Healthy Cranberry Relish for Turkey (Fresh, No Sugar)

Please do your turkey a favor and DO NOT use canned cranberry sauce on it. This fresh cranberry relish is tart, sweet, juicy and has a little kick from a jalapeño.

It takes six ingredients and a food processor, there is no cooking at all, and the only sweetness comes from orange and unsweetened applesauce. Make it up to a day ahead and let it chill while you handle the rest of the feast.

The Best Healthy Cranberry Relish (Fresh, No Cook and No Added Sugar)

The jelly texture of canned cranberry sauce gives me the heebie-jeebies, and does anyone even know what’s in it? My mom loves the canned cranberry sauce too. Trust me… this is much better tasting AND healthier.

Fresh cranberry relish is the best way to magnify your juicy turkey. Tart cranberries, sweet applesauce, juicy oranges with a little kick from a jalapeño?!?! Your turkey will never be complete again without it! I even put it on some grilled chicken and it was amazing.

The vibrant colors of this dish are decoration enough… BUT, I have fallen in love with this white pumpkin bowl. I can’t wait to serve my cranberry relish in it! There are also matching salt and pepper shakers. I love Thanksgiving!

A quick note if you have seen an older version of this recipe: it once called for ginger. I removed the ginger from the recipe, so you will not find it in the ingredients or the directions anymore.

Every bit of flavor comes from fresh produce. The orange and its zest brighten the cranberries, the applesauce rounds out their sharp bite, and the jalapeño and cilantro make it taste a little like a holiday salsa.

Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Relish

• No cooking. A few pulses in the food processor and it is done, which frees up your stove for everything else on Thanksgiving.
• Naturally sweet. Orange and unsweetened applesauce balance the tart berries with no added sugar.
• A little kick. Jalapeño and cilantro make it brighter and more interesting than plain sauce, and the colors look gorgeous on the table.
• Make ahead friendly. It chills for 2 to 24 hours, so you can make it the day before and have one less thing to do while the turkey roasts and the guests arrive.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Cranberries: One 12 ounce bag, fresh or frozen. Look for firm, glossy, deep red berries and toss any that are soft or shriveled. Frozen cranberries chop beautifully in the food processor, and there is no need to thaw them first.
• Orange zest: The zest holds the orange’s fragrant oils, so it gives a stronger citrus flavor than the juice alone. Zest the orange before you peel it, and only grate the bright orange layer, not the bitter white pith underneath.
• Navel orange: Peeled and coarsely chopped. Navel oranges are seedless and sweet, which makes them perfect for a raw relish. Pull away as much white pith as you can.
• Unsweetened applesauce: This is what softens the tartness of the cranberries without sugar. It also gives the relish a softer, spoonable texture. Choose unsweetened so the fruit flavor stays clean.
• Jalapeño pepper: Seeded and coarsely chopped. Most of the heat lives in the seeds and white ribs, so removing them keeps the kick gentle. Leave a few seeds in if your crowd likes spice.
• Food processor: Not an ingredient, but it is the key tool here. Pulsing gives you a chopped relish with texture in just a few seconds. Working in two batches, berries first and then everything else, keeps the pieces even.
• Fresh cilantro: Adds a fresh, green note that ties the jalapeño and orange together. If cilantro tastes like soap to you, flat leaf parsley gives the same fresh color with a milder flavor.

How to Make Cranberry Relish

1. Prep the produce. Rinse the cranberries and pick out any soft ones. Zest the orange first, then peel it, pull off the pith and chop it into chunks. Seed the jalapeño and give it a rough chop. Wash your hands well after handling the pepper, and keep them away from your eyes.
2. Chop the cranberries. Add the cranberries to a food processor and pulse until they are coarsely chopped. Use short pulses instead of letting the machine run, so the berries break into small, even pieces rather than turning into a paste. Transfer them to a bowl.
3. Chop the rest. Add the orange zest, chopped orange, applesauce, jalapeño and cilantro to the food processor. Pulse 3 to 5 times, just until the orange, pepper and cilantro are finely chopped. You should still see little flecks of green and orange.
4. Combine. Stir the orange mixture into the cranberries until everything is evenly coated and the relish turns a deep, glossy red.
5. Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. The rest gives the cranberries time to soften slightly and soak up the orange and applesauce, so the relish tastes less sharp and more balanced. Give it a stir before serving and spoon it right next to the turkey, or set the bowl out with the rest of the sides.

Ways to Customize Cranberry Relish

• Turn the heat up or down. Leave some jalapeño seeds in for more kick, or skip the pepper for a mild relish kids will love.
• Swap the herb. Use parsley or a little fresh mint in place of the cilantro.
• Add some crunch. Stir in a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts right before serving so they stay crisp.
• Change the texture. Pulse the cranberries longer for a finer, smoother relish, or less for a chunky one.

Cranberry Relish FAQs

• Is cranberry relish the same as cranberry sauce? Not quite. Cranberry sauce is cooked with sugar until the berries burst and gel. This relish is raw and chopped, so it stays fresh, crunchy and bright.
• Can I use frozen cranberries? Yes. The recipe works with fresh or frozen, and frozen berries can go straight into the food processor.
• Can I make it ahead? Yes. It needs to chill for 2 to 24 hours anyway, so making it the day before Thanksgiving is perfect.
• How long does it keep? Store it covered in the refrigerator and enjoy it within 3 to 4 days.
• Can I freeze cranberry relish? Yes. Freeze it in an airtight container and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. The berries will be a little softer after thawing, so give it a good stir and drain any extra juice before serving.
• Why applesauce instead of sugar? Unsweetened applesauce adds natural sweetness and a soft texture that softens the tart cranberries, so the relish tastes balanced without any added sugar.
• Can I double the recipe? Yes. Just pulse in batches so the food processor isn’t overfilled and the pieces stay even.
• How should I serve it? Spoon it next to roast turkey, layer it on turkey sandwiches with the leftovers, or serve it over grilled chicken. It also makes a colorful topping for a block of cream cheese with crackers on a holiday appetizer board.

Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish

Cranberry relish made with fresh or frozen cranberries, orange, unsweetened applesauce, jalapeño and cilantro. No cooking and no added sugar, just pulse and chill.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

• 1 12-oz. package fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 Tbs orange zest
• 1 navel orange peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

 

• Pulse cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl.
• Pulse next 5 ingredients in food processor 3 to 5 times or until orange, pepper, and cilantro are finely chopped. Stir into cranberries; cover and chill 2 to 24 hours.

Made this cranberry relish? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell me how it turned out in the comments below. I’d love to hear if you won over any canned sauce fans.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Apple Sausage Stuffing
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Thanksgiving Turkey
• Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
• Turkey Salad with Cranberries