This gluten free cranberry sauce recipe is as simple as it gets. With only 3 ingredients it cooks up in less than 20 minutes and tastes amazing. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, it’s also vegan, dairy free, and paleo.
This cranberry sauce recipe is so easy to make, there’s no excuse for buying the canned kind. All you need is three ingredients, a pan, and something to stir everything together and you’re set.
While I know some people love jellied cranberry sauce, this homemade version is going to become your new favorite. It’s just slightly sweet, perfectly tangy, and great for any holiday table.
Pile it on a muffin, pour it over some stuffing, or load it onto your turkey – any way you eat it, it’s going to be good.
Why you’ll love this gluten free cranberry sauce
- It’s super quick to make – it only takes about 15 minutes to cook.
- The cranbrerry sauce is naturally sweetened with maple syrup (so no refined sugar).
- You can easily make it a day or two ahead of time and just keep it in the fridge until redy to serve!
Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries – don’t accidentally get the dried ones!
- Orange juice – I like to use juice from an orange so I can peel little bits of rind and use it as a garnish.
- Maple syrup – use pure maple syrup, not artifical.
I’ve written condensed directions here including pictures so you can see how to make this recipe. The full set of detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Before you scroll through, there is important information throughout this post.
How to make gluten free cranberry sauce
- Add the cranberries, fresh orange juice, and maple syrup to a saucepan.
- Stir the ingredients together and cook on the stovetop over medium heat for 12-14 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and pop any cranberries that haven’t popped yet with a spatula or spoon.
- Taste and adjust for sweetness if necessary. Spoon into a bowl and serve, topping with orange zest if desired.
What do you eat cranberry sauce with?
While cranberry sauce is traditionally eaten around Thanksgiving, there are lots of different foods to eat it with! Some of these work especially well if you have any leftover cranberry sauce.
- spread some onto gluten free rolls, cornbread muffins, or toast;
- swirl some into a bowl of yogurt or oatmeal;
- pour it over gluten free pancakes or waffles;
- incorporate it into some gluten free cranberry orange muffins;
- spread some onto a leftover turkey sandwich;
- use it as a dipping sauce or glaze for smoked meatballs;
- eat it with some smoked pork, like these smoked pork chops or smoked pork tenderloin;
- and of course, eat it with your Thankgiving turkey.
FAQ
Check out these answers to commonly asked questions about cranberry sauce.
Typically cranberry sauce is made of fresh cranberries and a sweetener – either white or brown sugar or maple syrup. Sometimes other items are added in, like orange juice, orange peel, ginger, or a cinnamon stick.
Yes, you can freeze a homemade cranberry sauce! Just store it in an airtight container and it will keep for several months. A canned cranberry sauce won’t freeze as well though due to its consistency.
Yes, cranberry sauce has to be refrigerated. Store it in an airtight container or in a bowl with plastic wrap over it for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Recipe tips and substitutions
- Keep watch over the cranberries as they cook. They will start to pop eventually and you want to stir them as they do to prevent burning.
- If you don’t have maple syrup, you can substitute honey in the same amount (though the recipe won’t be vegan then). You could also use agave nectar, though will need slightly less as agave is sweeter.
- You can easily double or even triple this recipe by doubling or tripling the ingredients. Just make sure to use a bigger pot.
Check out these other gluten free Thankgiving recipes:
- Sauteed Green Beans (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)
- Honey Roasted Carrots (GF)
- Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (GF, DF, Whole30)
- Whipped Honey Butter (GF)
- Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole (GF)
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Gluten Free Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
- A saucepan
Ingredients
- ⅓ c maple syrup
- 2 cups cranberries
- ¼ c orange juice
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, orange juice, and maple syrup to a saucepan.
- Stir the ingredients together with a spatula and cook on the stovetop over medium heat for 12-14 minutes, stirring frequently so the mixture doesn’t burn. At around 8 minutes the cranberries will start to pop – this is normal.
- Once the mixture thickens and most of the cranberries have popped, remove the pan from the heat. Pop any cranberries that haven’t popped yet by smashing then against the side of the saucepan with a spatula or spoon.
- Taste and adjust for sweetness by adding 1 tsp of maple syrup at a time, if necessary. Spoon into a bowl and serve, topping with orange zest if desired.
Notes
- Keep watch over the cranberries as they cook. They will start to pop eventually and you want to stir them as they do to prevent burning.
- If you don’t have maple syrup, you can substitute honey in the same amount (though the recipe won’t be vegan then). You could also use agave nectar, though will need slightly less as agave is sweeter.
- You can easily double or even triple this recipe by doubling or tripling the ingredients. Just make sure to use a bigger pot.
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