Orange & Cranberry Jellies – Entirely Natural and Refined Sugar Free
Believe it or not, I’ve got another treat for you today.
This one’s different, though. First, it’s not chocolate. Although these jellies sure would be tasty all coated in dark chocolate. Hummm. I think I need to save that idea in a drawer somewhere inside my head…
But for now, I think we’ve had enough chocolate. Well, on here anyway!
So as I was saying, this treat is different from all the others I’ve given you lately. How, you ask? Well, it IS a treat, but really, it isn’t… It’s fruit puree that poses as a treat!
Indeed, all there is to these cute little Orange Cranberry Jellies is fresh cranberries (yes, yes, the whole fruits), sweet apple cider, freshly squeezed orange juice, a little bit of maple syrup, a few spices, and gelatin.
LOADS of gelatin!
And as you may know, gelatin is good for you. However, since it is from animal source, try and get your hands on real good, grass-fed or at least organic gelatin.
These are so incredibly tasty and have a very fun texture. Somewhere between firm “Jello” and gummies.
And look at how pretty. They look like little ruby red jewels, all covered in snow. Now don’t tell me these wouldn’t look good on a Holiday dessert or treats table.
And I’m pretty sure that this plate would empty in no time, too!
Just don’t tell anyone that these are actually good for them, and they’ll never guess.
Hey, they don’t need to know now, do they?
Nah. Let’s keep this our little secret! 🙂
All Natural Cranberry Jellies
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup fresh pressed apple cider, or unsweetened apple juice
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup, or raw honey
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 fresh vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 1/2 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
- juice and zest of one orange
- Pinch of Himalayan salt
- 75 g pasture raised beef gelatin
- 3/4 cup cold water
- About 1 cup unsweetened finely shredded unsweetened coconut
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan except for water, gelatin and shredded coconut and cook over medium heat for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the cranberries have pretty much all popped and the sauce has taken a bright red color, remove the star anise and kill the heat.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water then mix well and quickly add to the cranberry sauce. Stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
- Pour the mixture into a 9” x 9” non-stick or glass pan and place in the refrigerator to set, at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
- When the jelly is completely set remove from pan by lifting a corner and gently pulling on it, it should come right out. Cut into 64 squares with a warm, wet blade. To do that, run your blade under hot water between each cut and don't wipe it, as you want your squares to get a little wet.
- Place the coconut in a small mixing bowl and throw the fruit jellies right in, about 10 to 12 at a time. Move them around a little bit until completely covered in coconut.
- Store these in the fridge in an airtight container where they will keep for a few weeks.
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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25 Comments on “Orange & Cranberry Jellies – Entirely Natural and Refined Sugar Free”
Oh! I love jellies, but hate all the sugar! I actually stuck all my jelly candies to my gingerbread house with wood glue this year so I wouldn’t be tempted to consume all the sugar. True story.
Thank you for a recipe that I can nix the whole “wood glue” deal! Yum!
LOL! You’re too funny, Taylor! I certainly hope that your trick worked and that you were indeed not tempted to eat the “wood glued candy”… I’m pretty sure that these jellies could be made into a gum drop shape, which would make them more than suitable to use on a gingerbread house. With such a pretty and vibrant red color, I’m sure they’d make it super festive! And at least, these ones you could eat without having to feel guilty in the least! No wood glue required here! 🙂
I would love to take a handful of those on the slopes with me today.
Healthy and delicious energy bites so I won’t have to stop for food and I could ski all day! YAY!
Poor things… they’d probably freeze to death! I say leave them back at the cabin where they can very patiently, and warmly, wait for your return.
Ah, but then you wouldn’t be able to get energy from them as you are about to make your descent, would you? Pfff. Just make sure you get a good insulated bag to keep them in so they don’t suffer too much from the cold! 😉
they look yummy!
Thank you Dina! 🙂
These sound AMAZING! I love gummy/jelly candy and love all things orange-cranberry. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to trying these soon!
Hope you like ’em, Buttoni. Make sure you let me know! 🙂
I’ve made these jellies and they were amazing! I now have a couple bags of cranberries in the freezer for future use, since they are not always available. Needless to say, they did not last long. 🙂
Thanks for all these awesome recipes. Keep up the good work.
So happy to hear, Irene, and thank you so much for taking the time to leave such great feedback. This is something that I always appreciate very much! And thank you for your kind words, too! You totally rock! 🙂
You must mean 7.5 grams gelatin and not 75? This would be so many packets of gelatine…
I really do mean 75g Emily… I purchase my gelatin by the pound, it’s much easier that way! 😉
I’m definitely making these to add to my Christmas platter! However, I do have a question: is there any good replacement for the apple cider/juice? Such as water?
You could very well use water if you wanted to, I suppose, only the gummies aren’t going to be quite as sweet and tasty…
Thanks! I didn’t have any apple cider or juice in the house when I was originally planning on making this, but I’ve just been to the store today now. I’m going to make them in a few minutes, and I’m super excite to taste them!
Awesome! Hope they turn out as good as you imagine them to be, Hannah Marie!
They were far better than I imagined them to be! I adore chocolate, but these were a nice, refreshing, and festive change. I’m making them again this year, and I think they might be a permanent addition to my annual Christmas platter.
YAY! So very happy to hear, Hannah! Delicious AND healthy, the perfect Christmas treat! 🙂
I’m making a batch to share with my mother, and she’s temporarily unable to eat citrus. I replaced the orange juice with an equal amount of extra apple cider so that she can eat it, and I’m hoping it’ll taste just as good.
Also, I’ve had success using vanilla and anise extract as replacements for the vanilla bean and star anise. Although I’m sure it would taste better with the actual bean and star anise, I’m unable to purchase any of them.
For sure they will taste fairly different without the orange juice, but I’m sure they will be equally good. I hope your mom likes them! 🙂
Does no one EVER proof read these days?
e.g. ” Add all ingredients to pot…..” and then, later, “add gelatin”. Careless, shoddy work
2
Might I suggest you actually take the time to READ the recipe, Paul? I mean, actually read ALL the words.
Either that, or practice your diagonal reading skills…
Is there another recommended fresh berry or fruit substitute for the cranberries? Fresh ones are not so easily available in California…Thanks.
You can use frozen if you can’t get your hands on fresh…