Cranberry sauce may be the most divisive guest at the holiday table. Some people pile it onto turkey, stuffing and anything else within reach. Others stare suspiciously at the perfectly cylindrical version from a can and wonder why a side dish still has the ridges from its packaging. Homemade cranberry sauce changes the conversation entirely.
Cranberry Magic: A Weight Watchers-Friendly Delight
This no sugar added-cranberry sauce keeps everything that makes cranberry sauce worth having… bright berry flavor, plenty of tartness and that gorgeous ruby-red color… without burying the cranberries under a mountain of added sugar. Better yet, it comes together quickly enough that there is very little reason to fight with a can opener. Traditional cranberry sauce can be surprisingly sweet because cranberries themselves are extremely tart. Removing the added sugar lets the fruit keep more of its personality while still giving you enough sweetness to balance that natural bite. The result is a cranberry sauce without sugar that tastes fresh and bright rather than like cranberry-flavored candy.
Reasons To Love This Recipe:
One of the top reasons to adore this sugar-free cranberry sauce is its power to transform your holiday spread into a healthier feast. It lets you savor the flavors of the season without the added sugar guilt, helping you keep those wellness goals intact during the most indulgent time of the year. Here are a few more reasons:
- Flavor Explosion: Just because it's sugar-free doesn't mean it's flavor-free! Our cranberry sauce bursts with the zesty tang of cranberries, the comforting warmth of cinnamon, and a hint of citrusy freshness from orange extract. It's a taste sensation that will have you reaching for seconds (and maybe thirds).
- No Fear of Missing Out: Tired of feeling like you're missing out on holiday treats because of dietary restrictions? This sauce is your golden ticket to enjoying all the holiday goodness without compromise. Whether you're diabetic, on a low-sugar diet, or just want to make a smart choice, this sauce has your back.
- A Dash of Health: Beyond being sugar-free, our cranberry sauce boasts health benefits from cinnamon and orange extract. Cinnamon, with its antioxidants and blood sugar regulation properties, teams up with vitamin C-rich orange extract to make this sauce as nutritious as it is delicious.
- Simple and Quick: Who has time for complicated recipes during the holidays? Not you! This sauce is a breeze to whip up. Throw the ingredients together, simmer for a bit, and voila – you have a homemade, healthier cranberry sauce ready to steal the show.
- Family and Friends Approved: Worried about serving something different to your guests? Don't be! This sauce is a crowd-pleaser, loved by health-conscious eaters and foodies alike. Your family and friends won't even realize it's sugar-free; they'll be too busy savoring the fantastic flavors.
- Feel-Good Festivities: Last but not least, this sugar-free cranberry sauce lets you enjoy the festivities with a feel-good factor. It's a small but meaningful step toward maintaining your health and wellness goals, ensuring you enter the new year on the right foot. So, indulge, celebrate, and savor the joy of the season, knowing you're making a wise choice for your well-being.
What Ingredients Make This Recipe Work?
Truvia Brown Sugar: The Sweet Secret
First up, the magical Truvia Brown Sugar Blend. It's the secret sauce (pun intended) in our recipe. This low-calorie sweetener is a game-changer for those of us keeping an eye on our calorie intake. Made from stevia leaf extract, erythritol, and a dash of molasses, it gives you all the sweet, brown sugar goodness with a whopping 75% fewer calories. Sweet, right?
Cinnamon: Spice Up Your Life and Your Health
Now, let's talk about everyone's favorite spice – cinnamon. It's not just a flavor enhancer; it's a health booster too! Cinnamon brings warmth and depth to your dishes while serving up a side of antioxidants. It's like the superhero of spices, regulating blood sugar levels and even aiding in weight loss. Sprinkling some into our cranberry sauce not only elevates the taste but also adds to its health benefits.
A Citrusy Twist with Orange Extract
What's cranberry sauce without a little zing? Enter orange extract. It adds a refreshing citrus kick to the cranberry sauce, perfectly balancing the tart cranberries and the sweetness of Truvia Brown Sugar. The traditional version uses orange juice which is loaded with sugar, but by using extract, you don't need to worry about that!
Preparation Made Easy
Now, let's get to the fun part: making this delightful sauce. It's a breeze! Just toss all the ingredients into a saucepan, let them dance together until those cranberries burst and the mixture thickens. Give it some time to cool down, and you're good to go.
Fresh or Frozen Cranberries Both Work
Fresh cranberries are easy to find around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but frozen cranberries work beautifully too. There is no need to thaw them first… they can go straight into the saucepan and may simply need an extra minute or two to soften and burst. That makes this recipe worth keeping around even after the holiday produce display disappears.
How Do Cranberries Turn Into Sauce?
Cranberries practically do the work themselves. As they simmer, the berries begin to pop and release their natural pectin, which helps the mixture thicken as it cooks and continues thickening as it cools. It is one of those recipes that looks suspiciously simple because, for once, it actually is.
Can You Make Cranberry Sauce Ahead of Time?
Absolutely… and this is one holiday recipe that arguably gets better when it is made ahead. The sauce thickens as it chills, and giving it several hours in the refrigerator allows the flavors to settle together. That makes it an easy dish to cross off the list a day or two before Thanksgiving or Christmas rather than squeezing one more saucepan onto the stove at the last minute.
What Goes With Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce?
