Healthy Cranberry Orange Sauce Or Salad With Beef Gelatin

Cranberry orange sauce is a fantastic side for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter dinner or dessert, and it’s loaded with health benefits! 

I always loved homemade cranberry sauce, but wanted to up the ante a bit and came up with this recipe that really hit the mark. It’s hand’s down the best holiday side dish. The thick sauce is perfect with your roast dinner, but it’s so delicious too as a dessert served with my decadent, creamy Probiotic Panna Cotta and has many other uses. Plus, it can be made ahead several days.

And really, Holiday dinners do not need to bust your health goals, this dish is loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients like apples, oranges, raisins, hibiscus tea, beef gelatin, and spices. Then it’s gently sweetened with honey.

You can also make it a little more firm so it congeals in a mold and can be served as a super pretty and festive looking salad or side dish. It might even steal the show from your perfectly roasted turkey! Nah, I know nothing can do that, but it will sure make a perfect partner to Turkey, Ham, and company. So let’s make this beautiful, super-healthy, and incredibly delicious holiday dish!

Here is where you can find my easy Panna Cotta recipe. And if you’re looking for more holiday inspiration, check out my appetizers, a fantastic, zesty jalapeño cheese pie, and no less fabulous, the Jalapeno Popper Mini Quiches! And grab this awesome buttery and Flaky Pie Crust Recipe for all your holiday pies. It’s fool-proof and finally a truly flaky pastry that works. Here are some fantastic German classic Christmas cookies that are sure to strike your fancy, check out Vanillekipferl (almond shortbread crescent moons), and Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars).

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a qualifying purchase. See my full disclosure here.

Healthy Cranberry Orange Sauce Or Salad With Beef Gelatin

If you love cranberry sauce with your holiday dinners, but are ready for a bit of variety, or something a little more festive, you’ll have to give my cranberry orange sauce a try. It’s so good, that I can’t stop eating it for breakfast, snack, dessert, and in between. And I can do that, because it’s not the Holidays yet, and it’s healthy, lol. But it sure will go on my holiday dinner tables every chance I get. 

In fact I like it so much that I created a delicious dessert featuring this sauce and it is nutritious and tasty for any time of the day.

Many years ago I was invited to an Easter ham dinner at my neighbor’s back in New Hampshire. And I came away with two recipes that I loved. One was a pineapple dish, which has become a holiday tradition for us, and my kids are still making it with their Easter or Christmas ham to this day. If one of us loses the recipe, we call each other and someone has it ready to share, lol.

I’ll be posting that recipe shortly! Stay tuned and get notification by email here! It’s truly delicious. And by posting it, I won’t lose it again.

How I Created This Cranberry Orange Sauce And Salad Recipe

So the other recipe I got from my neighbor was for orange raisin salad. It was the first time that I heard something being called a salad that was made with jello. And I got a kick out of it. And it was quite delicious.

Anyway, in general, I like to mess with recipes and use them as ideas more than I actually adhere to them and this one was no exception. My new recipe here is nothing like the original, but I found inspiration in it and wanted to create my own ‘salad’ that jiggled, lol!

After some messing around I had the winner and it’s much more than just a jiggly salad. This thing is so delicious, that I eat it for dessert, and it is super nutritious. And it’s amazing as a sauce. This I actually discovered accidentally by not adding enough gelatin the first time I made it, lol, but isn’t that how the greatest things are invented? Accidents and mistakes breed new victories and this recipe was a victory! So enough chatter, let’s get some awesome cookery happening here.

Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Orange Sauce Or Salad

• It’s delicious! Hands down the best cranberry dish you’ve ever had. 

• It’s a salad, it’s a sauce, and it’s a dessert! This recipe can be used for a great many purposes.

• And it’s healthy and good for you! 

• This salad is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and anti-inflammatory compounds.

• Cranberries are known for their antioxidants and many powerful health benefits. They contain vitamin C and E and polyphenols to protect the body from cell damage that is caused by free radicals.
  
  Cranberries are a good source of fiber and contain proanthocyanidins which can reduce risk of urinary tract infections. They contain potassium to lower blood pressure and can decrease the ‘bad’ cholesterol LDL while increasing the ‘good’ cholesterol HDL to improve heart health. Cranberries can inhibit bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities and gum disease. The antioxidants and vitamin C are known to support the immune system and fight infections.
  
  They are also strongly anti-inflammatory, which is great if you’re suffering from arthritis. Cranberries can also possibly help with cancer prevention, support healthy blood sugar levels, improve cognitive functions, promote healthy aging and reduce the risk of kidney stones. (source, source)

• Next we’ll load up on oranges or mandarin oranges, apples, raisins, and pineapple, all of which contain vitamins and minerals that support healthy body functions. 

