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    Home » Recipes » Gluten-Free Holidays

    Published: Oct 25, 2018 · Modified: Oct 26, 2022 by Jen Wooster

    Roasted Cranberries

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    Jump to Recipe
    Roasted cranberries in a serving dish with a bottle of bourbon.
    Roasted cranberries in a serving dish.
    Cranberries in a serving dish with cinnamon sticks.

    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.

    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)!

    roasted cranberry sauce with towel and cinnamon sticks
    Roasted Cranberries

    This post may include affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Please read the entire post for tips and tricks to ensure a perfect recipe every time. And don't forget to tag @peelwithzeal on Instagram so we can admire your creation!

    This is a Mr. Peel original recipe! We used to eat this as a dessert for Christmas but it has migrated to our Thanksgiving cranberry sauce favorite. And we make it as a side dish for the rest of the year.

    Holiday foods often feel heavy and come with an extra helping of guilt. But holiday recipes don’t have to be that way.

    We also 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
    • 📖 Recipe
    • ⭐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 due.
    • 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.

    preparing cranberries in mixing bowl with wooden spoon

    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.

    cranberry dessert with whipped cream

    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.

    • Hasselback style squash on a white plate with sage leaves.
      Sweet and Spicy Hasselback Butternut Squash
    • Brussels sprout salad on a plate with a fork.
      Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pomegranate
    • Celeriac puree in a brown bowl with a small bowl of green chives.
      Celeriac Puree
    • deconstructed green bean casserole on serving platter
      Modern Green Bean Casserole

    If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave us a rating or a comment. It helps other wonderful people connect with our food.

    📖 Recipe

    roasted cranberries in a serving dish

    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 15 votes
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    Equipment

    • Small baking dish
    • Mixing bowl

    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
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    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.
    Rate this Recipe

    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.

    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
    Keyword bourbon cranberry sauce, cranberry dessert, cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce with orange, homemade cranberry sauce, roasted cranberries
    Tried this recipe?Tag us @peelwithzeal so we can see your creation!

    Check out our Cranberry Sauce with Borbon and Orange web story!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jen says

      November 14, 2018 at 11:03 am

      5 stars
      Yum

      Reply
    2. Louise says

      November 14, 2018 at 10:36 am

      You had me at bourbon and orange! I can just imagine how well those to pair up with cranberries. Yummy!

      Reply
    3. Marisa Moore says

      November 14, 2018 at 10:13 am

      So smart. I never thought to roast cranberries before. This would be delish for next week. I couldn't get the stars to stick but would rate this a 5* recipe for sure!

      Reply
    4. Lisa | Garlic & Zest says

      November 14, 2018 at 10:10 am

      The bourbon and honey are such an unusual addition to this cranberry sauce -- and they're both right up my alley. Like you, I want this for more than just Thanksgiving...

      Reply
    5. Julia says

      November 14, 2018 at 9:36 am

      What a great recipe! Love the addition of bourbon there 🙂

      Reply
    6. Holly says

      November 14, 2018 at 9:15 am

      I bet that bourbon really takes this cranberry sauce to the next level! What a pretty dish for a Thanksgiving table!

      Reply
    7. Jenni LeBaron says

      October 28, 2018 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      I love that you've added a little bourbon to these. The perfect cranberries to serve at any holiday dinner!

      Reply
    8. April says

      October 26, 2018 at 1:06 pm

      5 stars
      I just love sophisticated side dishes because I think that at times they can easily serve as main dishes. And using cranberries for various holiday celebrations is my favorite thing to do!

      Reply
    9. Marisa Franca says

      October 26, 2018 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      Roasting the cranberries is such a great idea!! I would imagine that roasting would enhance the flavor of the classic Thanksgiving side. I'll definitely be making it this way.

      Reply
    10. Pavani says

      October 26, 2018 at 10:32 am

      5 stars
      Never thought of roasting cranberries before, but that sounds absolutely delicious. Roasted cranberry dessert sounds amazing. Perfect Thanksgiving dish.

      Reply
    11. Lauren Vavala says

      October 26, 2018 at 7:23 am

      5 stars
      I love how easy this recipe is and the addition of bourbon! I've never made cranberries with this method before - going to try soon!!

      Reply
      • Jen says

        October 26, 2018 at 7:55 am

        Bourbon makes everything better!

        Reply
    12. Claudia Lamascolo says

      October 26, 2018 at 5:44 am

      what a nice twist on cranberries for the Thanksgiving table. I am sure eveyrone would love this and they are so pretty

      Reply
    13. Dan Zehr says

      October 26, 2018 at 4:13 am

      5 stars
      I love everything that is associated with a cranberry. I like your idea, it can really be used every day. This is perfect for me. Sounds really interesting and tasty. Thanks.

      Reply
    14. Mahy Elamin says

      October 26, 2018 at 3:41 am

      5 stars
      This cranberry recipe is really unique! This sounds fantastic! Looks tasty! This recipe is perfect for me and my family. Thank you!

      Reply
    15. Dani says

      October 25, 2018 at 8:32 pm

      These roasted cranberries sound so delicious. I would use these berries in my homemade cranberry sauce, yum!

      Reply

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    My name is Jen and I am the recipe developer, writer, and photographer around here. Since being diagnosed with celiac disease over 10 years ago I have been slowly curating a recipe box full of gluten-free goodness. I adore vegetables, crave chocolate, and I am always up for an adventure.

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