Rice Free Maple Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Ginger
Cranberry sauce is one of those dishes that deserves way more credit than it gets, and this version — bright with fresh orange juice, warming with real ginger and Ceylon cinnamon, and sweetened with maple syrup and honey — is genuinely hard to stop eating by the spoonful. The combination of citrus zest stirred in at the end and the slow reduction of all those natural sugars creates a sauce that's layered and complex without being fussy. Every single ingredient here is naturally grain-free, so there's no need to scan labels or second-guess a thing. Canned cranberry sauce often sneaks in additives or corn-derived thickeners, but this one sets up beautifully on its own as it cools — no fillers, no shortcuts. The fresh ginger adds a gentle heat that plays perfectly against the tart cranberries, and the Ceylon cinnamon keeps things fragrant without overpowering the fruit. It works as a classic holiday side, but honestly it's just as good spooned over roasted pork, stirred into yogurt, or spread on a morning biscuit.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup fresh orange juice (from about 2 oranges)
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ½ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the cranberries, orange juice, and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries begin to burst and release their liquid, about 5 minutes.
- 2
Stir in the maple syrup, honey, ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, and sea salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and most of the cranberries have broken down, about 8–10 minutes. Watch the heat — the sugars can scorch quickly once the liquid reduces; lower the flame if the sauce begins to spit or stick.
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