• An apple a day is famously healthy and is thought to promote heart health, control blood sugar levels, and add fiber to the diet for digestive health. Apples might improve skin health, boost immune functions, reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, provide essential nutrients, support cognitive functions, and they can improve the mood. (source, source)

• Oranges are a good source of vitamin A, C, E, folate, and choline, fiber, and antioxidants. They contain potassium to help maintain a healthy blood pressure and heart health. They may help boost immunity and improve digestion. They contain zeaxanthin and lutein that can improve eye health and reduce risk of age-related macular degeneration. (source, source)

• Raisins provide a good bit of natural sweetness and can help boost energy. But they are also nutrient rich and packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They can improve digestive health with their high fiber content, and improve heart health. They contain calcium and magnesium which contribute to strong bones and reduce risk of osteoporosis. They contain anti-inflammatory properties and can help strengthen the immune system. (source, source).

• Pineapple is known for its digestive health benefits attributed to its bromelain content, an enzyme that aids in protein digestion but unfortunately this is lost in the canning process. Pineapple is rich in fiber for digestive support and vitamin C and manganese which can provide immune support. Pineapple has flavonoids and phenolic antioxidant compounds to protect cells from damage by free radicals, and it may reduce risks of heart disease and cancer. It can help with bone-health and skin health, regulate blood sugar levels, and can improve the mood. (source, source)

• Gelatin is made from collagen which stems from animal bones, skin and connective tissues. If you raise your own animals for meat, you are probably aware of a lot of the extra animal products that never make it to the butcher’s showcase of your grocery store. At least in America.
  
  However, these ‘by-products are a reality in butchering and if you’re doing your own butchering, you might be eating nose-to-tail already. Nothing should be wasted from a valuable animal. Not only to honor its life but to make use of all the rich nutrition in those parts that aren’t steak or roast. Gelatin is a great substance that is made with some of those ‘other’ parts of the animal that is incredibly healthy, rich and useful for us humanoids.
  
  It can improve our joint health with glycine and proline, which are amino acids that can build and maintain healthy joints, improve mobility and reduce joint discomfort. It contains calcium and magnesium, which are essential for bone health.
  
  Gelatin can even help with bone formation! It can improve digestive health, and reduce bloating and constipation. And it might also help balance blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation, help you sleep better, strengthen nails and hair, and help heal wounds. (read more here and here).

• There is no sugar in this salad. We don’t want to negate all the wonderful health benefits of the other ingredients by loading up on sugar. For this reason, I’m gently sweetening this dish with raw honey and am adding a few naturally sweet wholesome ingredients like oranges, raisins and pineapple to balance the tartness of the cranberries.

• Honey has so many great benefits for our health, as long as we keep it raw and hopefully unfiltered. And it’s best to use local honey as long as you don’t live in a commercial farming area where the bees get fed a bunch of pesticides and other sprays. Read more about the benefits of honey in my post on making Fermented Garlic And Honey. We’ll add just enough to gently sweeten the salad and balance the tanginess of the cranberries. This makes it deliciously refreshing and it’s ok to eat lots of it.

• Last, but not least, we’ll add some antioxidant and anti-inflammatory spices and delicious hibiscus and rosehips for more health benefits and fantastic flavor. Read more about the hibiscus tea benefits in my article about how to make Naturally Fermented Hibiscus Soda. And while I like to include rosehips for their powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits and their arthritis support, there are other incredibly amazing benefits of rosehips that you can read more about here and here.

Tips And Substitutions For This Healthy Cranberry Orange Sauce or Salad

• This sauce is delicious as a salad too, and if you’re making the salad and for some reason it won’t set up well, you can surely serve it as a beautiful and delicious sauce. 

• To ensure that it will gel, don’t use raw pineapple, which can inhibit the gelling power of the gelatin. If you’re using a fresh pineapple, cut it into small chunks and cook them with the cranberries. Do serve some of the raw pineapple on the side though for its digestive benefits.

• Lightly grease your dish before adding the Cranberry Orange Salad. When you’re ready to unmold it, loosen the sides with a thin knife and dip the whole bowl into another bowl with hot water for 15-30 seconds.
  
  Wiggle the bowl until you see the whole mass come loose and move around in the bowl. If you’re serving it on lettuce leaves, arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving plate. Now rinse another plate with cold water, place upside down over the bowl with your salad. Then carefully invert the whole thing and catch the salad on your plate. Remove the bowl and slide the cranberry orange salad onto the bed of lettuce leaves. Now admire your beautiful salad.
  
