Easy Maple Cranberry Sauce (2 Ingredients)
Enjoy this quick and easy maple cranberry sauce recipe during the holidays or any time of year. It is sweetened without any refined sugars--only maple syrup--and is ready in minutes. Add different flavorings, as you like, to make the sauce your own!
Equipment
- 1 Medium Saucepan
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries (or frozen, no need to thaw)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- Optional: pinch of salt
- Optional: additional flavorings (see notes, below)
Instructions
- Combine the cranberries, maple syrup, water, and optional pinch of salt in a medium saucepan.
- Turn the heat under the saucepan to medium-high. Cook until the liquids just begin to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries are popping (bursting), about 9 to 10 minutes.
- Taste the sauce, adding extra maple syrup, or another pinch of salt, as desired.
- Transfer to a dish and serve warm, or cool completely (the sauce will thicken and set as it cools due to the pectin in the cranberries). If desired, loosely cover and refrigerate until cold.
Notes
Storage: Store the cooled maple cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Cranberry Sauce Variations
- Add Spices: Add a generous pinch or two of spices to the simmering sauce. For example, ground cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, or cloves. Or add a cinnamon stick to the simmering sauce, leaving it in while the sauce cools.
- Vary the Liquid: Replace half of the water with orange juice, red wine, or ginger beer. If using ginger beer, reduce the maple syrup by 2 tablespoons (30 mL), or to taste.
- Add Vanilla or Citrus Zest: Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the sauce as it cools. Alternatively, add one to two teaspoons of finely grated lime, lemon or orange zest.
- Add Fresh Herbs: Add a small sprig of rosemary to the simmering sauce, or stir in two to three teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves as the sauce cools.
- Vary the Sweetener: You can use an equal amount of another liquid sweetener in place of the maple syrup, such as agave nectar, brown rice syrup, or (if you do not follow a vegan diet) honey. You can also use an equal amount of coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated cane sugar. Add 2 tablespoons (30 mL) more water if using one of these granulated sweetener options.