My Family's Cranberry Relish Recipe | FatFree Vegan Kitchen (2024)

By Susan Voisin 54 Comments
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Take a break from your regular, sugary cranberry sauce with this zesty blend of cranberries, oranges, apples, and walnuts.
My Family's Cranberry Relish Recipe | FatFree Vegan Kitchen (1)
I emailed my mother to get her cranberry relish recipe, the one my husband and I descend on like a pair of hungry fruit bats each year. She emailed me the recipe, but what she sent didn’t quite match my memory of the dish because I thought it had apples in it. By the time I got the recipe, she and my dad were on the road to Texas, to visit my sister. And though my parents finally broke down and bought a pre-paid cell phone, they rarely turn it on, so I was stuck.

I decided to make it with the apples, just because I couldn’t see what it would hurt. My mom said to prepare this a couple of days ahead of time because it gets better over time, so I made it this afternoon.

Wow! I don’t know if we’ll be able to keep our hands off of it until Thursday. I suppose that relish was traditionally meant to complement the turkey (or add flavor to it if you ask me, not a turkey lover even in my omnivore days). But to me it makes a great side dish. Or even a dessert. I can just imagine it over some vanilla soy ice cream. Mmmm. Stop me before I descend on the fridge!
My Family's Cranberry Relish Recipe | FatFree Vegan Kitchen (2)
UPDATE: I took my version of this cranberry relish to my parents’ house for Christmas, and my father told me he had never added apples because he likes to make a lot and freeze it. But he admitted that my relish with apples was delicious. Success!

Speaking of Thanksgiving–if you’re looking for more vegan Thanksgiving recipes, check out my master list of Thanksgiving recipes! There’s everything from main dishes (like Thanksgiving Loaf) to side dishes (like Green Bean Casserole) to desserts (like Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake).

My Family's Cranberry Relish Recipe | FatFree Vegan Kitchen (4)

5 from 11 votes

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The Brown Family's Cranberry Relish Recipe

The secret to this unique relish is using whole oranges--skin and all. Try to find organic ones.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 minute minute

Total Time 16 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • 1 organic navel orange scrubbed and cut into 8 pieces
  • 2 apples peeled and cut into 8 pieces
  • 1/4 to 1 cup natural sugar
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Wash the cranberries and remove any stems, bad cranberries, or inedible stuff you find. Put half of the cranberries, orange (unpeeled), and apple into the food processor and pulse to chop coarsely. Some larger pieces are okay, but nothing big enough to choke on. Pour into a bowl and process the other half of the fruit. Put it into a bowl, add the sugar to taste, and mix in the pecans.

  • Refrigerate it for a day or two to allow the flavors to develop. Quick! If you start now, it’ll be ready by Thanksgiving.

Notes

After I posted this, my father let me know that they never put apples in it because they like to freeze the leftovers and were not sure that the apples would freeze well. So feel free to leave out the apples, though I think they add sweetness and allow me to cut down on the amount of sugar I use.

Nutrition Facts

The Brown Family's Cranberry Relish Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 89Calories from Fat 31

% Daily Value*

Fat 3.4g5%

Sodium 1mg0%

Carbohydrates 15.7g5%

Fiber 2.2g9%

Sugar 12g13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.

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My Family's Cranberry Relish Recipe | FatFree Vegan Kitchen (7)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristine

    November 24, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    Just wanted to chime in and say this will be the third Thanksgiving that your family's relish will be on our table. We just love it. The first two years I served it alongside with the usual cooked relish, as I knew some members might not like raw and some wouldn't like orange. This year, we don't care who doesn't like it and this is the only one on the table. My batches make a generous two pints, and I just ate the amount that didn't fit it the jars on top of Greek yogurt. Truly amazing flavors, even when freshly made. Thanks so much for contributing to our family traditions!

    Reply

  2. Anonymous

    December 15, 2009 at 10:19 am

    I made this for Thanksgiving. It was a perfect cranberry relish. It was so good that I ate it by itself as a salad. Yummy!

    Reply

  3. KnittinNurse

    December 17, 2009 at 11:07 am

    Been making a relish that is virtually the same for years. We use a can of frozen apple juice as sweetener, tangerines and whatever apples are on hand. I tend to try to forage for fruits for the holiday meals and happen to have a tangerine tree. This year I will add persimmons to the mix too!. In any case, I also use agar agar to make it thicker- we get long strings of it from an oriental food market- cut up and melted in the warm “stew”, it thickens up very nicely. EXPERIMENT and make your’s one of a kind!

    Reply

  4. Kristen

    November 26, 2010 at 2:29 pm

    I made this on Monday for our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday….it was great! So much better than boiled cranberry sauce. I would probably use a small orange next time, but otherwise it was perfect. I used 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar and after a few days in the fridge, it was plenty sweet. Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply

  5. Laura

    January 10, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    I just wanted to say I made this recipe for Christmas and it was absolutely delicious. I never thought I liked cranberry relish before I made this. I used 1/2 cup sugar. What a great way to use the bounty of Cranberries we have in Oregon! I will be using this recipe every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  6. Laura

    November 21, 2011 at 10:51 pm

    This looks so good! Do you think date paste would be an okay substitute for the sugar?

