Sugar Free & Healthy “Canned Style” Cranberry Jelly
Here’s something fun about me: I vividly remember the first time I heard of cranberries.
I was 11 years old, it was my very first day living in America, and we went out to eat because our kitchen was bare.
I tried to order apple juice (because I was 11), and the restaurant didn’t have any. They only had CranApple. The waiter explained to me that apple juice in the U.S. is far too sweet, so people only drink it diluted with apple juice.
Having lived in America for 25 years now, I know that that isn’t really true. Plenty of people drink plain apple juice. But I’m grateful for that incident, because it launched a 7-year obsession with cranberry juice.
For the next 7 years, I was obsessed with all things cranberry.
The juice? Drank it all day.
Dried berries? I ordered any salad that had them on it.
And the sauce? I mainlined that shit every November.
[if you’re wondering what happened 7 years later…I continued to love all things cranberry, but I stopped single-handedly keeping Ocean Spray in business because once I started using cranberry juice as a mixer, I stopped enjoying it the rest of the time.]
The Magical Little Berry
Little did I know when I was 11, cranberries are actually a nutritional powerhouse.
They’re rich in fiber—both soluble & insoluble, which is great for supporting your gut health & nervous system. But the benefits don’t end there:
They’re rich in polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. These compounds support a healthy gut microbiome by promoting beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium & Akkermansia. In fact, cranberries are one of the best foods for supporting akkermansia, a type of probiotic that you can’t get from a supplement. Akkermansia is great for not only gut health, but also metabolic health, supporting healthy blood sugar, and metabolism.
Cranberries can act as a natural diuretic, encouraging the body to eliminate excess water. This can help reduce water retention and ease bloating, especially during hormonal changes or after consuming salty foods.
Cranberries contain organic acids like benzoic acid, which can have a gentle laxative effect. These acids stimulate the digestive system, helping with the breakdown and smooth passage of food through the intestines.
The Problem of Sugar
Unfortunately, a lot of these benefits are negated by the presence of sugar in any and all cranberry products.
Sugar is known to trigger inflammatory pathways in the body. Consuming large amounts of sugar has been linked to inflammation, which can counteract the anti-inflammatory benefits of the polyphenols and antioxidants in cranberries. Excess sugar can lead to higher levels of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), which negatively impacts overall health.
While cranberries on their own have a low glycemic index, adding sugar can increase their glycemic load significantly. This can spike blood sugar and insulin levels, making it harder to benefit from cranberries’ natural compounds that support blood sugar regulation. Spikes in insulin and blood sugar can also disrupt metabolic health, counteracting cranberries' benefits for insulin sensitivity and weight management.
High sugar intake can disturb the balance of gut bacteria, encouraging the growth of sugar-loving bacteria and reducing levels of beneficial bacteria like Akkermansia muciniphila. Excess sugar consumption can fuel pathogenic bacteria that lead to dysbiosis (imbalance in the gut microbiome), weakening the protective effects Akkermansia and other beneficial microbes have on digestion, immunity, and gut health.
This Dish
canned-style cranberry jelly, but none of the sugar, corn syrup, and processed ingredients; and instead fortified with a secret gut-boosting superfood
The Benefits
this cran jelly is actually incredible for bloating & constipation:
by substituting sugar & corn syrup for whole medjool dates, this cran jelly preserves the antioxidant & prebiotic benefits of cranberries, while still tasting good
cranberries are great for reducing inflammation, reducing puffiness, and can have a mild laxative effect
sea moss is packed with minerals like potassium and magnesium, both of which support fluid balance and reduce bloating. its mucilaginous texture soothes the gut lining, which helps prevent bloating
The Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup pitted medjool dates
a tiny pinch of salt
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup dried Irish Sea moss
Optional flavorings:
If you want to go more savory, you could add a spring of thyme
Another fun one is some orange zest
If you want to go more sweet, add vanilla extract
My fav combo: zest of 1 orange, 1 japapeno
Instructions:
soak dried sea moss for 8ish hours, or according to the package instructions
cook cranberries in a small saucepan over low heat until they burst & mush up
blend everything together until SUPER smooth. blend for way longer than you think you need to
pour into molds to set
Logistics:
You can make this way ahead of time. Mine have lasted in the fridge for 2 weeks now
This recipe should make enough to feed like 10 people I think?
Links:
This is the sea moss I used
I love this brand of dates-- IMO they have the best caramel-y flavor
I used these cupcake molds. You can use an empty, cleaned out, can if you want the authentic can shape; but I used cupcake molds and sliced and I found it kinda looked the same
Hopefully I didn’t miss anything, but just in case, here is a roundup of links to my common recipe ingredients
For More on Gut-Friendly Recipes
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy my the Miso Pumpkin Hummus from the Thanksgiving series; the Thanksgiving-Themed DeBloat Gummies; and my Truffle Potatoes;
and
If you want more recipes that will help you debloat & eliminate regularly, I highly recommend checking out my [free] Gut Health Cookbook, which has 5 yummy, gut-friendly, recipes. You can download it here.