  You can also just flip the salad onto the plate without the lettuce and add some greens or orange slices around the edge of the salad. Be sure to use a large enough serving plate to accommodate decorations.

• I added some mandarin slices to the bowl before I added the salad ingredients. This makes a pretty top after it’s inverted. Another place with room for your creative expression!

• Don’t add the honey too soon, we want it to remain raw, so let the whole dish cool down to under 100 degrees to keep the enzymes in the honey alive. If you cook it, it will be no more healthy than sugar.

• Substitute a couple of red zinger teabags in place of the hibiscus flours and rosehips. These teabags contain the same ingredients and a few extra herbs. But it will work.

• Add nuts to your sauce if you like. Walnuts or pecans would work great. When serving it with meat, I prefer not to add nuts, but they taste wonderful mixed in and provide a bit of protein and fat for more nutrients and better absorbance of fat-solulable compounds.

• Try adding some strawberries or other berries when in season, if you’re making this dish in the summer. Add them along with the apple and orange sections.

How to make Cranberry Orange Sauce Or Salad With Beef Gelatin

Equipment

Small 1 quart pot – to make the tea

Small bowl or stainless steel measuring cup – to bloom and dissolve the gelatin

3 quart sauce pot – for cooking the cranberry sauce and mixing all the ingredients

Measuring spoons

Stirring spoon

Kitchen knife + Cutting Board

2 quart bowl to use as a mold – If you have a pretty ring mold or other decorative mold, be sure to use that! 

Ingredients

For the tea

Water
Cloves
Cardamom
Hibiscus Flowers
Rosehips
Star anise

Cinnamon stick – I recommend Ceylon cinnamon over cassia (Korintije) because it is low in coumarin, which can be toxic in larger quantities.

Turmeric + Ginger – I like to use sliced fresh turmeric and ginger, but you can also use dried granulated or even powder. If you keep fermented turmeric paste or ginger paste on hand, they are good to use too.

Crushed or fresh ground pepper – Whenever you use turmeric, it’s a good ideas to add fresh ground pepper for better absorbancy. Adding fat is another way to boost the uptake of turmeric benefits. For that reason, eat turmeric with fatty foods.

Lemon zest or lemon paste – I love using my fermented lemon paste in cooking and baking because it’s so easy to use and always ready. If you’re using zest instead, be sure to make it from unsprayed, organic lemons.

Orange zest or dried orange rind – when I can find organic oranges, which is rare where I live, before juicing or eating them, I grate the rind and freeze it, so I have it when I need some. And I also cut some of the skin with the white part into thin strips and dry them for use in teas. They can also be fermented like lemons. Be sure to use unsprayed fruit for zest. I used dried orange peels in this tea.

For the Cranberry Orange Sauce Or Salad

Cranberries – I recommend using organic cranberries, but they are not available here, so I used the conventional ones. One of the rare times I have to make an exception. If I can come across some organic ones, I’ll sure stock up and throw some bags into the freezer.

Raisins – I recommend organic raisins. Grapes are high up on the list of contaminated foods that is put out by the EWG each year. You can use golden or regular raisins.

Oranges or Mandarines – I used a mix of both. I like the mandarin oranges in sections in my sauce, and they are a great size for slicing and decorating. But I prefer the oranges for juice. Use what you prefer or what is easier to get.

Apple – Apples too are on the EWG’s dirty dozen list. If you buy conventionally farmed apples, it’s best to peel them to minimize pesticide exposure. But otherwise you can leave the skin on.

Pineapple – I used canned pinapple for this, but if you can get fresh pinapple, you can certainly use it. When using gelatin, enzymes in the pinapple can inhibit the gelling process. So if you want to make certain that your salad congeals solid enough for a molding, cook your chopped pinapple briefly with the cranberries.

Honey – I recommend raw, unfiltered honey. Honey can be full of pesticides when the hives are placed into commercial farming fields, so be aware of that. For that reason it’s best to use organic honey, which is hard to get because bees cover a lot of area. If you can get clean local honey you’ll get the most benefits. I like to keep it raw to get all the benefits and for that reason I don’t add my honey until the cranberries have cooled to about body temperature. (Honey remains raw under 108℉, but starts to loose some benefits at 104℉).

Beef gelatin – Beef gelatin has such important health benefits and it will give your Cranberry sauce and salad the perfect consistency.

About beef gelatin: It is hard to find gelatin from grass-fed and -finished (100% grass fed) beef. All others would have been fed grain and, if it doesn’t say organic, most likely the beef would have been, at least in part, given GMO grain in feedlots.

