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Our roasted cranberries recipe is a simple, sophisticated side dish. It is perfect for your holiday table but easy enough for every day. Flavored with bourbon and orange, this recipe is paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
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Our recipe directions allow you to serve this as a cranberry sauce, a savory side dish, or as a cranberry dessert (but without all the sugar)!
i firmly believe that it is possible to get healthier fruits and vegetables into your holiday menus without sacrificing traditions or taste. We got such a great response to our Sweet Potato Crunch I thought we should share our roasted cranberries recipe with you.
Jump to:
- 📖Why This Recipe Works
- 🧾Ingredient Notes
- ⏲️ How to Make Roasted Cranberries
- 💭Cranberry Sauce Variation
- 💭Cranberry Dessert Variation
- 🌡️Storage
- 🦃More Thanksgiving Recipes
- 📖 Printable Recipe Card
- ⭐Reviews
📖Why This Recipe Works
- Roasting cranberries brings out their tartness, rather than covering it up with extra sugar or jello.
- This recipe has less than 5 minutes of hands-on time.
- This recipe can be made in advance and reheated before serving.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Fresh Cranberries
Orange- Any variety will do.
Bourbon- If you are avoiding alcohol you can substitute water, apple juice, or additional orange juice for the bourbon.
Honey- Or substitute sugar for vegan. This recipe is VERY light on sugar. You can increase it but the purpose of roasting the cranberries is to bring out their tart flavor.
Spices- Cinnamon,nutmeg, and just a pinch of kosher salt.
Out of oranges and OJ? Check out our list of substitutes for orange juice.
⏲️ How to Make Roasted Cranberries
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Combine the whole cranberries, orange juice & zest, bourbon, honey, and spices into an ovenproof dish. Stir to combine. Bake for 45 minutes until cranberries are soft and the liquid is reduced by two-thirds.
Yep, that is it! How easy are these roasted cranberries? Good food does not have to be complicated to make. To serve we just add some additional orange zest and dig in.
(Side note: We recommend this Microplane tool for zesting citrus- durable and useful!).
As you know, I love a recipe that can be easily modified into something new. So what if you want to make these roasted cranberries into a sauce?
💭Cranberry Sauce Variation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the whole cranberries, orange juice & zest, bourbon, ¼ cup of water, honey, and spices in an ovenproof dish. Stir to combine. Bake for 45 minutes until cranberries are soft and the liquid is reduced by one-third.
Use an immersion blender to break up about half the cranberries. The cranberry sauce should be chunky but saucy.
💭Cranberry Dessert Variation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the whole cranberries, orange juice & zest, bourbon, ½ cup of honey (warmed), and spices in a bowl. Stir to combine.
Divide the mixture into four ramekins. Bake for 35-45 minutes until cranberries are soft and the liquid is reduced by two-thirds. Top with whipped cream or dairy-free paleo whipped topping. Garnish with orange zest and chopped nuts.
If you want a sweeter cranberry sauce or salad, check out my cranberry salad with raspberry jello recipe.
Also, let us know in the comments how you will be making your roasted cranberries. Side dish, sauce, or dessert?
🌡️Storage
Leftover cranberries should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for up to 5 days. Reheat in a small pan on the stovetop or reheat in the oven at 300 F degrees.
🦃More Thanksgiving Recipes
If you are looking for an everyday way to use up leftover cranberries check out our sheet pan dinner of pork chops with acorn squash and cranberries. It is an easy one-pot Fall dinner!
Be sure to check out more of our holiday recipes. Here are a couple of our favorites.
- Sweet and Spicy Hasselback Butternut Squash
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pomegranate
- Celeriac Puree (Celery Root Puree)
- Modern Green Bean Casserole
Did You Enjoy Making This Recipe? Please rate this recipe with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or leave a comment. It helps other wonderful people connect with my food.
📖 Printable Recipe Card
Roasted Cranberries
Roasted cranberries, a classic healthy holiday dish that is easy enough for every day. Flavored with bourbon and orange this recipe does triple duty as a side dish, a sauce, and a dessert.
Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 45 minutes mins
Total: 50 minutes mins
5 from 17 votes
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Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 small orange, juiced & zested set aside ½ the zest, for garnish
- 2 tablespoon bourbon or apple juice
- 2 tablespoon raw honey or coconut sugar for vegan
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a 9-inch baking dish. Stir until well combined.
4 cups fresh cranberries, 1 small orange, juiced & zested, 2 tablespoon bourbon, 2 tablespoon raw honey, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, pinch of kosher salt
Bake for 45 minutes or until cranberries are soft and the liquid has reduced by two-thirds. Serve as desired.
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Notes
- To serve as a side dish- top with orange zest and serve.
- To serve as a sauce- add 3 to 4 tablespoon of water before baking. Reduce liquid by ⅓ and pulse with an immersion blender to barely break up the cranberries. It should still be chunky.
- To serve as a dessert- Increase the honey to ½ cup before baking. Top with whipped cream and orange zest when serving.
Equipment
Nutrition
Calories: 104kcal | Carbs: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Fiber: 5g
Author: Jen Wooster
Course:: Dessert, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, British, Christmas, Healthy, Holiday, Thanksgiving
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