• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Nourish Every Day
  • Home
  • About
    • Nourish Every Day
    • My Story
    • Blogging and Food Photography Resources
    • Press
    • Site Info and Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
    • View All Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Healthy Baking
    • Main Course
    • Salads and Sides
    • Desserts and Sweets
    • Snacks and Bites
    • Smoothies and Drinks
  • Nutrition Consultations
  • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Contact Me
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Easy Vanilla Maple Cranberry Sauce

December 14, 2016 by Monique 6 Comments

  • Facebook
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Vanilla Maple Cranberry Sauce is really quick, simple and easy to make, requiring only 5 ingredients or less. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, it’s also vegan and paleo friendly so it’s a total crowd pleaser!

This Vanilla Maple Cranberry Sauce is really quick, simple and easy to make. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, it's vegan and paleo friendly.

Finding fresh cranberries in the supermarket is such a novelty to me. Coming from Australia, where (i) cranberries are not abundant in December and (ii) I’d say cranberry sauce is nowhere near as much of a “thing” at Christmas time as it is elsewhere in the world… to find fresh cranberries in my local shop is just exciting! I love playing with new ingredients. Especially when you can whip up a vanilla-scented maple cranberry sauce in no time, and then have a delicious condiment to spread on just about anything.

Fresh cranberries are very firm and quite bitter tasting; it makes you realise how much sugar is generally added to the more common dried version (and is a key reason I don’t use them in large quantities). However, this sharp flavour is also what makes cranberries so suitable for cooking into a sauce or a relish; they offer such a nice acidic contrast to the heavy foods they are typically paired with. In this vanilla maple cranberry sauce, the caramel-like sweetness of the maple syrup balances out this sharpness just perfectly. There’s also a little apple puree in the recipe which adds some extra sweetness, too.

I wanted to give my maple cranberry sauce something a little extra, so I’ve added in a dash of vanilla and some orange zest. Orange zest and/or orange juice are often added to cranberry sauce recipes; the citrus note pairs so well. I chose to just use orange zest to reduce the sugar content of my sauce a little (I found that the sauce was sweet enough, and thinned it out with water). The vanilla is a little more unusual but it’s such a beautiful, delicate flavour and fragrance that I think makes this sauce extra special – every time I open the jar it smells so great!

You can make this vanilla maple cranberry sauce quite thick and chunky with a few whole cranberries still in there. Or, cook it for a few minutes longer, add an extra half cup of water and then blend it until smooth. I prefer it chunky so it can be easily popped into sandwiches or on top of yoghurt or porridge. My tip: make a loaf of my Savoury Pumpkin Oat Bread and pair these two recipes together!

This Vanilla Maple Cranberry Sauce is really quick, simple and easy to make. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, it's vegan and paleo friendly.

This Vanilla Maple Cranberry Sauce is really quick, simple and easy to make. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, it's vegan and paleo friendly. Recipe via wordpress-6440-15949-223058.cloudwaysapps.com

Easy Vanilla Maple Cranberry Sauce

This Vanilla Maple Cranberry Sauce is really quick, simple and easy to make. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, it's vegan and paleo friendly.
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Course: Desserts and Sweets
Cuisine: dairy free, paleo, vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 1 jar

Ingredients

  • 300 grams fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 cup apple puree
  • 4-6 tbsp maple syrup (adjust to taste)
  • 2-3 tsp vanilla extract (adjust to taste - some are stronger than others)
  • 2 tsp finely chopped orange zest (optional)

Instructions

  • Wash the cranberries and place them in a saucepan (with a lid) with 1/2 cup water and the 1/2 cup of apple puree, plus the orange zest (if you're using it).
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce to a gentle simmer. Place the lid on the saucepan, just slightly ajar.
  • Simmer the mixture for 10-15, stirring occasionally. The cranberries will start to pop and explode; continue to gently stir them as they do, forming a nice thick sauce.
  • Toward the end of the cooking time, stir in 4 tbsp of maple syrup and the vanilla. Taste test and add additional maple syrup, if desired. You can also add some extra water to the sauce as it's cooking if you'd like it thinner.
  • Allow the sauce to cool and then transfer to a sterile jar to store. It will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge if kept nice and cold.

