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Cardamom-spiced cranberry pear sauce is perfect if you want a fresh new twist on a classic favorite. Serve it with turkey dinner or as a fun seasonal topping for oatmeal, yogurt, or toast.
A lot of people tell me they only like cranberries in sauce, but not me. I look forward to cranberry season months before those little gems show up at the market.
Reminiscent of Sour Patch Kids and Lemon WarHeads (can you tell I was a child of the 80’s/90’s?), I like cranberries as-is. I find their tart flavor pleasantly refreshing and a great addition to seasonal salads (especially if a sweet, fruity vinaigrette is involved), as well as baked goods (like my paleo cranberry-pecan loaf).
I always pick up a bag of cranberries as soon as I find them at the grocery store. One of my favorite things to do is make cranberry sauce, but it goes well beyond Thanksgiving dinner. To be honest, I don’t really care all that much for cranberry sauce on my turkey! I much prefer my cranberry sauce on top of oatmeal, yogurt, or pancakes, spread on sourdough toast instead of jam, or paired with nut butter for a grown-up twist on a classic PB&J sandwich.
This particular sauce is absolutely perfect for any of those uses, making it a staple in my kitchen during cranberry season. You can also use this cranberry sauce to make a festive parfait-style dessert layered with yogurt and a sprinkling of walnuts or pecans on top.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Fresh cranberries – Rinse them under cool running water and pick out any bad cranberries.
- Fresh ripe pears – I leave the peel on and core and dice the pears. D’Anjou is my favorite type of pear in this recipe.
- Sugar – You can use any kind of sugar you like; granulated white sugar, coconut sugar, or even a keto sugar substitute all work well.
- Pear nectar – Pear nectar is thicker than pear juice with a slightly pulpy texture and sweet pear flavor. If you can’t find pear nectar, you can substitute with 1/2 cup pear juice (or apple cider in a pinch) + 1/2 cup applesauce.
- Salt – To enhance the flavor of everything else.
- Vanilla bean paste – Musky, rich vanilla bean paste accentuates the creamy, vanilla flavor of pear.
- Ground green cardamom – Cardamom adds subtly floral, citrusy, peppery, eucalyptus-like flavor notes.
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, pear, sugar, pear nectar, and salt to a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down slightly so it doesn’t boil over. Cover the pot and simmer until the cranberries pop and the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste and cardamom.
Storage
Cool to room temperature, and then store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips For Success
- For the best flavor and texture, make sure your pears are ripe but not mushy.
- If you don’t have cardamom on hand, you can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. The end result will have less herby, floral notes and a sharper, more pungent heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! These fruits pair beautifully: creamy, sweet pears balance tart cranberries.
Yes. There’s no need for added thickener in this recipe because the pectin naturally found in fruit acts as a gelling agent.
More Recipes With Fresh Cranberries
- Sugared Cranberries (aka Candied Cranberries)
- Fresh Cranberry and Orange Relish
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Cranberry Pie
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Cardamom-Spiced Cranberry Pear Sauce Recipe
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Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries (about 3 heaping cups; rinsed)
- 2 medium pears cored and diced but not peeled (I used D’Anjou)
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1 cup pear nectar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground green cardamom
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, pear, sugar, pear nectar, and salt to a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down slightly so it doesn’t boil over. Cover the pot and simmer until the cranberries pop and the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste and cardamom.
Notes
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 3 1/2 cups of cranberry sauce, or 14 (1/4-cup) servings.
- Storage: Cool to room temperature, and then store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
the vibrance! and i love the pear combination. yes to cranberry sauce with oatmeal and waffles. xo
Loved this!!! Can’t wait to make it!
Deliciously spicy!
Cheers,
Rosa