Raw Cranberry Relish
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This vegan raw cranberry relish with oranges is a delicious side dish. It’s a healthy addition to your Thanksgiving table that everyone will love.

Cranberries are an essential part of fall in my house. Their tart flavor is irresistible, and I love that the cranberry is our state fruit here in Massachusetts.
My daughter and I both love cranberry sauce, so I like to make a fresh batch for Thanksgiving every year. She’s happy with the jellied sauce that comes out of a can, but I like to make the real thing.
For something a little different, I sometimes switch things up and make this raw cranberry relish. It’s adapted from an old family recipe on my husband’s side. The original recipe called for a cup of sugar, but I use a smaller amount of pure maple syrup instead.

The result is this delicious raw cranberry relish with oranges and pineapple. I love that I don’t need to cook this at all. A food processor or blender and 10 minutes are all you need to put together this flavorful cranberry relish.
Raw Cranberry Relish Tips
You can chop the ingredients easily using a food processor or blender. Be careful not to puree the mixture. This raw cranberry relish is best when there are distinct pieces of each ingredient in the final product.
Refrigerate the mixture for a few hours before serving so the ingredients have time to come together. The leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
This is a classic Thanksgiving side dish, but you can serve it any time of year as a healthy raw side.
Try my gluten-free cranberry muffins for another delicious fall treat.
Raw Cranberry Relish

Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries
- 2 oranges peeled and seeded
- 1 cup crushed pineapple
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, chop the cranberries and oranges. Don’t chop them so much that they become pureed.
- Place the crushed pineapple in a mixing bowl and add the cranberries and oranges. If the relish seems watery, strain the excess juice with a fine-mesh strainer. Add the maple syrup and mix everything together.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Approximate Nutrition Info
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Price Breakdown
This recipe costs $5.35 to make, or $.33 per quarter-cup serving. This raw cranberry relish is a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving table.
Note: This post was updated in 2020.
I’ve recently become obsessed with fresh cranberry sauces (roasted the last – so good.) Loving the addition of pineapple in this one! Thank you Aunt Flo 🙂
Thanks, Deanna. Roasted cranberry sauce sounds amazing – I’d love to try it.
Oh, yum! I’ll bookmark this to use at Christmas with the case of Band Fundraising Oranges that will show up next month. This year my cranberry sauce had beets and apricots in it, because I’ve got beets coming out every which way.
Thanks!
I love the idea of apricots in cranberry sauce. I’ll have to try that one.
I really like your version! I use one can of sweetened condensed milk to sweeten ours and it’s really got a nice flavor (it’s a frozen dish).
Thanks, Tammy. That’s an interesting twist with the condensed milk.
I agree, I love fresh cranberry sauce. This is a nice redux, substituting fruit for some of the sugar. I will be preparing this later today!
Thanks, Diane. I hope you like it. Happy Thanksgiving!
My mom used to make a yummy cranberry relish. Love that your version uses pineapple and maple syrup instead of sugar. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks, Martha!
Love that your husband has an Aunt Flo…that’s a vintage name! Also love the idea of adding pineapple to the relish!
I love the vintage name too! I think that’s part of what drew me to her recipe.