Do you meal prep 2 days before Thanksgiving? I definitely do and this cranberry sauce is the first thing I make. Why? Because it actually tastes better when the flavors meld together in the fridge for a few days.

I have made this cranberry sauce every year for at least the last 10 years. It’s my most asked about recipe at Thanksgiving dinner. And today, I am sharing that recipe with you. Want to know the secret ingredient? Don’t tell anyone. It’s really a good one. Ready?

Ginger.

Yup, that’s right. I add a hunk of ginger to my sauce as it’s cooking and I don’t take it out until right before serving. It gives the whole thing an incredible depth of flavor.

You know, I really think cranberries are underrated. They are such a healthy fruit. I love their deep tart flavor and rich color. Check out all the health benefits of cranberries here. Or check out my cranberry crumb bar recipe here.

I also add 2 ceylon cinnamon sticks that I pull out before serving. You can brush up on the health benefits of ceylon cinnamon here.

But today we are talking ginger.

Health Benefits of Ginger

Improves digestion
Lowers blood pressure
Relieves nausea
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-bacterial, even to many drug resistant bacteria
Regulates blood sugar
Reduces cholesterol levels
Can block the thyroid oxidative damage and hormonal disruption of BPA exposure
Reduces pain in diabetic nephropathy
Reduces hepatic injury on a standard American diet (hepatoprotective)
Reduces body weight, even on an unhealthy diet
Shown to cause apoptosis (cell death) in colon cancer cells

Fun fact: Did you also know that hens fed ginger extract were healthier overall and lay eggs with improved nutritional quality and increased antioxidants? Guess who’s picking up some ginger extract for her chickens? Yup, this girl.

The Best Cranberry Sauce Recipe Ever

This refined sugar free cranberry sauce is loaded in flavor thanks to undertones of orange, cinnamon and ginger.

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Course Side Dish

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

16 oz organic cranberries, fresh
1 1/3 cup orange juice fresh or purchased
2 ceylon cinnamon sticks
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and left whole
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut sugar

Instructions

Add all ingredients in a large sucepan.
Turn to medium high heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes, or until cranberries pop and sauce is starting to thicken (it will thicken even more as it cools.)
Place in a glass container in the fridge and let sit at least overnight or up to 3 days. Stir the sauce and remove the cinnamon sticks and ginger right before serving.