Turkey may be the obvious answer, but cranberry sauce has considerably more range than Thanksgiving dinner gives it credit for. Serve it with roast chicken or pork, spoon it over cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, or use it as a tart-sweet addition to a sandwich made with leftover turkey. It is especially good with creamy cheese. This baked brie with cranberries and walnuts pairs warm brie with tart cranberry sauce and crunchy walnuts, making it an easy holiday appetizer and an excellent excuse to deliberately make extra sauce.
Add It to a Weight Watchers Thanksgiving Menu
Homemade cranberry sauce gives you much more control over the ingredients than many store-bought versions, which makes it particularly useful when planning a lighter holiday meal. For more ideas, Sassy Cooking's guide to Thanksgiving on Weight Watchers covers ways to build a satisfying holiday plate without turning Thanksgiving into an exercise in deprivation.
A spoonful of cranberry sauce also tastes fantastic next to savory sides such as these autumn roasted vegetables. The tart cranberries cut through the deeper roasted flavors and add the kind of color that makes an otherwise very beige Thanksgiving plate considerably more interesting.
Serve Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce at Christmas Too
There is no reason cranberry sauce has to disappear after Thanksgiving. Its jewel-red color practically volunteered for Christmas duty, and it works beautifully alongside turkey, ham, chicken and roasted vegetables. If you're planning the entire meal, this recipe fits naturally into a simple healthy Christmas menu without adding another complicated recipe to the day. Better yet, making the cranberry sauce ahead means one less pan competing for stove space when Christmas dinner is already threatening to become a logistical operation.
What Can You Do With Leftover Cranberry Sauce?
Leftovers may actually be one of the best reasons to make homemade cranberry sauce. Spread it onto turkey sandwiches, stir it into oatmeal, swirl it through Greek yogurt, spoon it over baked brie or serve it alongside roasted meat later in the week. You can also use leftover cranberry sauce to create a quick appetizer using that same cranberry and walnut baked brie combination. It turns a container of holiday leftovers into something that suddenly looks intentional.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce Beats the Can on Effort Alone
There are plenty of holiday recipes worth buying prepared because making them from scratch requires an afternoon, three specialized pans and the patience of a saint. Cranberry sauce is not one of them. Fresh or frozen cranberries, a little liquid, your preferred sweetener and a few minutes on the stove are enough to create something brighter, fresher and considerably more interesting than the canned version. And unlike the canned version, nobody has to decide whether those ridges are part of the presentation.
Versatile and Delectable To Use All Year Long
Our Weight Watchers-Friendly Cranberry Sauce isn't just for the holiday season. It's a year-round flavor fiesta. Pair it with roast turkey or chicken for an unbeatable side dish. Or get creative – spread it on your morning toast or swirl it into your yogurt for a breakfast that's anything but ordinary. The possibilities are endless, and the taste? Simply divine!
How Many Points Are In This Recipe?
With the new Weight Watchers Plan, points can vary for diabetics. Points can also vary with different brands. Please use your recipe maker to determine your exact points.
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Find me on WW Connect @Sassycooking_Alyssa to see my full recipe list!
No Sugar Added Cranberry Sauce
This easy no sugar added cranberry sauce is bright, tart and lightly sweetened with warm cinnamon and a hint of orange. Made with fresh or frozen cranberries, it comes together in about 10 minutes and makes a simple lower-sugar addition to Thanksgiving, Christmas and holiday leftovers.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
- 2 Tbsp Truvia Sweet Complete Brown Sweetener
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1-2 drops of Orange Extract
- 1/4 cup Water
Instructions
- Add the water and Truvia Sweet Complete Brown Sweetener to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sweetener dissolves.
- Add the cranberries, cinnamon and orange extract. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have burst and the sauce begins to thicken.
- For a chunkier cranberry sauce, leave some of the berries whole. For a smoother sauce, gently mash the cranberries with the back of a spoon as they cook.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the cranberry sauce to cool. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Fresh or frozen cranberries both work well in this recipe. Frozen cranberries can go directly into the saucepan without thawing, although they may need an extra minute or two of cooking time.
- Start with 1 drop of orange extract, taste once the sauce has cooled slightly, and add another if you want a stronger orange flavor. Orange extract can become overpowering quickly, so a little goes a long way.
- The sweetness can also be adjusted to taste. Cranberries are naturally very tart, so add a little more sweetener if you prefer a sweeter traditional cranberry sauce.
- Store leftover cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to about one week.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 27Total Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gSodium 1mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 0g
*This is an automatic calculation by a third party app*
This isn't just cranberry sauce; it's a testament to your culinary creativity and your commitment to your health and weight goals. With the right ingredients, you can turn a simple recipe into a nourishing masterpiece. So, when you're planning your next meal, don't forget to add this cranberry sauce to your menu. It's a delightful blend of tangy, sweet, and a hint of spice that will make everyone at your table fall in love with healthy eating all over again. Cranberry magic, here you come!
The Ultimate Guide on How To Enjoy Thanksgiving on Weight Watchers
Be sure to check out the complete guide for more tips and tricks to having the best weight watchers friendly Thanksgiving!
- No Sugar Added Cranberry Sauce
- How To Prepare a Simple Healthy Christmas Menu
- Creamy Guinness Potato Cheddar Soup with Turkey Bacon
- Perfect Wine Pairings with Healthy Meals: Sip Smart with These Healthy Wine Choices
- Sip Smarter: The Ultimate Guide to Low Calorie Wines
- Air Fryer Cottage Cheese Apple Fritters
