Add another vegetable to your holiday table with this homemade cranberry sauce that has a secret ingredient: parsnips!
Ok, I know what you might be thinking. Did she really add a vegetable to cranberry sauce?! Why yes, yes I did. And it turned out to be a great addition!
If you have eaten fresh cranberries before, then you probably know that they have a tart and sour taste. Dried cranberries, on the other hand, tend to have added sugar and therefore taste sweeter. Seriously, almost all dried cranberries have added sugar if you check the ingredients list!
This is because a little sugar makes cranberries much more palatable for some people, including me. So when I sat down to think of a recipe for the “Yes You Cranberry” seasonal recipe collaboration today, I decided to make a homemade cranberry sauce with some type of natural sugar. That’s when parsnips came to mind!
These pale yellow root vegetables have a naturally sweet taste, and get even sweeter when you cook them. This makes them the perfect addition to tart cranberries.
PS- if you aren’t familiar with the seasonal recipe collaborations I participate in, check out the #YesYouCranberry on Instagram to see what hundreds of other bloggers created!
How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Making homemade cranberry sauce is actually incredible easy. You only need to combine fresh cranberries, water, and a sweetener of your choice! The process goes like this:
- Add everything to a pot
- Boil and bring to a simmer until you hear the cranberries pop
- Smash the mixture gently with a spoon
- Let it cool and eat it up!
If you only eat cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving and prefer the jellied kind (with the imprint of can ridges and all!), then you might not be up for making a homemade version. But if any part of you wants to see what else is out there, I challenge you to give this recipe a try!
Like I said, you only need three ingredients to make cranberry sauce. In this version, I also added maple syrup, so that brings the total to four things. Not bad at all, huh? Plus, you can get people to try parsnips with this recipe, maybe without even knowing!
Of course, you can serve this Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Parsnips on Thanksgiving or another holiday. But it also tastes great in the following ways:
- Mixed into hot oatmeal
- Added to yogurt
- Eaten on top of pork chops or fish (yum!)
- Added to a baked potato! (recommendation from Will)
Is Homemade Cranberry Sauce Healthy?
Homemade cranberry sauce is packed with nutrients, even though it only has a few ingredients. For one, cranberries are loaded with fiber and vitamin C. The skin of cranberries also contain antioxidants that may provide health benefits.
This recipe also has some bonus nutrition from parsnips! Plus, it’s a fun opportunity to eat a lesser known veggie in a unique way.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Parsnips
An easy and healthy homemade cranberry sauce with a secret ingredient: parsnips! These sweet root vegetables complement the tart and sour taste of cranberries. Recipe yields 2-3 cups.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cranberries
- 2 parsnips diced, about 1 cup
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
In a large pot, combine cranberries, diced parsnips, maple syrup, and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the cranberries have "popped."
Use a large spoon to gently pop the rest of the cranberries and stir the sauce. It should be pretty thick by the time you take it off the stove, and it will thicken up a bit more as it cools. The parsnips should be fairly tender, but you can keep the sauce on the stove until they cook a little more if desired.
Enjoy this sauce warm or cold! You can store it in a glass container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. This sauce also freezes well.
Recipe Notes
Try this homemade cranberry sauce mixed into oatmeal or yogurt, or on top of pork or fish. You can store it in the fridge or freezer.
Pin this Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Parsnips now to make later!
Happy holidays!
Lizzie
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