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      November 21, 2011 at 11:39 pm

      Yes, I think it’s worth a try. 🙂

      Reply

  7. katiekay7

    November 20, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    i am nervous about uncooked… won’t the cranberries be too sour? is there a way to find sweeter cranberries? the one time i made a cranberry sauce it was cooked in sugar but so incredibly sour.

    Reply

    • katiekay7

      November 20, 2012 at 1:51 pm

      also will the apples go brown / look yucky if i make this two days early?

      Reply

      • Susan Voisin

        November 20, 2012 at 1:53 pm

        The orange helps keep the apples from going bad. I’ve kept it for several days and haven’t noticed any change. And the cranberries are tart, but the added sugar can be adjusted to taste so that it can be quite sweet if you want it to be.

        Reply

  8. Steph

    November 20, 2012 at 3:28 pm

    Thanks so much for this recipe! I just made it and put it in the fridge. Although I peeled off the orange skin because I was afraid to leave it on 🙂

    Reply

  9. shelley

    October 11, 2013 at 6:42 am

    I don’t use apples, I use mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple in addition to the cranberries!

    Reply

  10. LadyLoveshercats

    November 15, 2013 at 12:04 pm

    I am surprised that the peels are left on the orange. How does this taste. I have always heard that orange peels are bitter. I want to make this for my families Thanksgiving, but I need assurance that the unpeeled orange is a good idea. Thanks for this website, it is wonderful.

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      November 15, 2013 at 12:36 pm

      Somehow the orange peel works. My family has been making it this way for years, and everybody loves it. I would only use oranges that have a regular to thin rind, though, like a naval orange.

      Reply

  11. Jennifer

    November 19, 2013 at 7:32 pm

    I am curious as to what you have the relish with? I see that some added it to salad (or just had the relish as a salad) but is this to be used instead of cranberry sauce? Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    ~Jenn

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      November 20, 2013 at 8:29 am

      I just serve it like cranberry sauce as a side dish alongside the typical Thanksgiving dinner: mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, and something “protein,” like tofu, seitan, or lentil loaf.

      Reply

    • Lynn

      December 2, 2017 at 9:35 pm

      We eat it on biscuits, dressing/stuffing, turkey, and pita chips as an appetizer. It’s great on everything.

      Reply

  12. jackie

    November 21, 2013 at 1:21 pm

    Not sure about this, but could you use agave instead of sugar?

    Reply

  13. Karen

    November 28, 2013 at 12:06 pm

    I made this relish for Thanksgiving and it was perfect! My apples and orange were very sweet so I only needed 3 tablespoons of sugar. Everyone love it and it was healthier than my usual cooked cranberry recipe that uses at least 1 cup of sugar. Thanks!!!!!

    Reply

  14. Cheryl

    November 16, 2014 at 2:51 pm

    I am so very thankful to have found this recipe!! My mother used to make this, and now has Alzheimer’s, so I thought the recipe was gone for good. Thank you for posting!! This is my very favorite!! Happy Turkey Day to you and yours!!

    Reply

  15. Susan

    November 24, 2014 at 7:11 pm

    hi susan,

    is there a certain kind of apple you use? one that is sweeter?

    thanks,,,,,i look forward to making this 🙂

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      November 24, 2014 at 7:34 pm

      I like Fugis and Honeycrisps, but really, you could use whatever apple is good in your area. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

      • Susan

        December 8, 2014 at 12:27 pm

        OMGOSH!! 🙂 this is so amazing! the whole family loved it for Thanksgiving. I’m making another batch now ! Thank you for such amazing recipes!

        Reply

  16. Connie Fletcher

    November 26, 2014 at 11:54 am

    This is the first time I’m making this….oh, boy! It’s really delish…and it hasn’t even marinated in it’s own juices yet…..TRULY INSPIRING!!!
    And, Susan, you are in my prayers….I will keep you there until the words “ALL CLEAR” come across the miles!!!!

    Thanks for all you do, and your courage to share your story!

    Reply

  17. Kathy G

    November 30, 2014 at 7:49 pm

    ok, I made this for Thanksgiving and loved it so much I made more today! I just stand there eating it out of the bowl! 2 questions: 1 do you think you could freeze this? And second, I wonder about adding some fresh ginger for a kick.

    Thanks for sharing your recipes with us!

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      November 30, 2014 at 11:37 pm

      It freezes well without the apple, but I’ve never frozen it with the apple because I was afraid it would become mushy. You could always add apple after defrosting. And I think ginger is a great idea. Glad you loved it!

      Reply

  18. Susan

    December 8, 2014 at 12:42 pm

    hi susan…..just curious, is there anything to use instead of sugar that would blend in the food processor? have you tried anything? thinking without something, it may be too bitter/tart???

    i love the recipe….it’s amazing! just trying to avoid sugar!

    thanks!

