Pomegranate Cranberry Relish

Pomegranate Cranberry Relish is a juicy, mouth-watering cranberry sauce that pops with pomegranate and SO much flavor. Serve as a holiday side or brie crostini spread and watch it disappear! Watch out...its code name is 'cranberry crack'!

Fresh cranberry relish with pomegranate is a mouth-watering cranberry recipe that, like cranberry sauce, you can serve as a side, condiment, sauce, or customize with add-ins. Since this relish is a no-cook recipe and the cranberries are macerated (which basically means do nothing and wait patiently), it gets more juicy and delicious by the day.

I prefer the texture and flavor after day two, but it starts being pretty darn delicious only a few hours after it's made once the sugar dissolves.

Key ingredients

• cranberries - use frozen or fresh cranberries for this recipe.
• pomegranate arils - also called pomegranate seeds. Available as whole fruit in grocery stores from Sep - Jan and always packaged in the refrigerated produce section.
• sugar - I have tested several sugars and sweeteners with this recipe...cane sugar wins (see more about this below).

What's the difference between cranberry relish and cranberry sauce?

Cranberry sauce is traditionally cooked and cranberry relish is typically raw. That's pretty much it! I love BOTH! In fact, I like to have both options available on the holiday table.

Fresh cranberries vs frozen cranberries

I have tested both frozen and fresh cranberries with this recipe and either will work perfectly. If you use frozen cranberries, no need to thaw ... just toss them into the food processor like I did here and blend into coarse crumbles.

How to make cranberry pomegranate sauce

1. Blend whole, fresh or frozen cranberries in a food processor, high-speed blender, or standard blender until coarsely chopped.
2. Fold in pomegranate seeds and sugar.
3. Cover and chill until sugar dissolves for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight.

How to serve cranberry relish

• as a side dish (like cranberry sauce)
• as a condiment on turkey sandwiches
• as a spread on Cranberry Brie Crostini

Can I make cranberry relish ahead?

Yes, in fact, you should. Since this is a no-cook cranberry recipe that macerates to build flavor and juices, I recommend making it a few days before your holiday throwdown goes down. It gets better with each day. Also, make plenty, because you'll eat a bunch of it before your holiday dinner even rolls around.

Best sweetener for cranberry relish

• cane sugar - This was the WINNER by a longshot! It doesn't interfere with the flavors of the cranberries and the pomegranate like the other sugars did. Instead, it keeps the flavor bright, which is exactly what I want in a cranberry condiment. 
• honey - overpowered the cranberry relish with honey flavor.
• coconut sugar - Are use coconut sugar for many many things. Cranberry sauce is not one of them. I simply do not care for how it flavors this recipe.
• brown sugar - Just like raw sugar, the flavor was too deep and dark for cranberry sauce.
• turbinado (raw) sugar - a close second to white sugar, but still too caramel-ey tasting for my cranberry sauce preferences.

Cranberry pomegranate sauce add-ins

I'm pretty crazy about this fresh cranberry relish recipe as it is, but here's a list of ingredient options for you to customize it to your heart's content.

• fresh jalapeño or Serrano peppers
• oranges
• apples
• ginger
• cloves
• lemon
• celery
• fresh mint
• walnuts or pistachios

Grab these easy holiday recipes!

• Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
• Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Basic Crostini Recipe
• 5-Minute French Onion Dip
• Garlicky Roasted Mushrooms
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Vegan Green Bean Casserole
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie