Mexican Cranberry Sauce Recipe | Made with Piloncillo
This homemade Mexican cranberry sauce recipe is so easy to make. Instead of refined white sugar it’s made with piloncillo and spiced with aromatic spices — plus there’s a slight spicy touch to it too!
Mexican Cranberry Sauce
With the holidays right around the corner, I wanted to share with you this super easy homemade cranberry sauce with a Mexican touch.
It’s become my go to recipe over the years and every Thanksgiving I’m so happy to bring out my Mexican cranberry sauce. It’s always a hit and there are never any leftovers.
Traditionally cranberry sauce is most often sweetened with refined white sugar, but I think that sweetener is boring — not to mention that it’s not a vegan or vegetarian friendly ingredient.
My homemade cranberry sauce is sweetened with piloncillo instead of white sugar. It adds another level of sweet and molasses taste to it, that is quite unique and super delicious. I think you’ll enjoy it too.
This sweet, tart and a tiny bit spicy Mexican cranberry sauce is going to go super delicious on your traditional and your vegan Thanksgiving roast. (I’ll be sharing that recipe very soon.)
Is Cranberry Sauce Vegan
Most cranberry sauces that are made with white sugar are not vegan. That is because many sugar brands are refined bone char. So if you’re using white sugar make sure to read the label and find an animal friendly one.
Piloncillo is unrefined brown sugar, so no worries.
The rest of the ingredients are also vegan friendly — with the red wine, make sure you read the label or do a quick Google search to see which wines locally to you are vegan friendly.
What Makes This Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe Mexican?
So as you all my already know, Thanksgiving isn’t a Mexican holiday — but as more and more Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have returned to live in Mexico, it is being celebrated here by them. (I’m one of them.)
Growing up in the US my family always had turkey and ham for Thanksgiving Day dinner. We had a lot of the traditional American foods and desserts for this holiday. But we also always added our special Mexican touches to things.
We also had tamales and sometimes pozole too.
While this cranberry sauce is neither the traditional American or Mexican, it is a celebration of both cultures — both of which are my cultures as well.
So what makes this recipe Mexican to me? The use of traditional Mexican piloncillo and the touch of heat from the chipotle peppers.
Mexican Cranberry Sauce Ingredients
The ingredients for my homemade cranberry sauce are easy to find and somewhat standard. Feel free to swap out ones you don’t like.
- Cranberries: I use frozen because that’s what’s available to me. But you can use fresh cranberries as well. This recipe has not been tested using dried cranberries.
- Wine: I use merlot, a dry red wine. This gives the cranberry sauce an even darker red color and a nice touch of flavor.
- Water or Orange Juice: This is to thin down the sauce if you’d like. I like mine a bit thicker.
- Piloncillo: This is instead of white sugar or other sweeteners. It tastes amazing with cranberries.
- Canela: Mexican cinnamon also known as Ceylon cinnamon. We want to use whole here.
- Salt: This is to help bring out the flavors, salt is wonderful at that.
- Aromatic Spices: Besides cinnamon, I love to use nutmeg, cloves and all spice. They lend a very nice warm taste as well as that festive touch.
- Chipotle Pepper: The combination of sweet, savory and a little spicy, is a wonderful one. We’re using ground chipotle pepper which combines amazingly with the sweet and tart flavors of the cranberries. It gives the cranberry sauce a slight spicy and smoky taste. So yum!
Ingredient Variations
If you don’t want to use red wine you can swap it out for orange juice. The taste is amazing.
If you want to keep all the ingredients as are on my list, but want to add some orange zest for a citrus pop, feel free to do so.
How to Make Vegan Cranberry Sauce With A Mexican Touch
My cranberry sauce isn’t as thin as other recipes can be. Feel free to either add more wine or water or the traditional orange juice, if you’d like.
- Simmer the merlot, canela stick and piloncillo cone in a medium saucepan. Stir occasionally and continue until the piloncillo has completely dissolved. Have the heat set to low and you can cover the saucepan if desired.
- Pour in the cranberries, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, salt and chipotle pepper.
- Cook until the cranberries burst and it’s to your desired consistency. Remember that the cranberry sauce will thicken up as it cools down. So if you’d like it thinner add more wine or water or orange juice at this time.
- Pour into serving dish and enjoy. Or place in container to cool down and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to Make Cranberry Sauce Thicker
Make my recipe! No seriously, my recipe is perfect for those that like a thicker cranberry sauce.
Can You Make This Vegan Cranberry Sauce Ahead of Time
Yes, absolutely. I always make it the day before. Then I put in a container and allow it to cool completely before leaving in the fridge overnight.
The next day you can reheat it for a little bit on the stove or in the microwave. But make sure to add about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of water to the pot so it doesn’t stick and burn.
How Long Does Cranberry Sauce Last
Cranberry sauce can last a long time in the refrigerator — that is if it’s properly stored.
First make sure that it cools completely before storing in an airtight container.
Place in the refrigerator. It should last up to 2 weeks. You can check it for mold before consuming, just to make sure.
Can You Freeze Cranberry Sauce
Yes, it actually freezes quite well.
Pour the cooled cranberry sauce in an airtight freezer safe container or inside freezer-safe plastic bags, like Ziplocs.
It’s best to use up the frozen cranberry sauce within a couple of months. Otherwise the taste and texture will change.
When ready to use remove from the freezer and let it thaw out in the refrigerator. Then reheat as previously suggested.
More Mexican Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
Some of these recipes are vegan and some vegetarian. They all have tips on how to make them the different version
- Mexican Espagueti Blanco | Espagueti a la Crema (Vegan)
- The Easiest Mexican Green Beans | Ejotes a la Mexicana
- Cheese and Jalapeño Tamales Recipe | Tamales de Rajas
- Birria Tamales
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Tips for Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- French Style Brussels Sprouts with Almonds
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie for Two
- Calabaza En Tacha or Mexican Candied Pumpkin
- Easy Guava and Cheese Empanadas Recipe
- Carlota de Limón (Mexican Lime Icebox Cake)
- Fresas con Crema
- Vegan Fresas con Crema
Mexican Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ok amigos, I truly hope you give this Mexican (or Mexican-American) cranberry sauce a try. It’s so easy to make and it’s just bursting with delicious flavors. Enjoy!
Homemade Mexican Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 12 oz frozen cranberries or fresh
- 1/2 cup merlot wine
- 1 whole cone piloncillo
- 1 whole Ceylon cinnamon stick canela
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
Instructions
- Simmer the merlot, canela stick and piloncillo cone in a medium saucepan. Stir occasionally and continue until the piloncillo has completely dissolved. Have the heat set to low and you can cover the saucepan if desired.
- Pour in the cranberries, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, salt and chipotle pepper.
- Cook until the cranberries burst and it’s to your desired consistency. Remember that the cranberry sauce will thicken up as it cools down. So if you’d like it thinner add more wine or water or orange juice at this time.
- Pour into serving dish and enjoy. Or place in container to cool down and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nancy Lopez is a food blogger and author of the cookbook Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Born in Mexico, raised in the US, and currently living in Southern Mexico, she has followed a meatless diet for almost 10 years. It is her passion and mission to share all she has learned about vegan Mexican cooking and vegetarian Mexican recipes. Mexican Made Meatless is a blog dedicated to preserving the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine just without the meat. It’s a place to celebrate Mexican culture and all it’s delightfully delicious traditional foods. Read more…
