Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish

Get festive with a homemade recipe for easy, three-ingredient cranberry orange relish. Made with fresh cranberries, orange and coconut sugar for a perfect side to turkey, chicken, pork mains and more (jazz up yogurts, pancakes and muffins)!

I hope this post finds you sipping hot cocoa and researching your next healthy, holiday treat! I'll let you get back to your cookie Pinning in just a minute, but I wanted to share this easy side for your holiday dinners. This year, I was thankful to spend Thanksgiving with my 95-year-old, Italian grandmother in Patterson where my dad spent his childhood making fireworks and conducting science experiments. I wanted to bring something to the holiday dinner in addition to my go-to favorite (eh hem, pumpkin pie!). With a bag of whole cranberries, an orange and coconut sugar, I whipped up a colorful side in minutes.

Although Thanksgiving is over, turkey dinner is still on my mind! As a dinner guest, I missed out on all the leftovers. Whether or not you're planning a Christmas turkey dinner, cranberry relish also goes with chicken, pork and beef (as a side or glaze!). Let's brighten up your protein dishes with sweet, tart flavors and a festive look! With just three ingredients you can have a cranberry relish ready in minutes. Because it's raw, there's little to no prep-work—the beauty of a relish. You may be surprised to hear that I use a whole orange (the peel and all!). The citrus oils from the pith and peel get incorporated into the relish for something very fragrant and bright. And, the juice from the orange and the coconut sugar help to balance the tart crimson berries. I won't rival the canned-cranberry-sauce lovers—I grew up on that stuff, too. These are nostalgic tastebuds we're talking about! But I love experimenting with my family's traditions for a healthier twist and this one is super fresh and healthier, using coconut sugar instead of cane sugar.

Why Coconut Sugar?

Coconut sugar is a little less sweet and has a lovely caramel-y taste. It also ranks a 35 on the glycemic index, making it a low-glycemic sweetener (on a scale of 0 to 100). So, it doesn't spike your insulin (the fat producing hormone) as much as other sugars. Modifying recipes with healthier ingredients is just one way to keep up with your fitness goals during this holiday season.

Leftovers

Here are some ideas for your leftovers:

• Serve with cream cheese and crackers as an appetizer

• Mix in muffin recipes

• Add in turkey lettuce wrap

• Top on yogurts (my FAVORITE)

• Top on hot cereal (oatmeal, or cream of buckwheat)

• Top on Protein Plantain Pancakes

• Spoon on toast

• Substitute in Paleo crumbles

Print here: Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish

Prep time: 00:10 Cook time: 00:00 Servings: 12

Ingredients

4 c fresh cranberries* 1 orange 1 c coconut sugar

Recipe Steps

1. Wash and chop oranges into 4-6 pieces (leave peel on).

2. Place orange pieces and cranberries into food processor and finely chop until well blended and no chunks. Stir and scrape down sides, blend again.

3. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.

4. Serve alongside main dish, like turkey. Store in air-tight jar up to 7 days, or freeze.

Additional Notes

*For low FODMAP: Although Monash University has not officially tested fresh cranberries, they released a statement saying, “9g dried cranberries is low FODMAP and should be well tolerated by most” and one glass of cranberry juice is low FODMAP (Monash, 2015).