Try out this homemade, no sugar, cranberry sauce with apples and clementines! This recipe takes a twist on the classic recipe by using diced apple, apple sauce and no oranges. Instead, we use clementines for that citrusy flavor. Cloves and cinnamon give this recipe a delightful flavor and aroma, just the perfect sauce for your Thanksgiving, Christmas or special occasion dinners. I have also included instructions on how to make cranberry sauce using your Instant Pot.
I made this recipe because I wanted to make cranberry sauce but I didn't have oranges. There were clementines in our fruit basket instead. I am happy that this little experiment turned out great. That's just the beauty of cooking!! It is all about experimenting with what one has in the kitchen and making it work.
Some useful points related to this Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Clementines
How to thicken up cranberry sauce
You can thicken up your cranberry sauce by cooking it longer at a low heat. This will give the liquid more time to evaporate and the sauce to thicken up. In this case, you may want to scoop out about a serving spoonsful of the sauce and set it aside on a small bowl, if you prefer your cranberry sauce chunky. This is because the ingredients get softer the longer they cook. You can then spoon-in the previously set aside sauce back to the pot once the liquid has evaporated.
You can also thicken up this homemade cranberry sauce with apples by stirring-in gelatine or making a cornstarch slurry (combine one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water). Gluten free alternatives to thicken up this homemade cranberry sauce include cassava flour and tapioca flour. Use xanthan gum or keto-approved gelatine for keto and low carb diets.
Make the sauce less thick
Concerned that your cranberry sauce is too thick or simply prefer it on the lighter side? Simply add in some liquid (water, apple juice or orange juice). I would advise you to add this one tablespoon at a time, so it does not get too watery. You can also stir-in some apple sauce.
Recipe Variations
Take things in your hand and spice up this cranberry sauce with apples and clementines recipe! This is the beauty of homemade sauces so feel free to experiment!
- Rum - stir-in about a third of a cup of rum and allow it to simmer with the rest of the ingredients. The alcohol evaporates during the cooking process. So no worries about driving after eating it.
- Flavor variations - you can use different flavor variations such as vanilla and a slight pinch of nutmeg. A favorite of ours is bourbon.
- Fruit substitutions - Use a cup of chopped pineapples instead of the apples and allow to simmer with the rest of the ingredients.
If you like to upgrade your food with healthy sauces as I do, you may want to try out Anna's vegan wild garlic pesto. It is so creamy and delicious! Another favorite of ours is Githu's sugar-free homemade apple sauce yummy!
Recent Recipe Video from Paleolowcarbkate
Other recipes to love:
- Gluten-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Instant Pot Cheesecake with Peanut Butter
- Swahili Samaki wa Kupaka (grilled fish in coconut sauce
- Best Instant Pot Lamb Stew in Red Wine
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Instant Pot Instructions
You can save time and use your Instant Pot or pressure cooker to make this homemade cranberry sauce. This is very easy and involves the following steps.
- Switch on the Instant Pot. Stir in cranberries, a diced apple, apple sauce, cloves and cinnamon. You can also stir-in ⅓ of a cup monk fruit sweetener (or your preferred sugar-free sweetener), if you prefer to have your cranberry sauce sweeter. Stir to combine.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot and make sure the top is set to SEAL and not VENTING.
- Set the program on the HIGH PRESSURE setting and time at 5 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is over, allow it to NATURALLY PRESSURE RELEASE (10-15) minutes.
- Program it again to saute for 5 minutes, if you would like your cranberry sauce to thicken up. You can add more time on the saute function if the cranberry sauce is still not thick enough.
- Once cooked, switch off the Instant Pot and transfer the sauce to suitable containers. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Preservation
You can store homemade cranberry sauce using clean, airtight containers in the fridge for about 10 days. If you store it in the fridge, always check the sauce after the first week for mould or an odd smell, just to make sure it is still consumable.
