Healthy Cranberry Sauce

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This healthy cranberry sauce recipe features chia seeds for added nutrients. It’s a delicious, four-ingredient Thanksgiving side dish. (gluten-free, vegan)

Cranberry sauce is an essential side dish for Thanksgiving. But in my house, we enjoy it during other times of the year, too. My daughter has been known to have a little bowl of cranberry sauce as part of her after school snack, and I like having it on hand to use as a sandwich topping.

I love my Instant Pot cranberry sauce recipe, but I wanted to make a new version that was even healthier than the original. Chia seeds are high in nutrients, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. With all the decadence that typically comes at Thanksgiving, chia seeds are a great ingredient to add to the feast.

Healthy Cranberry Sauce Tips

• Cooling: With the addition of chia seeds, this cranberry sauce thickens very quickly and easily. I refrigerate it for an hour to cool it, but you can also serve it warm if desired.
• Whisking: Any time I add chia seeds to a recipe like this, I whisk it several times during the first ten minutes after the seeds are added. This helps to keep the seeds from clumping together, and it speeds up the thickening process.
• Sweetening: For a less sweet version of this cranberry sauce, you can cut back the amount of maple syrup to as little as a half cup. It’s extra tart that way, and it’s just a matter of preference.

Watch this short video to see the simple process behind this four-ingredient chia cranberry sauce recipe:

Healthy Cranberry Sauce with Chia Seeds

This healthy cranberry sauce recipe features chia seeds for added nutrients. ($.49 per serving)

5 from 17 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cranberry Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 99kcal

Author: Annemarie Rossi

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 tbs chia seeds

Instructions

• In a medium pot, stir together cranberries, maple syrup, and orange juice. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil, then remove the cover and lower the heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until berries are soft and some are breaking apart. Stir occasionally while it simmers.
• Remove from the heat and mash the berries. Slowly whisk in the chia seeds. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to thicken. This cranberry sauce keeps for over a week in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 99kcal

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Chia Cranberry Sauce Price Breakdown

This recipe costs a total of $5.83 to make, or $.49 per serving. Try this healthy cranberry sauce with chia seeds for a delicious addition to your holiday table.