Cranberry Sauce & Cream Cheese Dip

Cranberry sauce is a popular Thanksgiving dish, but it is one of those items that is too often just eaten from a can. If you’ve never tried to make your own cranberry sauce, then make a goal to try it this Thanksgiving! It’s so easy and tastes infinitely better than what you get from a can. Plus, you can add essential oils to increase the already tasty flavor and health benefits!

Cranberry Sauce

Servings: 8–10 | Time: 5–10 minutes active; 10–15 minutes inactive | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) honey
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) orange juice
• 1 bag (12 oz.) fresh cranberries
• 1 toothpick cassia or cinnamon essential oil
• 1 drop orange essential oil

Instructions:

1. Bring sugar, honey, water, and orange juice to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Add cranberries. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10–15 minutes or until sauce thickens. Smash cranberries with the back of a spoon, if desired.
3. Remove from heat, and allow to cool completely before stirring in the essential oils.
4. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This cranberry sauce also makes a fantastic dip! If you have any left over after your Thanksgiving feast, spread it over some cream cheese, and set it out with some crackers. It’ll be gone before you know it!

If you only have a little left, you can always add some extra ingredients to make it spread a little further. Here are a few flavor combination ideas:

Basic Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip: leftover cranberry sauce, cream cheese. Spread cream cheese into a shallow bowl. Spread the cranberry sauce on top.

White Cheddar Cranberry Dip: leftover cranberry sauce, grated white cheddar cheese, cream cheese, fresh cranberries. Mix it all up, and heat in the oven until bubbly.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Salsa: leftover cranberry sauce, minced jalapeno pepper (seeds removed), 1 toothpick cilantro essential oil (or chopped fresh cilantro), 1 toothpick cumin essential oil, green onions, cream cheese. Spread cream cheese in a shallow bowl. Mix remaining ingredients, and spread over cream cheese.

Crunchy Cranberry Dip: leftover cranberry sauce, celery, green onions, chopped walnuts, cream cheese. Spread cream cheese in a shallow bowl. Mix remaining ingredients, and spread over cream cheese.

No matter how you enjoy your cranberry sauce, this recipe is a must-try this Thanksgiving!