A Twist on the Classic: Cranberry Apple Sauce
I grew up in Canada, and cranberries are a staple ingredient in the winter months. As a child we always had canned cranberry sauce on the table and then when we got a little older my sister and I always made homemade. I started making this version with apples when I was in my teens, at least twenty years ago now.
By adding apples to cranberries and cooking it down, you can reduce the amount of sweetener added – cranberries are just so sour – and you get a nice thick texture from the high pectin content in both the cranberries and the apples. This version is sweetened with maple syrup (even more Canadian) and it’s less sweet than canned, with a stronger fruit flavour.
Cranberry apple sauce is something that always features on my holiday menu through autumn and winter. Cranberries are a little harder to find now that I live in Europe, but these days they’re available frozen at least a couple months of the year so that’s what I use. You’ll really notice the difference between homemade cranberry sauce and the canned version.
I originally published this recipe in 2014. It has been updated with new photos (by Kelly Neil), more information, and with improvements to the recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need and Why
You really need just four ingredients, with the added cinnamon and oil or butter being optional. More on this below, plus other add-in options, from my decades of testing this recipe! See the full recipe card for the written recipe.
- Apples: a good cooking apple, like boskoop, is excellent here. You want a fairly sweet apple to avoid the need for adding too much other sweetener in order to balance out the tart cranberries. This is one of the very few recipes I will peel apples for.
- Cranberries: use either fresh or frozen, with no changes to the quantity or timing. Dried cranberries can’t be substituted. I always use frozen because fresh are too expensive and they don’t improve the taste at all.
- Maple syrup: or honey, if preferred, or another liquid sweetener. Maple syrup adds a nice flavour combination. Date syrup, for example, is a bit too strong here.
- Oil or butter: old-fashioned cranberry sauce recipes always add a knob of butter at the end to add richness, and this is following the same concept. Use refined coconut oil to avoid any added coconut taste, or use vegan or dairy butter.
- Add-ins: for something more reminiscent of a chutney, add a pinch of hot pepper and other spices you like – think cardamom, cloves, or black pepper. Also try vanilla, lemon or orange zest, a little dry red wine or brandy, or some fresh grated ginger.
How to Make Apple Cranberry Sauce
You only need a few minutes of active time to make your own and it keeps for ages – it’s well worth it. Keep it textured or purée, depending on how you like it best.
Step 1: core, peel, and chop the apples. You want the apple pieces to be about twice the size of a cranberry because they cook faster than the berries do, so it balances out.
Step 2: add to a pot with the cranberries, cinnamon, lemon juice, and maple syrup. The lemon juice prevents browning (you just need a splash) and will also help it to keep a little longer in the refrigerator.
Step 3: simmer until soft, 15-20 minutes. You don’t need to stir the whole time, but keep the pot covered to prevent too much liquid cooking off. The cranberries will burst as they cook too and can make a mess if not covered.
Step 4: stir in the oil or butter while the sauce is still warm, then cool fully before storing or serving. Taste at this point to check for sweetness and adjust to taste.
Expert Tips for the Best Sauce
- Peel, just this once: I very rarely peel apples (food waste, unnecessary, etc. – see honey apple pie) and while peeling the apples is an optional step, it does improve the texture of the sauce. If you plan on blending it after the fact then don’t bother with peeling.
- Blend the sauce: for a smooth sauce, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce while it’s still hot, or wait until it’s fully cooled and then blend in a food processor or standard blender to purée.
- Cook to your preference: if you want the apple to dissolve into the sauce, cook for double the time, until the apples break down fully and are no longer noticeable. This makes for a more traditional looking cranberry sauce.
- Make ahead: this can be refrigerated for up to five days, so it can easily be made ahead. Cool fully, then refrigerate in a sealed container until ready to use.
- Don’t can this recipe: while it is possible to can this recipe using a pressure canner, I can’t provide safe instruction on that and don’t recommend it unless you’re a canning expert. It does not contain enough sugar or acid for regular water bath canning.
More Holiday Side Dishes
Along with cranberry sauce, I always have lingonberry sauce on the table (they are different!) and a few other sides. We celebrate a few autumn and winter holidays so while I might not have every dish every time, these are recipes I use throughout the season. Any excuse for a big meal!
- Dinner rolls are a must-have, and I make either soft spelt rolls inspired by my husband’s grandmother, or pumpkin dinner rolls.
- Cabbage is king during the colder months where I live. Sauteed red cabbage, this orange and red cabbage salad, and vegan coleslaw (no mayo!) are seasonal staples on my holiday table.
- More practical make-ahead salad recipes for the holidays are my traditional carrot apple salad, Sicilian orange and red onion salad, and winter kale salad with dried cranberries.
- Last but not least, you need a good mash and stuffing. I make dairy-free mashed potatoes and something like mashed sweet potatoes or pumpkin, plus homemade vegetarian stuffing, which can be made in advance.
If you make this Cranberry Apple Sauce recipe or any other dips and sauces on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Apple Cranberry Sauce
Description
Ingredients
- 3 medium apples about 2 cups diced
- 240 grams (2 cups / 8 oz.) cranberries fresh or frozen
- 2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup optional, to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter, optional
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop the apples into pieces about twice the size of a cranberry (~3 cm or 1 ¼ in.). Add the apples, cranberries, maple syrup, lemon juice, and cinnamon to a medium sauce pot.3 medium apples, 240 grams (2 cups / 8 oz.) cranberries, 2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, covered. Cook over low-medium heat, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point in cooking, the sauce will still have some texture, but the cranberries will have burst and cooked. If you want it to be softer, cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut oil or butter, if using, and taste for sweetness. If you want the sauce to be very smooth you can purée with an immersion blender or cool fully before blending in a food processor or blender.1 teaspoon coconut oil
- This can be served warm or cold. Cool fully before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
About Alexandra Daum
Alexandra Daum is a professional recipe developer, food photographer, and cookbook author. She started sharing carefully tested vegetarian recipes in 2014 and has since published hundreds of recipes with seasonal ingredients and whole grains as the focus. Her work has been featured on CTV, in House & Home and Chatelaine, on popular websites like Buzzfeed and Best Health, and in countless other publications.