s all about the condiments.
Except NOW the condiment that I want to swim around in and just eat with a SPOON, is not of the tomato variety, it’s of the cranberry variety.
Tart and vibrantly-fresh cranberries that simmer in a warm bath of sweet, tangy orange juice and smooth, sticky-sweet maple syrup until they burst in a juicy EXPLOSION of fall-food deliciousness. Then mix all that with tiny flecks of orange zest, so that you get fruity-freshness in every.single.bite.
!!!
You guys. You thought that weird, goopy, cranberry sauce from a can was good, wait until your try this maple-orange spin on it. FLAVOR OVERLOAD. <–And if you’re doing the low carb thing, you could try low carb sugar free keto cranberry sauce!
In only 3 ingredients. And made in 30 minutes. You can’t even drive to store and get Grandma’s favorite canned cranberry sauce in that time.
And you know what, even die-hard goopy-cranberry lovin’ granny is going to be all over this.
More like it’s going to be ALL OVER her turkey this Thanksgiving.
SSSHHH don’t tell her its paleo-friendly and totally refined-sugar free.
It just means you get to eat more pumpkin pie.
BALANCE FOLKS.

Ingredients
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Cup Orange juice not from concentrate
- 10 Tbsp Pure Maple syrup 1/2 cup + + 2 Tbsp
- 4 Cups Fresh Cranberries or frozen ones that have been thawed
- 1 Tsp Mandarin orange zest packed (about 2 mandarin oranges)
Instructions
- In a large pot combine the water, orange juice and maple syrup and bring to a boil on high heat.
- Once boiling, add in the cranberries. Bring the mixture back to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium, to keep it at a nice steady low boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the berries burst and the sauce begins to thicken, about 30 minutes.
- Once cooked, transfer the sauce to a bowl and let cool completely. Then, chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Note that the sauce thickens a lot once it comes to room temperature, and even more once it's refrigerated. *
- Once ready to serve, stir in the orange zest and put it on ALL the things!
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:
THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY BUTTERBALL. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO CONTINUE CREATING GREAT CONTENT FOR YOU BY SUPPORTING PARTNERSHIPS WITH AWESOME BRANDS THAT FFF LOVES TO WORK WITH! AS ALWAYS, OPINIONS REMAIN 100% MY OWN.
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Weight Watchers Points Per Serving: Points+: 3. Old Points: 2
Want more cranberries?
Cranberry Almond Breakfast Cookies
Lauren Kelly Nutrition says
Oh my goodness I love this cranberry sauce so much! Pinning!
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks for the love and pin friend!
Charlotte Moore says
I have never cared for cranberry sauce. I did make some one year and it was pretty good. I would like the orange in it. I made my husband a turkey, swiss cheese, and cranberry sauce sandwich on a panini press. He loved it.
Taylor Kiser says
That would be a delicious sandwich! The orange really adds some good flavor!
Jenny Flake says
What a beautiful recipe!!! Love!!
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks so much Jenny!
Heather says
Nice share. I just love paleo. It’s the best diet I have ever tried. I lost weight, and feel so much better and healthier. And the meals don’t suck,
like in most diets.
I’m using the paleo grub cookbook, you can check it out at http://lookingupstuff.com/weightloss/2015/04/23/paleo-grubs/
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you!
Debbie says
I love homemade cranberry sauce. I shall have to try this recipe.
Taylor Kiser says
I hope you love it Debbie! thanks!
Jasmine says
Hello! I’m making this recipe for 25 people so would you suggest that I triple it? Also I always liked cranberry sauces that have almond slices so do you think it would be OK to add them? Thanks so much and I can’t wait to try it!!! 🙂
Taylor Kiser says
Hi! I really can’t tell you about the almond slices, because I’ve never heard of that being done, so I didn’t test the recipe that way – I’m sorry! I THINK it would be okay? But I can’t tell you for sure!
I would definitely say at least triple it. If people LOVE cranberry sauce, you MAY want to quadruple! Just note that more volume = more time to boil it to get it thick. I can’t say for sure, as I haven’t tried quadrule the recipe, but when i made HALF the recipe, I boiled it HALF as long, so you very well may need to quadrule cooking cooking time too! I hope that helps and makes sense! Please let me know if you try it!! 😀
Star Davis says
Hi, I only have from concentrate OJ. Do you think it would be okay to substitute that for the not from concentrate type?
Trying to avoid a trip to the store with the kids if at all possible.
Taylor Kiser says
Probably, it just might be pretty sweet, as it has a lot of added sugar. Unfortunately I can’t tell you for sure, as the recipe wasn’t tested that way – I’m sorry! Please let me know if you try it!