Pomegranate Cranberry Relish is a mouth-watering, holiday spread made with pomegranate, fresh cranberries, and sugar. It’s a sweet and tart spread you can scoop over a wheel of warm, brie cheese, or on your holiday turkey sandwiches.
Pomegranate Cranberry Relish
We’ve lived with a pomegranate tree in our yard for the past eleven years.
Someone pinch me because it’s really too good to be true!
Every time October rolls around, I’m inundated with fresh, tree-ripened pommies and I get a lot of time in the test kitchen with them.
So, every year for holiday feasts, I make this cranberry relish with pomegranate. In fact, it’s one of the first holiday recipes to ever hit my blog back in 2015.
Here’s what sells me on this cranberry relish every year:
- the perfect balance of tart and sweet
- it pops with flavor and texture
- uses raw cranberries and pomegranate arils together
- makes me obsess about it when I’m not eating it
What’s the difference between cranberry relish and sauce?
Cranberry sauce is traditionally cooked, while cranberry relish is typically raw.
That’s pretty much it!
It really depends on your preference.
I love BOTH!
In fact, I like to have both options available on the holiday table.
How do you make cranberry relish?
1. Pulse whole cranberries with sugar in a food processor
2. Fold in whole pomegranate seeds.
3. Chill overnight (preferably a few days in advance of your event).
If you don’t have a high-speed blender, a standard blender works just fine.
No matter what you use, do not purée or liquefy the cranberries, unless you’re into that.
When should I make the cranberry relish or sauce for my holiday dinner?
TIME (and chemistry) are what bring out the best of this condiment, or any cranberry sauce, really.
So, whip it up a day or two before your holiday throw down goes down.
You can set-it-and-forget-it in the fridge…unless you’re me, and you taste it every other hour for a few days because you’re a cranberry-obsessed weirdo who eats it straight out of the bowl.
That’s cool too!
Oh, but it’s so much better when you serve it over warm brie, like this…
What’s the best way to sweeten cranberry relish?
I tested these sweeteners:
- Honey (overpowered the cranberry relish with honey flavor)
- Turbinado sugar (a close second to white)
- Coconut sugar (def did NOT care for the flavor for this recipe)
- Brown sugar (meh)
- Plain white sugar (won by a longshot!)
White sugar seemed to excel at the process of maceration and left me with the juiciest results.
Also, it didn’t interfere with the flavors of the cranberries and the pomegranate like the other sugars did.
I know, I know, we’re supposed to steer away from processed sugars, but it’s the holidays, so let’s go with it!
I tested them all and I’m going with it because it simply yields the best results for this cranberry relish.
Whatever you do, keep the pomegranate seeds whole as they will literally pop with each bite…an experience to NOT be missed!
Cranberry Relish Ingredients
- cranberries
- pomegranate arils
- sugar
You can add any of these: jalapeños, cilantro, onion, lime, oranges, apples, ginger, cloves, lemon, celery, walnuts, or pistachios.
No matter what, you’re getting a dose of Vitamin C, Fiber, and minerals with this dish. So, live it up!
Kitchen tools I use for Cranberry Relish:
- Nutribullet or food processor
- mixing bowl
- stirring spoon
Be sure to grab these other healthy holiday recipes:
Grab my Fall Winter Sweet Potato Salad and skip the candied sweet potatoes.
Or grab my I Can’t Believe Its’ Vegan! Green Bean Casserole…you really won’t believe it’s vegan!
If you love comfort food (and who doesn’t), check out my Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe.
Traci Antonovich
Yields 2 cups
Pomegranate and cranberries are macerated in sugar, creating a sweet and tart relish.
5 minPrep Time
5 minTotal Time
Save Recipe5 based on 16 review(s)
Ingredients
- 12 oz bag fresh Cranberries (3 cups)
- 1/2 cup Pomegranate Arils
- 3/4 cup White Sugar
Instructions
In a food processor, pulse CRANBERRIES until coarsely chopped; transfer to a bowl; fold in POMEGRANATE ARILS and SUGAR.
Cover and refrigerate overnight (or up to three days before serving).
Notes
Add small amounts of sugar if needed. Make a few days in advance for a full, flavor experience; store up to 4 days.
Traci Antonovich
About my recipes: Minimal meat & more plants!
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