Homemade Vegan Cranberry Sauce (Refined Sugar-Free)
Vegan Cranberry Sauce: no holiday table is complete without it. My healthy vegan cranberry sauce recipe uses no refined sugars and is made with just a few simple ingredients that you probably have on hand. The perfect balance between sweet and tart and so much better than the grocery store canned stuff!
Stress-free, make ahead vegan cranberry sauce is the perfect side dish for your vegan Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner. This easy cranberry sauce is made right on the stove top and is ready in 15-20 minutes. What’s more, you can make it ahead of time as it keeps in the fridge for up to a week. Leftovers? No problem. Make some homemade cranberry jam or my easy Cranberry Chia Pudding.
🍊 Ingredients For Vegan Cranberry Sauce (With Substitutions)
- Fresh Cranberries – these are the star of the show. During the holidays, fresh cranberries can easily be found in most grocery stores. If making this vegan cranberry sauce off-season, you can use frozen cranberries instead.
- Agave Syrup– substitute with equal amounts of maple syrup, or if you don’t mind refined sugar, add a cup of coconut sugar or organic cane sugar in with the water. Just remember, many brands of white sugar are not vegan as they contain bone char. You’re usually safe with organic cane sugar.
- Red Pepper Flakes – gives the cranberry sauce a little heat. Omit if you prefer a non-spicy version.
- Cinnamon – Use just a hint of ground cinnamon in the recipe. Too much overpowers the taste of the sauce.
- Cloves – again, just a little dab will do ya!
- Cardamom – I love adding ground cardamom to this recipe. It adds such a unique flavor, however, omit if you’re not a fan.
- Orange Juice – you can substitute with apple juice or lemon juice.
- Orange Zest – used in the sauce and as a garnish for an extra degree of natural sweetness.
- Pinch of Salt – a pinch of sea salt just makes everything taste better, don’t you agree?
Exact ingredient measurements can be found in the recipe card below!
⏲️ How To Make Delicious Vegan Cranberry Sauce
Step 1: rinse and drain the cranberries. Place in a medium saucepan and add 1 cup of water.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients, including agave syrup, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and sea salt. Stir until all ingredients are well-incorporated.
Step 3: Bring recipe to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. You want it nice and bubbly but don’t want to cook it so long it starts to reduce. After a minute or two, start smashing the berries with a wooden spoon against the side of the pot. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher, however, I like to hear the berries pop so I just use a wooden spoon. Cover and remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature or at least for 10-15 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to chill and set, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remember, initially the sauce will be thin, however, as it cools it will thicken. When ready to serve, garnish with a sprinkle of orange zest and a cinnamon stick or two and enjoy!
🍷 Variations
- Make it boozy – simply by adding 1/2 cup Grand Marnier, bourbon or rum in place of 1/2 cup water.
- Add some ginger – a teaspoon of fresh or ground ginger can really elevate the flavor of the sauce and makes the recipe really unique.
- Make it sweeter – you’ll find that vegan cranberry sauce using agave syrup produces a sauce that tastes more tart than sweet. If you prefer sweetness over tart, add 1/2 cup organic brown sugar and 1/2 cup organic cane sugar instead of agave syrup.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it sure can. To do so, bring to room temperature first, then place in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight to be ready to eat the next day.
Yes, and that’s the best part! You can make it up to a week ahead of time and store in your refrigerator in an airtight container until your ready for your holiday feast.
In North America where I live, cranberry sauce is typically served cold. However, I’ve served it over a few dishes warm and it was equally as good. What it comes down to is a matter of preference.
🌡️ Storage
This cranberry sauce recipe stores safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To freeze, allow to cool to room temperature. Then place in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight when you’re ready to serve it the next day.
👪 Serving Suggestions
My homemade vegan cranberry sauce is the perfect side dish for your holiday dinner table. Serve with other sides like my Vegan Biscuit Recipe, Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole, and my herby Vegan Croissant Stuffing for a complete holiday meal. Need a main course? No worries, check out a few reader favorites below:
- Vegan Mushroom Wellington with Sweet Potatoes and Rosemary
- Savory Vegan Lentil Loaf with Balsamic Glaze
- Vegan Shepherd’s Pie made with Gardein Meatless Crumbles
- Frozen Vegetable Pot Pie with Homemade Pot Pie Crust
- Vegan Galette with Sweet Potato and Pepita Gremolata
- Creamy Vegan Eggnog; a must-have for the holidays
🥘 More Holiday Sides
Have you tried this? Why not leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter!
Homemade Vegan Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries fresh, whole
- 1 cup filtered water
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 cup agave syrup
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1/2 tsp cloves ground
- 1 tsp cardamom ground
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp orange zest
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the cranberries. Place in a medium saucepan and add 1 cup of water.
- Add the remaining ingredients, including agave syrup, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and sea salt. Stir until all ingredients are well-incorporated.
- :Bring recipe to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. You want it nice and bubbly but don't want to cook it so long it starts to reduce. After a minute or two, start smashing the berries with a wooden spoon against the side of the pot. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher, however, I like to hear the berries pop so I just use a wooden spoon. Cover and remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature or at least for 10-15 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to chill and set, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Remember, initially the sauce will be thin, however, as it cools it will thicken. When ready to serve, garnish with a sprinkle of orange zest and a cinnamon stick or two and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes a great make ahead recipe.
- Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- Freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight when ready to serve.
- Nutrition information is only an estimate.
I just added to my holiday menu. We did a trial yesterday and this recipe turned out perfect. Thank you
Great to hear. Thank you MacKenzie.
I like that this cranberry sauce recipe is refined sugar free! I have bookmarked to make later. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome, thanks Kechi.
A lovely recipe and a delicious cranberry sauce.
Happy you enjoyed it, thank you Sisley.
I love this version of cranberry sauce, and the fact that it’s refined sugar free is an added bonus – this is definitely going to be making an appearance at my Thanksgiving table this year!
Great to hear Anjali. Mine too. Thank you.
I love the idea of adding some heat with the red pepper flakes! I am going to try it this year!
Thank you Lima, I’m telling you it really adds a boatload of flavor.