Crowd Pleaser Cranberry Sauce

In this post, learn how to make a naturally sweetened, absolutely delicious cranberry sauce to add to your Thanksgiving table this year. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!

I have been waiting an entire year to share the recipe for my crowd pleasing cranberry sauce. For real. I made this last year for my family’s Thanksgiving, and people loved it! I have to be honest, I felt pretty silly bringing cranberry sauce as my contribution. I mean…cranberry sauce just feels like such an..afterthought? I mean when there is turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing and crisp green beans and casseroles and all of that deliciousness going around, cranberry sauce just kind of feels insignificant. But not this one. I felt totally validated because everyone around the table was raving about it.

If you’re anything like me, you grew up on the canned version that would be flopped out of the can and onto a plate right before we sat down to eat, like the afterthought I always believed it to be. You know, the kind that maintains the shape of the can even after it’s been doled out? Never really called to me or seemed very appetizing, so I enjoyed many a Thanksgiving meal without cranberry sauce every touching my plate. I didn’t know what I was truly missing out on!

My crowd pleasing cranberry sauce is fresh, naturally sweetened, and bursting with flavor. It doesn’t contain any of the corn syrups found in the canned version, just sweetness straight from nature. And it makes all the difference.

Cranberry Sauce Health Benefits

And did you know, cranberries are actually packed with nutrition? They are rich in phytochemicals, such as anthocyanins. This compound gives cranberries their rich, red color and plays an antioxidant role in the body, helping to reduce free radicals and therefore oxidative damage. You can learn more about antioxidants and the vital role they play in the body in a video I did here. They are also rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K1, copper, and manganese.

Another whole food included in my crowd pleaser cranberry sauce is fresh pears. Pears are very fiber-rich, especially in pectin, which is a soluble fiber that the bacteria in our gut loves. Pears are also antioxidant rich, which contribute to the lowering of oxidative stress within the body. And lastly, they are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and potassium, as well as contain smaller amounts of non-heme iron, calcium, magnesium, B vitamins, and folate. The pears, along with the addition of raw honey, offer natural sweetness that perfectly balances out the tartness of cranberries.

Crowd Pleaser Cranberry Sauce Recipe

This recipe is truly so easy to make. I know, I know, you already have a million things to make for Thanksgiving this year. But I promise – this recipe is very simple, and the little bit of extra effort will go a long way. Start by washing your pears and cranberries. Next, peel the pears to remove the skin, and dice into small cubes. Add cranberries, pears, honey, water, cinnamon, and salt to a saucepan or skillet. Heat until the ingredients come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the cranberries pop, the pears soften, and the sauce thickens. Lastly, mash the pears down with a fork. Spoon this beautiful sauce into a mason jar, and store in the fridge until it’s time to gather ’round the table and enjoy.

Watch the video here!

I so hope you will try out this recipe and that it will earn a spot at your family’s table this year. It brings such a welcome tartness and sweetness to a beautiful Thanksgiving plate. I’m so sure your loved ones are going to swoon over it! If you’re looking to bring something else sweet and wholesome to your Thanksgiving meal this year, check out my healthy banana bread (pretty delicious topped with butter and this cranberry sauce) as well as these pumpkin magic bars.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! Cheers!

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