Healthy Cranberry Sauce

Anyone else the clean-up crew for the left-over cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving?? meeee toooo!! ...num num!

However, I don’t like what’s IN most cranberry sauce. High fructose corn syrup, WAY too much sugar, food dyes, preservatives, additives...

Even the ORGANIC stuff from Costco has 22 grams of sugar per 2 Tbsp! So, I’ve made my own the last few years. It's safe for those of you on a Candida Detox or with blood sugar issues. Please note, there is still some natural sugar in the cranberries themselves, so it is wise to only have cranberry sauce if you are at least 1 month into your Candida Detox. This also makes a killer topping for my Raw Vegan Cheesecake!

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups fresh cranberries
2 cups water
4-6 drops Nature's Sunshine Organic Orange essential oil or 2+ Tbsp orange zest
1+ cup Swerve (sweeten to taste) 

If using orange zest, grate & set aside.

NOTE: If using Orange essential oil, be sure it is organic & safe to ingest. NEVER orally ingest a brand you pick up from a health food store without knowing it is 100% pure & safe for ingestion. All essential oils are NOT created equal. You are safe to use the Nature's Sunshine Organic Orange essential oil I've named above in your cooking/recipes. 

Place cranberries, water & Swerve in a medium saucepan. Over medium to high heat, cook until the cranberries burst, then lower heat to simmer 15 more minutes. If using orange zest, stir it in while your cranberries simmer. If using the orange essential oil, add it after you turn the heat off. Add a little extra Swerve if you like your cranberry sauce sweeter. I add a large spoonful of RAW honey at the end (but I am not on a Candida Detox anymore). Some cranberries are  quite juicy, so if your finished mixture is pretty runny, drain off some of the liquid. 

Blend with a (hand or high-powered) blender if you like your cranberry sauce completely smooth! Chill and serve. I like to make it the night before so it’s really cold & “jellied” for serving the next day.

Why wait until Thanksgiving to make this?! It makes a great dessert, dessert topping or side dish all year round :)

NOTE: If you are not on a strict Candida Detox, you could use RAW honey in place of Swerve (or half Swerve, half honey).
​ *Stevia does NOT do well in this recipe, as it has somewhat of a bitter taste & cranberries are naturally tart/bitter, as well. No bueno ;)

Serves 4-6 depending upon serving size.