I’m hoping to make my own gelatin soon, but at the moment I use purchased gelatin. If you want to buy from Amazon, this gelatin is the the closest to clean and natural that I could find, but it comes from Brazilian cows. On their website they state that it has been tested glyphosate free, and contains no hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, or GMOs.

But I’m most excited about this company I found. Here is a link to US Wellness Meats, a Missouri based company that provides gelatin and a lot of other clean meat products from regeneratively farmed, pastured, 100% grass-fed cattle. They also don’t use growth hormones, GMOs, or antibiotics. And the following is very important, since even organic cattle can be vaccinated, but US Wellness Meats does not use the mRNA vaccines.

I contacted them about their grazing practices and asked whether they use pesticides on the pastures or hay, and here is the response I received: “All of our cattle are 100% grass-fed and grass finished. They rotationally graze on regenerative farms that are free from herbicides, pesticides, glyphosate, and insecticides.”

Here is their website statement: For over 25 years, US Wellness Meats has been proudly owned and operated by dedicated family farms. Our mission is simple: deliver nutrient-rich, 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised meats from farms that are cleaner, greener, and truly sustainable. Our animals are never given added growth hormones, GMOs, or antibiotics—just pure, wholesome meat raised the way nature intended.

I highly recommend them for all your beef product needs and for their clean, grass-fed gelatin.

Water – A little cold water will be needed for blooming the gelatin, and then for dissolving it.

Optional

Walnuts – I did not add walnuts in this one, but it is a great nutritious addition, especially if you’ll be using the salad without a meat dish so you get a little protein and some fat to help with absorbance of fat-solulable compounds in your salad.

Lettuce leaves to bed the salad – The cranberry orange salad can be bedded on lettuce leaves for a pretty presentation.

Orange or mandarin slices and extra cranberries – You could also decorate with orange slices and cranberries.

Instructions For Making Cranberry Orange Sauce and Salad

Make a tea

First make a tea by adding the spices, rosehips and hibiscus flowers to the water in a pot and cover with a lid.

Bring to a simmer and gently simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the tea sit for a few more minutes to absorb more of the flavor and healthy compounds.

For The Cranberry Orange Sauce And Salad

Meanwhile, pour ½ cup of cold water into a stainless steel measuring cup or small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over it and allow it to bloom for 10 minutes, while you prepare your other ingredients. 

Place the cranberries and raisins into the 3-quart saucepan. If using fresh pinapple, you can add it as well to be sure your dish will gel. Using a strainer, add the tea water to the cranberries.

Bring the cranberries and raisins to a boil and simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the cranberry mix cool for a few minutes. 

While the cranberries are simmering, measure out the pineapple, and peel and chop the apple (you don’t need to peel it if you’re using unsprayed apples). 

Squeeze two oranges or several mandarins and catch the juice and pulp to make about ¾ cup. 

Peel two oranges or 5 mandarins. Cut about 6-7 thin slices from the mandarin or the oranges and set aside for decorating later. 

Cut the remaining mandarins in half and separate each half into sections. If using oranges, make 3-4 slices and separate the sections. Put them in a bowl with the apples.

Chop the Walnuts if using.

Measure out the honey.

Heat the bloomed gelatin mix on the stove over low heat till it’s melted. Do not overheat. 

Add the melted gelatin to the slightly cooled, but still warm cranberry mix and stir it well to distribute the gelatin evenly. 

Add the pineapple, orange juice, apples, oranges, nuts, and lastly the honey. Stir well. Give it a quick taste. I like mine gently sweetened and found one third cup of the honey to be perfect for a subtly sweet and balanced flavor.

For the cranberry orange sauce: pour everything into a pretty serving dish or pie plate and you can decorate the top with the orange or mandarin slices. Refrigerate for a few hours or serve immediately, however, it will be a bit more runny then.

For the molded cranberry orange salad: Place a few orange slices into the bottom of the bowl you’ll use as a mold. Place the mandarin slices with the nicer side down

Pour the warm gelatin mix into the mold and let it cool to room temperature before covering. Cover with a lid, beeswax cloth or plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for about 24 hours. 

When you’re ready to un-mold the cranberry orange salad, run a thin knive along the top edge of the dish to loosen the sides. Then dip the bottom of the bowl into another bowl with hot water to soften the gelatin closest to the bowl bottom so it will release your salad. Try not to get water inside your salad.

Take it out, wipe the bottom dry, and then jiggle the bowl a bit till you see the gelled salad start to move inside the bowl. Dip it some more if it won’t get loose. Then invert onto a plate and decorate. 