    Reply

  19. Robyn

    December 13, 2014 at 6:06 pm

    This is very close to the cranberry relish I got addicted to about 20 years ago and have made every year since. My recipe omits the nuts and adds in frozen unsweetened raspberries. I only use one granny smith apple.
    I never worried about freezing leftovers – what leftovers?

    Reply

  20. Laura

    January 18, 2015 at 10:04 pm

    Did I miss something – it says cooking time 1 minute but I don’t see any cooking in instructions.

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      January 18, 2015 at 10:29 pm

      There’s no actual cooking; the 1 minute represents the amount of time it takes to process in the food processor,

      Reply

  21. Tina

    November 24, 2016 at 8:42 pm

    I discovered this recipe last year at Thanksgiving and was thrilled because it was exactly what my Grandma made so many years ago and I never got the recipe. I made it again this year and we were, once again, delighted with it! I began watching my carbs this year, so this time around, I used a little less than 1/4 cup of Xylitol and though it’s more tart than sweet, we like it that way and loved having a lower carb version–I’m sure I used close to a cup of sugar last year. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  22. Chessie

    December 24, 2016 at 3:46 pm

    Susan, I make this relish every year and it is always a hit. As I was preparing it today, my housemate exclaimed that it’s the best thing I make! All credit goes to you, of course. It’s a winner of a recipe.

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      December 24, 2016 at 5:27 pm

      Since it’s a family recipe, that makes me so happy! 😘

      Reply

  23. Alison Cover

    September 20, 2017 at 5:00 pm

    I’m doing a vegan cooking class for Holiday meals. May I use this recipe if I include your website and name etc? It’s for a class at our church. I’m not making any money, it’s not a business.

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      September 20, 2017 at 5:55 pm

      Of course! All I ask is you don’t publish it.

      Reply

  24. Viola

    November 12, 2017 at 1:59 pm

    I’ve used this recipe for years-it came to me from my father-in-law who grew up in MA where it was a staple for holidays. I have changed it to include chopped celery for crunch and sometimes a little cream or creamy coleslaw dressing for a different flair.

    Reply

  25. Amy Aukema

    November 20, 2017 at 9:02 pm

    I just made this relish tonight, for Thanksgiving, and I can’t believe how good it is! I was eating it straight from the bowl with a spoon! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe–It is a total keeper. 🙂

    Reply

  26. Jeff Stonberg

    November 22, 2017 at 9:18 am

    LOOKS GOOD!

    What is the serving size?

    Reply

  27. Nancy Farley

    November 22, 2017 at 11:02 pm

    I’ve been making this recipe since I was 11 years old,it was my chore each Thanksgiving and Christmas , but I make it all the time now, it’s not for special meals it’s any time I need a fix, 🙂 I’m now 77.

    Reply

  28. Lori

    November 27, 2017 at 2:40 pm

    I made this for Thanksgiving 2017 and in addition to the above ingredients I added a tsp or so of cinnamon and a touch of burbon (about a tbsp), went by taste as I didn’t want the extra flavor to stand out. It was exceptionally tasty.

    Reply

  29. KLS

    November 29, 2017 at 10:29 am

    My husband and I pared down our Thanksgiving cooking this year, so I skipped the cranberries. I saved this recipe though, and just made it today as a fruit salad to enjoy. I omitted the sugar, just because, but would probably leave it in for most palates. Thanks for another great recipe!

    Reply

  30. Nancy

    December 8, 2017 at 6:58 pm

    I made this delicious recipe. I only added 1 Apple but I added flaked coconut at the end. Very delicious!
    Thanks!

    Reply

  31. Hope Alwardt

    December 25, 2017 at 12:37 pm

    Wow. This is so good and fresh! Whipped it up in no more than 15 minutes! Followed the recipe but used DIY date paste I had previously made instead of the sugar. No sitting to enhance flavors with mine. Made enough though we’ll have leftovers to top dessert or oats. Thank you, Susan!

    Reply

  32. Susan Wright

    November 21, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    there is only two for us also but thank you

    Reply

  33. Ladyglo

    November 27, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    Made this for the first time this thanksgiving and it is delicious! I did zest the orange and remove the white pith and tough veins instead of using the whole orange. It was so good right out of the food processor and even better as it cured overnight. Can’t wait to try it on a turkey panini with mustard and cheese!

    Reply

  34. Kim B.

    February 21, 2021 at 7:36 am

    this is absolutely the Bomb! We have been making a salad that my Mom introduced to Thanksgiving from the early 80’s. I finally made this( it has intrigued ,as I love raw good food, me for years) and I am so glad I did! Thx, Susan!

    Reply

  35. Donna Hopper

    November 9, 2023 at 4:22 am

    Hi Susan,
    Just two questions: can I use frozen cranberries? And how far in advance can I make this? A week?
    Thanks. So glad you’re back. Happy thanksgiving!

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      November 11, 2023 at 6:01 pm

      Frozen cranberries are fine. I wouldn’t make it any earlier than a week. You can also make it ahead and freeze it.

      Reply

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My Family's Cranberry Relish Recipe | FatFree Vegan Kitchen (2024)

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