Tropical Cranberry Salad! Think vibrant, flavor-packed bites that balance sweetness and zing in every spoonful, perfect for spreading across plates beside veggie loafs, dressing, or even serving alongside simple roasted veggies for a lighter, more colorful holiday moment.
This Homemade Tropical Cranberry Salad is your Thanksgiving upgrade with a bright tropical twist: sweet, tangy cranberries meet sunny fruit flavors for a fun, crowd-pleasing side that feels festive without tasting “basic.” It’s the kind of dish that steals the show on the table, offering that classic cranberry tang you love but with a refreshing pivot from traditional cranberry sauce.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
We all loved this unusual Tropical Cranberry Sauce; it’s soooo yummy! The flavors are seriously addictive: juicy, tangy, and slightly tropical in the best way, making it one of those dishes people keep coming back for (and asking for the recipe).
If you’re looking for a Thanksgiving side that feels a little unexpected but still totally comforting, you gotta give this one a try!
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This homemade Tropical Cranberry Sauce has a tropical twist that is full of fun flavors that will rock your Thanksgiving table with its unusual pivot from the traditional cranberry sauce.
- Cranberry Sauce: Cranberries have natural pectin which allows the sauce to thicken naturally. As the cranberries pop in the heat, they release their natural pectin. As the sauce cools, it thickens even more.
- Cranberries: Use fresh or frozen cranberries. 12 oz. of fresh cranberries is approximately 3 ½ cups.
- Orange Juice: Use fresh or store-bought orange juice, just make sure that no sugar is added.
- Crushed Pineapple: We used an 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, including the juices. There may be very little to no pineapple juice in the can. We do not recommend using fresh pineapple. Fresh pineapple has a natural enzyme called bromelain, which prevents the sauce from thickening. Select canned pineapple that is in 100% juice, no added sugars or syrups.
- Controversial Optional Add-Ins: Our family has a lot to say about the Optional Add-Ins. No one could agree on which add-in should be allowed in this cranberry sauce. Very strong feelings about the optional add-in all the way around. First of all, let me say everyone loved this cranberry sauce with the cranberries and crushed pineapple. It is delicious. Here is a list of how the family members felt about what they loved:
- Ameera: Loved the cranberries and the pineapple. The mandarins – take them or leave them.
- Grandpa Tony: Loved the cranberries, pineapple, mandarins, and definitely the walnuts (Grandpa Tony loooves toasted walnuts).
- Yasmeen: Loved the cranberries, pineapple, and mandarins.
- Yara: Loved the cranberries and pineapple.
- Robin: Loved the cranberries, pineapple, walnuts, mandarins, and toasted coconut.
- Michael: He hates cranberries. LOL
- Mandarin Oranges: Select canned or jarred mandarin oranges in 100% fruit juices, (no added sugar or syrups) drain well.
- Toasting the Walnuts and Coconut: Do not toast the walnuts or coconut together.
- Toasted Walnuts: Place the walnuts into a dry skillet. Toast and stir constantly over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes, then immediately transfer to a plate to cool completely. Do not allow the walnuts to remain in the hot skillet to cool as they will burn. Once cooled, give them a rough chop.
- Toasted Shredded Coconut: Place the shredded coconut into a dry skillet. Toast and stir constantly over medium heat until fragrant and golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, then immediately transfer to a plate to cool completely. Do not allow the coconut to remain in the hot skillet to cool as it will burn
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Leftovers and Freezing:
This cranberry sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 7 days. Keep in an air-tight covered container.
This dish does not freeze well.
Pantry Products:
- Crushed Pineapple: We used one 8 oz. can of Dole Crushed Pineapple in 100% Pineapple Juice. Feel free to use your favorite crushed pineapple in juice only, no added sugar or syrups.
- Mandarin Oranges: We used mandarin oranges from a container of Dole Mandarin Oranges in 100% Fruit Juice – No Sugar Added. Feel free to use your favorite mandarin oranges in 100% fruit juice.
- Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: We used Bob’s Red Mill Unsweetened Shredded Coconut. Feel free to use your favorite unsweetened shredded coconut.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Large stock pot with a lid
If you try this delicious dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
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Tropical Cranberry Salad
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 15 Minutes (+Rest Time)
- Yield: 6-10 Servings 1x
- Category: Sauce, Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Homemade Tropical Cranberry Salad is your Thanksgiving upgrade with a bright tropical twist: sweet, tangy cranberries meet sunny fruit flavors for a fun, crowd-pleasing side that feels festive without tasting “basic.”
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 12 oz. fresh (or frozen) cranberries (approx. 3 ½ cups)
- ½ water
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt *
Other Ingredients
- 1 – [ 8 oz. can ] crushed pineapple, undrained *
Optional Add-Ins
- ½ to 1 cup toasted walnuts, toasted, rough chop
- ½ to 1 cup mandarin oranges
- 1/8 to ¼ cup shredded coconut, toasted
Instructions
- Make the Sauce by placing all the Sauce Ingredients into a medium sauce and heat over high heat until boiling. Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium and boil for 4 to 8 minutes or until all the cranberries burst and have thickened into a jelly-like substance, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Once all the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened, add the crushed pineapple (including any juice from the can) and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
- Allow to sit for 10 minutes or longer and then place in a glass container and allow to come to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
- Once the cranberry sauce is cold, add in the Optional Add-Ins, stir gently to combine.
- Serve, enjoy, and refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Products Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Equipment Used.
Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Servings: 6 to 10
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