If using lettuce leaves, arrange them on a serving platter. Un-mold your cranberry salad onto a plate that has been rinsed with cold water and then you can slide the gelatin carefully onto the lettuce bed on the serving plate after.

Serve as a side to roasts, ham, turkey, venison etc.

Storage 

The sauce or the salad will be good for up to a week. But the fresh ingredients may start to break down.

If you’re making the congealed salad, you’ll need to make this at least one day in advance so it has time to gel properly and set. 

The sauce will taste great either chilled or at room temperature.

What can you do with the leftovers?

While leftovers are fine for a week in most cases, I doubt that this will last. I know it doesn’t last at my place! It’s just too good plain as a snack or you can serve it for dessert. Here are some ideas:

You can serve leftovers as dessert the next day with some delicious cultured Panna Cotta, or a generous helping of sweet whipped cream, Quark Cheese, Clabber, yogurt, or sour cream plain or blended with some honey and cinnamon. And offer some delicious Vanillekipferl or Cinnamon Stars to go with it!

Try layering the salad in a dish with Panna Cotta. This will require a bit of time as you’ll need to chill it in-between layers. To make it simple, pour this cranberry sauce in a rectangular or pie dish, place into the refrigerator and when it’s firm, pour the fresh made, still warm panna cotta over it. Place back into the fridge for a few more hours and serve with chopped cranberries, nuts, or other toppings. You could also make a fluffy cream cheese topping with fresh Quark cheese blended with honey and then fold in

This can also be used as a cold pie filling with pudding and a cookie crust (you can use the delicious einkorn and kamut shortbread crust recipe from my Blackberry Cheesecake for this).

Or use it to top a Cheesecake or pound cake, or make a fruit pizza with a pudding and the cranberry orange sauce on top.

Serve on pancakes, waffles, or Dutch Babies.

Make crumb bars and add a layer of this cranberry orange sauce between the bottom and the streusel (you can use the easy crust and crumble topping from my Apple Pie Cheesecake Recipe).

Stir it into oatmeal.

Your Questions Answered

Enjoy This Delicious Healthy Cranberry Orange Sauce Or Salad

This dish is mouthwatering and delicious. I crave it whenever I don’t have it. It’s so refreshing and so good for you! Why not make your food do what it was meant to do in the first place, provide nourishment and support our health. And that doesn’t mean that we have to sacrifice taste. Wholesome food that nourishes is by nature delicious and helps us feel better not worse. I am sure you will love this as much as I do! 

And if you try it, I’d love to get your feedback and your ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! I’d also love to hear what your favorite Christmas traditions are. And please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments if you have any questions!

Join the Food For Life Garden Community for more great recipes and homestead tips and ideas. I’m always adding new content. Don’t miss any new posts and learn more about my off-grid farm life.

Other Recipes You Might Like

Probiotic Panna Cotta – Serve this delicious clabbered and congealed cream dessert with your favorite berry sauce or with cranberry orange sauce.

Vanillekipferl are delicate German almond and vanilla crescent cookies, a rich, buttery shortbread confections that pair perfectly with creamy quark desserts!

Zimtsterne – Cinnamon stars are classic Southern German Christmas cookies. Delicious, gluten-free, and with a healthier option that actually tastes fantastic.

Blackberry Cheesecake Streusel Bars – A must make dessert for blackberry season. Creamy, easy, and berry delicious!

Sourdough Pumpkin Apple Ginger Muffins – A fantastic fall breakfast muffin, full of wholesome goodness to start your days on a healthy foot during cold and flu season.

Maple Walnut Cranberry Apple Cheesecake Bars – Fantastic flavor, wholesome ingredients, great holiday dessert.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars – Creamy, with a buttery crust, this cheesecake dessert is bright, tangy, easy, and perfect for summer gatherings, or any sweet cravings!

Classic German Cheesecake (Käsekuchen) – How to make an incredibly delicious German cheesecake using Quark. Must try this!

Creamy Quark Dessert With Oranges – a delicious German dessert, a creamy, luxurious mousse, healthy enough for every day desserts, but fancy enough for special occasions.

Awesome Strawberry Quark Cheese Mousse – A delicious German quark dessert with strawberries.

Ginger Spice & Cranberry Healthy Apple Crisp – This most delicious, comfy and cozy fall and holiday dessert will warm you up on a chilly day and fill your home with the delightful scents of apples and spice and everything nice.

Pin This Recipe For Later

Shop This Post

1 quart pot
3 quart sauce pot
Kitchen knife
Cutting board
Honey
Gelatin – from Amazon
Gelatin – from US Wellness Meats
Hibiscus Flowers
Rosehips
Star anise
Cinnamon stick