To freeze, transfer the cranberry sauce to suitable containers (airtight, preferrably sanitized). It can be kept in the freezer for up to a year.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Clementines
Equipment
- Cooking pot or medium-sized skillet
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 20 ounces cranberries - fresh or frozen (or about 600 grams)
- 1 cup apple - peeled and diced (any sweet variety such as sweet delicious or gala)
- ⅓ cup apple sauce
- 2 cinnamon sticks (or ½ teaspoon cinnamon)
- 2-4 cloves
- 1 clementine
- clementine peels (optional)
Sugar-free sweetener (optional)
- ¾ cup monk fruit sweetener (or your preferred sugar-free sweetener such as swerve)
Instructions
- Set your pan or pot on the stovetop under medium heat. Stir in cranberries, diced apple, apple sauce, clementine and clementine peels, cinnamon sticks (or powder) and cloves. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to combine.Use the sugar free sweetner if you prefer your cranberry sauce sweeter. In this case, start by heating the apple sauce with the sugar-free sweetener using medium heat. Proceed to stir in the cranberries, diced apple, cinnamon sticks and cloves then combine.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for approximately 20-30 minutes (or until the cranberries and apples are soft).
- Remove the peels and cloves and set them aside. Allow the cranberry sauce to cool completely before serving.
Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce (Instructions)
- Switch on the Instant Pot. Stir in cranberries, diced apple, apple sauce, cloves and cinnamon. You can also stir-in ⅓ of a cup monk fruit sweetener (or your preferred sugar-free sweetener), if you prefer to have your cranberry sauce sweeter. Stir to combine.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot and make sure the top is set to SEAL and not VENTING.
- Set the program on the HIGH PRESSURE setting and time at 5 minutes.Once the cooking time is over, allow it to NATURALLY PRESSURE RELEASE (10-15) minutes.
- Program it again to saute for 5 minutes, if you would like your cranberry sauce to thicken up. You can add more time on the saute function if the cranberry sauce is still not thick enough.
- Once cooked, switch off the Instant Pot, remove the clementine peels and cloves then transfer the sauce to suitable containers. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Video
Notes
- Rum - stir-in about a third of a cup of rum and allow it to simmer with the rest of the ingredients.
- Flavour variations - you can use different flavor variations such as vanilla and a slight pinch of nutmeg. A favourite of ours is bourbon.
- Fruit substitutions - Use a cup of chopped pineapples instead of the apples and allow to simmer with the rest of the ingredients.
Nutrition
FOODHEAL
I love this cranberry sauce. It's all healthy, I like that you didn't use sugar. we don't have fresh cranberries here but I'll check for frozen ones.
Bernice Hill
This is such a great spin on the classic cranberry sauce...and perfect sauce making tips too. Merry Christmas!
Kate Hahnel
We love it, healthy too!
Anna
So clever to use the apple sauce and make this recipe sugar-free! Can't wait to have a jar of this delicious cranberry sauce at our Christmas table!
Kate Hahnel
Hope you love it as much as we do!
Shelley
I love that this gorgeous sauce needs no extra sugar at all, just relying on the sweetness of the apples and clementines - so flavorful yet so healthy! And thank you for including Instant Pot directions, too - I adore my Instant Pot!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
Oh yum! I can just taste the sweet and tartness of this sauce! This would be perfect in pastry, on pancakes, on a spoon... I LOVE the addition of the clementines so much! Thank you so much for sharing!
Candice
We love this cranberry sauce and have been making it over and over since Thanksgiving. It's delicious to spread on toast. Love the recipe!
Amanda
This is great! I really love the rum variation. It adds such a nice depth of flavor. So perfect for the holidays.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
What a wonderful idea to use apple sauce and apple and skipping the sugar. The flavors are just spot on and the pinch of nutmeg made a big difference.
Kate Hahnel
Thank you. I am happy you loved this recipe.
Marisa F. Stewart
I love a good cranberry sauce but the rest of the family does not. I tried your recipe and I thought I'd just save it for myself. Well, the family got a taste and that was all it took. They really liked the combination of apple, spices and just the zest from the clementines. I now have to make another batch - they ate what I had made for myself. This recipe is certainly a keeper.
Kate Hahnel
It makes me so happy to know that you all enjoyed it.
Tammy
I love adding fruit to my cranberry sauce too! Such a delicious and refreshing side for the winter months. We make cranberry sauce all winter really...it's one of my favorite seasonal dishes.
Kate Hahnel
I am with you on cranberry! I love it so much, I make everything cranberry during the winter period. I even make cranberry tea, LOL!
Veronika Sykorova
Love the addition of clementine juice and peel here! So creative and a nice change from the regular orange cranberry sauce.