Notes

*This sauce could also be made with frozen cranberries if you can’t get a fresh punnet! 
**You can leave the orange zest out if you don’t have a fresh orange handy – I’ve made it with and without the orange zest and I think it’s delicious either way.
Have you made this recipe?I love seeing your creations! Take a photo and then tag me @nourish.everyday on Instagram!

This Vanilla Maple Cranberry Sauce is really quick, simple and easy to make. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, it's vegan and paleo friendly.

Savoury Pumpkin Oat Bread is so easy to make with your Vitamix! Gluten free, dairy free and sugar free, a great healthy snack or side dish. Recipe via wordpress-6440-15949-223058.cloudwaysapps.com Savoury Pumpkin Oat Bread (gluten free)
Blog Post: Overcoming Orthorexia - Moving On. I talk about eating, exercising and living after dealing with a restrictive eating disorder. Balsamic Pomegranate Labneh (Yoghurt) Dip

Filed Under: Desserts and Sweets, Recipe, Salads and Sides

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rebecca

    July 27, 2018 at 1:58 am

    Why isn’t the vanilla in the ingredient list so I know how much to add?

    Reply
    • Monique

      July 27, 2018 at 7:24 pm

      I’m so sorry Rebecca, that is a big error on my part! The recipe should state 2-3 teaspoons, depending on how strong your vanilla extract is. I will fix this now!

      Reply
  2. Joyce

    December 22, 2016 at 5:03 pm

    How lucky that you were able to find fresh cranberries! Fresh cranberry sauce is one of my favorite holiday foods. 🙂 Vanilla, maple, and orange all sound like delicious additions.

    Reply
    • Monique

      December 22, 2016 at 10:42 pm

      Hello Joyce! Haha yes, I was delighted to discover fresh cranberries 🙂 This was my first year cooking with them and I’ve loved playing around making sauces with them, it’s easier than I expected! Vanilla is my favourite thing to add. It makes the sauce so special!

      Reply
  3. Elle Kirschenbaum

    December 21, 2016 at 8:06 pm

    This looks delicious! I am featuring it tonight on Allergy-Free Thursdays. Can’t wait to see what you share this week!

    Reply
    • Monique

      December 22, 2016 at 10:44 pm

      Dear Elle, thank you so much for your kind words! I’m honoured to be featured and will make sure to pop a link into this recipe post 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

HELLO

Monique Cormack

I'm Monique, an accredited clinical nutritionist and creator of Nourish Everyday. I share my favourite healthy recipes on this blog! When I'm not blogging I work as an expert fertility and pregnancy nutritionist.

Trending Recipes

  • Almond Chocolate Mug Cake {gluten free, grain free, dairy free} - this recipe uses almond meal and cacao to make a dead easy healthier chocolate mug cake! Healthy Almond Chocolate Mug Cake (super quick!)

  • Fish tray bake with zucchini, tomato and olives on a blue background Simple Mediterranean Fish Tray Bake with Vegetables

  • Healthy Noodle Bowls with vermicelli noodles, vegetables, fresh herbs and peanut butter sauce spread on top | Nourish Every Day Healthy Vermicelli Noodle Bowls with Peanut Butter Sauce

  • Spiced sweet potato and capsicum soup is healthy and warming. Roasted vegetables and delicious spices combine in this easy gluten free, dairy free meal. Recipe at wordpress-6440-15949-223058.cloudwaysapps.com Spiced Sweet Potato and Capsicum Soup

  • Peanut Butter Date Energy Balls Peanut Butter Date Energy Balls

  • Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Overnight Oats {gluten free, dairy free and vegan friendly recipe} - the perfect breakfast to meal prep in advance, no cooking required! Chocolate Zucchini Overnight Oats

Site Info & Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Nourish Every Day
Website Development & Website SEO by Duelling Pixels

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required