Cinnamon-Orange Cranberry Goo

Servings: 18 Prep: 5 mins Cook: 25 mins Total: 30 mins

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… I’m a huge fan of goo!

I’ve got a variety of berries in my freezer. It’s not uncommon for me to pull out a handful of one or more, throw them in a small pot and put them over low heat with a lid. They quickly defrost and soften, at which point I perform some coarse crushing, so they release their juices. Then, in a separate bowl, I mix together some powdered sweetener, a touch of salt and a skosh of xanthan gum and tapioca flour. I mix them together, then dump them in the pot and quickly stir in the dry ingredients. This sweetens, seasons and thickens the sauce all at once. The end result is a bit too loose to be a jelly and a bit too chunky to be a syrup. Alas, without another sophisticated culinary term… I dub it goo!

This recipe follows the exact same process. However, it takes a bit longer and is a bit more complex in flavor. It’s essentially a perfect alternative to the standard cranberry sauce that many serve over the holidays. This is fresh, homemade and requires no can opener. It’s actually a fantastic sauce all the way around… wonderful on chicken, turkey and pork (including a nice ham!).

Some of the time, I wish holiday foods were delicious all year round!

Thickening Note: This kind of goo is typically thickened with corn starch. In order to reach a similar thickening power, I use xanthan gum which helps. Xanthan gum is a zero-net carb thickener. However, too much can be slimy. So, I add just a twinge of tapioca starch to get it the rest of the way there. Arrowroot would work, as well. Keep in mind that these two ingredients are largely optional. The taste will be excellent without them, but the sauce will have a watery consistency.

Serving Size: Makes roughly 18 1-oz (2 tbsp [30 mL]) portions.

Cinnamon-Orange Cranberry Goo

4 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 18 Servings

Author: DJ Foodie

Ingredients

• 1 each orange
• 1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
• 1 each cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup 'Swerve' or other sugar replacement
• 1 tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• With a zester or vegetable peeler, remove the very very outer orange layer of the orange. Try to avoid the white pith, as it’s bitter. You want roughly 1/3rd the orange zest from the orange. Place this zest into a small sauce pan.
• Juice the orange and add to the sauce pan. Place the pan over low heat on the stove.
• Add the cranberries and cinnamon stick to the pan. Cover and bring to a slow simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
• While the cranberries simmer, in a small bowl, combine your powdered sweetener, tapioca starch (or arrowroot), xanthan gum and a little salt and pepper.
• Once the sauce is simmering, use a wooden spoon to crush the cranberries. This should release more juice. Cover and let simmer for about 10 more minutes.
• Evenly sprinkle your dried ingredients over the top of the sauce. Quickly mix them in. Cover and let simmer for about 5 more minutes.
• Look at the sauce. If it’s still too thin, feel free to add a little more tapioca and/or xanthan gums. Just be sure to mix in a little sweetener to help distribute it. It helps prevent clumping.
• Once the desired thickness is achieved, taste, adjust seasoning and serve!

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