This spicy cranberry sauce packs a bit of a kick, and it's absolutely delightful! Simmered with a tangy Granny Smith apple, warming cinnamon, and a jalapeño pepper, this surprisingly delicious combination will knock your socks off and become a new holiday favorite!
When I started to really get into cooking, I began contributing cranberry sauce to my family's Thanksgiving table. It seemed to make sense... you know, I was into cooking, so how could I eat jellied cranberry sauce out of a can. But it actually didn't make sense, because when my mom mentioned that she was going to stop buying the canned stuff, I freaked. I loved it. Couldn't give it up. No way. It was going to be a two-cranberry-sauce holiday, and for a few years, it was.
It's all pretty messed up when I think about it. My first few batches of cranberry sauce were just about as bad as the canned variety. The basic cranberry sauce recipe follows the same basic formula as this recipe, but the ingredients are limited to cranberries, water, and white sugar. So it doesn't come out of a can, and the berries themselves are detectable (as opposed to being a big jiggly heap of sweetness), but aside from that, I can't say it's much better than the prepackaged stuff.
Eventually, I started tweaking the recipe, replacing the water with different fruit juices, adding different types of fruit, and throwing in different spices, flavorings, and even nuts. I came up with variations I loved, like my classic vegan cranberry sauce and my spiced wine cranberry sauce. It got better. Better enough for me to give up canned cranberry sauce.
This year, since I've been on such an apple cider kick, I decided my cranberry sauce needed some, along with some apple chunks.
The "spicy" part of this recipe is new as well. If you're not into spicy, feel free to skip that part. I used a mild jalapeño and didn't include the seeds (we've got palates of all spiciness preferences at our Thanksgiving table). If you want more spice in your sauce, use extra jalapeños and include the seeds (the spiciest part of the pepper).
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Fresh cranberries.
- Granny Smith apple. This will add some depth of flavor to the sauce. Feel free to experiment with other varieties of apples.
- Jalapeño pepper. This is where the heat and that distinctive jalapeño flavor come from. You can experiment with other chili peppers if you'd like, but I just love the zippy flavor that a jalapeño adds.
- Apple cider. Not to be confused with apple cider vinegar. You want the beverage, which is also known as cloudy apple juice in some parts of the world. Regular old apple juice will do in a pinch if you need a substitute.
- Brown sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan.
- Ground cinnamon.
- Salt.
Leftovers & Storage
Your spicy cranberry apple sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. It holds up really well in storage, so this is a great make-ahead dish for the holidays!
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📖 Recipe
Spicy Cranberry Apple Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
- 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, with or without seeds (see note), finely diced
- 1 ½ cups apple cider
- ½ cup organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teapoon salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into medium saucepan and stir a few times to combine.
- Place the pot over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer, stirring frequently, until most of the berries have burst and the liquid is thick and syrupy, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat and allow the sauce to cool before serving.
Notes
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I make this every year since the first time I read it in 2014! That was my first vegan Thanksgiving in S.A.D.hostile territory. Everyone loves it! Everyone! I make it every year and everyone loves it Thank you!
Yay!! I'm so glad this has become part of your holiday tradition!
Lovely recipe. Thanks for sharing. Simon