Black Pepper Free Cranberry-Orange Relish
Bright, tangy cranberries meet fresh orange juice and zest in a relish that tastes like the holidays in every spoonful. Sweetened with pure maple syrup instead of refined sugar, it has a warm, rounded depth that pairs beautifully with roasted meats, cheese boards, or even a simple stack of pancakes. Ceylon cinnamon and ground ginger give it just enough spice to feel festive without any heat from pepper — making it a genuinely safe and satisfying choice for anyone navigating that restriction. So many store-bought cranberry sauces and spice blends sneak in pepper or pepper-adjacent seasonings, so making this from scratch puts you fully in control of every ingredient. The technique is straightforward: everything goes into one saucepan, the cranberries burst and break down into a glossy, jammy consistency, and the orange zest gets stirred in at the end for a pop of fresh citrus. It thickens beautifully as it cools, so it slices cleanly on a plate or scoops perfectly from a jar. Make a batch ahead of time and keep it in the fridge — it only gets better as the flavors settle.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup fresh orange juice (from about 2 medium oranges)
- 1 tbsp orange zest (from about 1 medium orange)
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, Ceylon cinnamon, ground ginger, and sea salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine.
- 2
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries begin to burst and the mixture starts to bubble, about 5 minutes.
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