Why make boring ol’ cranberry sauce when you can make lemon ginger cranberry sauce from scratch?! We’re using fresh cranberries, grated ginger, lemon zest, and maple syrup for sweetener.
Oh the time has come to start thinking about all things Thanksgiving! We’ve been cooking up a storm in the Fit Foodie Kitchen (re: Vegan Green Bean Casserole, Sausage Stuffing, and Roasted Ranch Turkey Breast) and can’t wait for the actual day to be here.
A Unique Cranberry Sauce Recipe
If you search the internet for “cranberry sauce,” you’ll see lots of results for basic ol’ cranberry sauce made with white sugar and no added fun flavors.
We wanted to bring you a fun twist on cranberry sauce and add a little citrus and pizzaz. Insert: lemon + ginger.
This flavor combination is a favorite of ours and pairs so well with fresh cranberries. You’re going to want to make this every year from here on out.
It’s healthy, too!
Did we mention that this healthy cranberry sauce is:
- gluten-free
- vegan
- vegetarian
- refine sugar-free
- paleo
What You Need for Lemon Ginger Cranberry Sauce
- Fresh cranberries – bye-bye canned cranberry sauce! We’re going fresh.
- Maple syrup – we love using all-natural sweeteners and maple syrup really hit it on the head. It adds just the right amount of warmth.
- Grated fresh ginger – we love keeping a tube of ginger paste on hand at all times. It works great in place of freshly grated.
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon, and ginger just play nice together. Just a great flavor combo.
- Lemon juice – you don’t need a TON of lemon in this recipe because the cranberries are already pretty tart. Citrus does balance everything out, though.
- Water – Water is what breaks down the cranberries to create the sauce!
- Salt – A pinch is all you need.
Ingredient Swaps
Looking to really jazz things up?! Here are some fun ingredient swaps for you to try out!
lemon –> orange
maple syrup –> honey
water –> orange or cranberry juice
How to Make Cranberry Sauce (step by step)
- Place all ingredients into a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium/high heat.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down and let simmer on low for 6-10 minutes. During this time, make sure to whisk cranberries as they break down.
- After 6-10 minutes, your sauce should thicken and you can remove it from the heat.
- Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving warm. Do note that as it sits it will thicken even more!
Serving Suggestions
Complete your Thanksgiving meal with some of our favorite healthy Thanksgiving recipes to compliment this cranberry sauce!
Storage
Store leftover cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Can you freeze cranberry sauce?
Cranberry sauce is a great Thanksgiving side to freeze. Let it cool completely and then transfer it into a freezer-safe gallon-size bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To Reheat
When you’re ready to eat your frozen cranberry sauce, let it defrost completely. Then transfer it into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium/high heat.
More of our Favorite…
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
Looking for more healthy Thanksgiving recipes to fill your holiday table with? Check out all of our best turkey day recipes in one spot!
Lemon Ginger Cranberry Sauce (Best Unique Cranberry Sauce Recipe)
Ingredients
- 12 oz. fresh cranberries
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey*
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice + grated zest for garnish
- 1/2 cup water
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a medium saucepan.
- Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, uncovered.
- Once boiling, turn heat to low and let simmer for 6-10 minutes or until thickened.
- Let cool for 10 minutes and serve warm.
Tips & Notes
- maple syrup - feel free to add more, to taste depending on how sweet you like your cranberry sauce.
This is SOOOOO good!!! We don’t love the traditional cranberry sauce, so this was a perfect replacement! I can’t wait to make the cheesecake bars with the leftover sauce too!
These were bombbbbb.com! Never making regular cranberries again. Lemon and ginger complement the cranberry flavor perfectly.
This recipe is delicious! I live cranberry sauce to begin with (hello Midwestern jam on ham sandwiches and everything else) so I guess I am a little bias to begin with. But! I hate anything to sweet and don’t understand the need to dump sugar into a recipe. This cranberry sauce was perfect. Sweet, tart, tangy with the kick of ginger. Also, very easy to make! I did need to simmer for longer than the recipe directed but I think that was from my own inability to understand boil verses simmer. So – even with messing up, it still came together without a hitch! Thanks for making our thanksgiving and every day better with this recipe!
So glad you loved this!! We’re the same way with too much sweet.
So amazing!! Made it for thanksgiving this year and it paired so well with the turkey. Even my dad whose “not a fan of cranberry sauce” said it was really good!
Yay! Such an easy recipe, too!
This recipe is amazing! I was a little nervous it wouldn’t be sweet enough but it was perfect as is. I replaced the lemon juice/zest with orange juice. I might cut back on the cinnamon next time (personal preference – still perfect as is) but this is my new go to recipe!!
Woohoo! Glad you loved this!