QUICK SUMMARY
This healthy cranberry relish recipe pulses fresh cranberries, apples, and oranges in a food processor and sweetens them with a little maple syrup instead of piles of sugar. It needs no gelatin, comes together in minutes, and tastes best made ahead and served cold, which makes it an easy allergy-friendly side for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
If your family prefers a non-jello-style cranberry relish recipe, I’ve got you covered! Canned cranberry sauce has nothing on this healthy side. It’s made with fresh fruit and has the perfect amount of tartness.
A dear family friend inspired this side dish. I had a wonderful time converting it to be more allergy-friendly! It’s now a staple at our holiday table. I know your family will love it just as much as we do.
Table of Contents:
My Best Cranberry Dish Tips
I’ve hosted many holiday meals and, over the years, have come up with some hacks to help things go smoothly. This side dish is an essential part of Thanksgiving dinner since it’s always a good idea to add all of the different flavors to a meal. Your typical holiday meal is sour, salty, bitter, and with this recipe, sweet!
Here are a few pro tips to help you create the best cranberry relish ever.
- Varied amounts of apples, cranberries, and oranges give you a delicious cranberry sauce that doesn’t require piles of sugar. Maple syrup adds the perfect hint of sweetness, and it creates a wonderfully sticky relish.
- This recipe tastes best when made ahead of time. I like to make it in my food processor, pulsing it until it reaches a fine relish consistency. Then, I refrigerate the relish to let the flavors release.
- My favorite apple to use in this recipe is Red Delicious. I’ve also used Empire and Honeycrisp apples with great success. Feel free to use your favorite!
- You can freeze your leftover cranberry relish to use at a different time. We also like serving an array of holiday leftovers the day after!
- To create an interesting flavor profile, use two different types of apples.
- Leftover cranberry relish is delicious on turkey sandwiches or grain-free crackers. If you have a lot of leftover relish, you can create a crisp topping and make an extra dessert! You can also pour it over dairy-free cream cheese for a unique dip.
- Use fresh cranberries instead of frozen ones. Frozen cranberries tend to create a slushy effect, the opposite of what you want!
- Healthy cranberry relish is best served cold. It’s a wonderful contrast to the other steaming dishes!
Healthy Relish Ingredients 101
This recipe uses just four ingredients. The best part? You can pronounce each one! Here’s what you need to add to your shopping cart.
Fresh Cranberries: A simple cranberry packs a huge punch! While commonly associated with holiday dinners, you can enjoy their benefits all year long. Cranberries have been a go-to UTI remedy for decades thanks to their condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins). A 2023 Cochrane review of 50 trials with 8,857 people found that cranberry products cut the risk of urinary tract infections by about 30 percent. (1)
Cranberries are good for your blood vessels too. In a 2022 double-blind trial, healthy men who took freeze-dried whole cranberry, the equivalent of 100 grams of fresh berries, every day for a month had measurably better blood vessel function than the control group. (2)
Lab research also shows anti-cancer activity from cranberry compounds, which is exciting early science. (3) That’s a lot of advantages in one little berry!
Apples: Apples have a high fiber content, which helps you feel fuller longer. A 2022 review of 18 randomized trials found that eating apples lowered total and LDL cholesterol compared with placebo, with the biggest benefit in people who started with high cholesterol. (4)
Both apples and oranges contain a decent amount of fruit pectin, which gives this healthy cranberry relish just the right amount of gel. No need for gelatin! Vegan guests always appreciate having an option that fits their needs.
Oranges: Oranges add a bright citrus note to this recipe. When you include orange rind in your recipe, you also include orange essential oil. We call orange essential oil our liquid antidepressant because it instantly boosts your mood! It also promotes relaxation. In a 2025 trial with 84 women in labor, simply inhaling sweet orange oil lowered anxiety and pain compared with placebo. (5) In other words, this ingredient spreads holiday cheer!
Grade A Dark Amber Maple Syrup: I experimented with a couple of different sweetener options, including honey, but found my family loved the maple syrup versions best! This sweetener is a healthy option that creates a sugary-sweet taste with a hint of deep flavor.
We recommend using Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup. If you’re having trouble finding it in stores near you, you can always purchase it online.
Make Healthy Cranberry Relish
This recipe comes together in minutes with minimal work. The food processor does the heavy lifting for you! Keeping recipe prep simple means you can spend more time connecting with loved ones. Make this dish early in the day to cross one thing off your to-do list.
Healthy Cranberry Relish
Servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound organic fresh cranberries
- 1 organic apple, cored but with skin
- ¾ rind of one organic orange
- 2 organic navel oranges, peeled and cut into small pieces
- ¾ cup Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup, organic
Supplies
- Blender OR food processor
Instructions
- Place the cranberries, apple, and oranges in a blender or food processor. Add the maple syrup ¼ cup at a time, and pulse until blended. Add more maple syrup until the salad reaches your desired level of sweetness. Chill and serve cold.
Step One: Pulse All Ingredients
Add the cranberries, apples, and oranges to a blender or food processor. Add the maple syrup ¼ cup at a time, and pulse until well blended. Add more maple syrup until the relish reaches your desired level of sweetness. Chill and serve cold.
This recipe pairs well with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner! There’s no need to make a single unhealthy dish this holiday season. We’ve compiled a list of our Thanksgiving must-haves in one place. You’ll find nourishing main dishes, sides, salads, drinks, and desserts. We use many of these recipes around Christmas too! With a menu like this, you can’t go wrong.
Every recipe is free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar, making it allergy-friendly for any guest! There’s nothing better than giving guests the gift of health, gathered around the table giving thanks for God’s good gifts. You never know when you’ll convert someone to the healthy side!
Keep reading: Complete Healthy Thanksgiving Dinner Recipe Guide for Families · Spiced Butternut Squash Soufflé: Easy Blender Recipe · Turkey Brine Recipe With Herbs, Honey & Sea Salt
References
- Williams G, Stothart CI, Hahn D, et al. Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2023. Source.
- Heiss C, Istas G, Feliciano RP, et al. Daily consumption of cranberry improves endothelial function in healthy adults: a double blind randomized controlled trial. Food & Function. 2022. Source.
- Xu J, Li C, Wu W, et al. Cranberry Research Progress: A Systematic Review of Chemical Composition, Pharmacological Mechanisms, Clinical Applications, and Nutritional Significance. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025. Source.
- Kim SJ, Anh NH, Jung CW, et al. Metabolic and Cardiovascular Benefits of Apple and Apple-Derived Products: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2022. Source.
- Nascimento JC, Gonçalves VSDS, Souza BRS, et al. Effectiveness of aromatherapy with sweet orange oil (Citrus sinensis L.) in relieving pain and anxiety during labor. Explore. 2025. Source.
