35 Ways to Use Leftover Cranberry Sauce.

It wasn’t until this year that I truly recognized the delicious versatility of the ruby red little cranberry. Not only is it extremely low in sugar (only 2 grams per half cup) but its high in antioxidants. It shine’s bright in both sweet and savory recipes.

Cranberry compliments many flavors. Try paring it with the following foods for an extra delicious experience:

Allspice, Almonds, Apples, Apricots, Cheese (Especially goat cheese). Chicken, Chili Peppers,Chocolate (white & dark). Cinnamon, Cloves, Cognac, Cream, Cream Cheese, Currents, Ginger, Hazelnuts, Honey, Lemon, Lime, Liqueur, Maple Syrup, Nuts, Oats, Orange Juice, Peaches, Pears, Pistachios, Pork, Poultry, Pumpkin, Raisins, Salt, Star Anise, Sweet Potatoes, Tangerines, Thyme, Turkey, Vanilla, Walnuts and White Wine.

There always seems to be a bowl of cranberry sauce left on most Thanksgiving tables.This year, claim it quick before anyone else has the chance to! 

Here are 35 delicious ways to make use of it in the days following Thanksgiving. You might feel so inspired that you find yourself stocking this tart little fruit in the freezer year round. I know I do!

1. Make pop tarts. Cut your dough into rectangles- place a spoon of cranberry sauce in the center. Cover with a second piece of dough. Crimp the edges and carefully place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 18-25 minutes. For grain free poptarts use THIS recipe. For Gluten Free grain based poptarts use THIS recipe.
2. Place a spoonful of cranberry sauce on a wheel of Brie cheese (we use it on goat brie cheese). Heat up and serve with grain free crackers.
3. Make a Hot Toddy. Add a heaping spoonful of your cranberry sauce + some sweetener of choice to a cup of boiling hot water.
4. Add a big scoop of cranberry sauce to a fruit smoothie.
5. Stir it into a bowl of vanilla or plain yogurt top with toasted pecans or walnuts. (Dairy or Nondairy)
6. Make a leftover turkey sandwich or wrap adding a smear of cranberry sauce. We do this using my Grain Free Lavash Bread Recipe.
7. Make a Quesadilla with cheese, turkey and Cranberry sauce. Try using my Grain Free Spinach Tortilla recipe OR my Flax Tortilla recipe.
8. Stir Cranberry Sauce into cream cheese to make cranberry flavored cream cheese. To make a a coconut cream cheese recipe free of dairy and soy try using my “Strawberry Cream Cheese” recipe. Subbing in the Cranberry Sauce for the Strawberries.
9. Make Cranberry Quickbread or Muffins – use my recipe for Easy Gluten Free/Vegan Quick Bread Base with Endless Flavor Possibilities. Use the cranberry sauce as the fruit puree called for in the recipe.
10. Make pink pancakes! Replace some of the liquid in your recipe with cranberry sauce! Use THIS recipe for grain free pancakes.
11. Make Cranberry Syrup- add orange juice and simmer until its syrupy. Drizzle over Pancakes and Waffles.
12. Add a spoonful of cranberry sauce as relish for a baked sweet potato.
13. Drizzle the sauce over the tops of your favorite brownie recipe before baking.
14. Add it to Chicken, Turkey or Tuna Salad. It will add a great flavor component. Use this as a salad topper or in a grain free wrap.
15. Freeze it and eat it later. Spoon into an ice cube tray or small container. The frozen cubes can be added to smoothies and sauces or just thawed out to eat.
16. Make a burger. Top with Grain Free Fried Onion Strings, Cranberry Sauce and Cheese (Cheese is optional.)
17. Add to BBQ Sauce.
18. Add to homemade popsicles.
19. Use as a topping for Vanilla or Pumpkin Ice Cream.
20. Use with cookies. When making thumbprint cookies try using thick cranberry sauce instead of Jam.
21. Stuff Acorn Squash- Fill its cavity with cranberry sauce instead of using brown sugar.
22. Use as a replacement for Jam on your toast.
23. Make Salad Dressing. Add equal parts of Cranberry Sauce, Oil and Vinegar (try Balsamic)
24. Make a dressing for a fruit salad. Make a creamy cashew dressing. Do this by adding cranberry sauce to cashew cream. (To make cashew cream: combine in a blender soaked cashews + a little water then add the cranberry sauce.)
25. Add it to applesauce to make pink cranberry apple sauce.
26. Make a Cranberry Orange Screw Driver. Mix Orange Juice, Pureed Cranberry Sauce and Vodka.
27. Stir in a little bit of cranberry sauce with a savory cream sauce and serve over Grain Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi.
28. Dip Sweet Potato Fries in it.
29. Dip apples in for a simple snack.
30. Make Cranberry Lemonade. Puree the cranberry sauce then combine it with lemon juice, water, ice and Sweetner of choice.
31. Spoon it over cake or cupcakes. Recommended flavors: vanilla, pumpkin or gingerbread.
32. Swirl it into the batter of your favorite cake or cupcake recipe to make Cranberry Marbled Cake.
33. Make a grain free Cranberry Apple Cobbler. (Replace the Peaches & Blackberries in this recipe with Apples and Cranberry sauce)
34. Make Grain Free Cranberry Fig Newtons. Use Cranberry Sauce as filling. boil it briefly to thicken.
35. Eat is all on its own. I mean honestly.. there was a reason you made it in the first place right?