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This Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe is a sweet, slightly citrusy cranberry sauce that is perfect for your holiday table. This is so easy to make and also a nice sauce for meats or cheese. You can make this a few days ahead of time and have it ready for the holidays!
Since I was a little girl my favorite part of a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal has always been the cranberry sauce.
I love tart flavors and there is just something so good about cranberries.
This Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe couldn’t be easier to make. You can also prep this ahead of time and leave it in the fridge for a couple of days until your holiday meal. This recipe uses simple ingredients: cranberries, sugar, orange juice and cinnamon.
You can of course modify the cinnamon and orange juice to your liking depending on the flavor you like in the sauce. You can use this as a sauce on meats and cheeses or alongside your Herb Roasted Turkey, Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and a Lemon Arugula Salad.
You can use this sauce and add it to this Ham Cheese and Cranberry Rollups, Overnight Eggnog French Toast with Cranberry Sauce, Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast with Cranberry Sauce and this
If you like cranberries as much as I do try these Cranberry Braised Short Ribs, Cranberry Almond Energy Bites, Cranberry Bliss Bars, Overnight Coconut Cranberry French Toast, or this Cranberry Aperol Spritz.
Recipe Ingredients
You will love this easy recipe and the simple ingredients it uses for the marinade ingredients. It is one of my favorite recipes!
- Cranberries: I like to use fresh cranberries to make cranberry sauce. You can find them in the grocery store produce section around the holidays. I will often buy a few extra bags and freeze them in case I want to make them throughout the year. Frozen cranberries work similar to buying them fresh.
- Sugar: I added white sugar to this cranberry sauce but you could try half white sugar and half brown sugar for a slightly different flavor or all brown sugar.
- Cinnamon: The cinnamon adds a warm flavor to the cranberry sauce but you don’t have to add it if you don’t like cinnamon.
- Orange Juice and Orange Zest: I used orange juice and orange zest to add a citrus flavor to the cranberry sauce. Once again this isn’t a necessary ingredient so if you don’t want to use it you can skip it.
How to Modify this Cranberry Sauce
- Vanilla: A splash of vanilla extract can add a sweet and aromatic flavor to the cranberry sauce.
- Citrus: I added orange zest and orange juice into this recipe. You also could try lemon juice and lemon zest for a more tart flavor.
- Spices: Aside from cinnamon try adding other warm spices like allspice, cloves and nutmeg.
- Nuts: If you want to add texture and crunch to the sauce you can add in chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, can provide a crunchy texture and nutty flavor that complements the sauce.
- Fruit: Add chopped dried fruits like apricots, raisins, or currants for a sweet and chewy element.
- Sweeteners: If you want to cut the sugar you can add a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup.
- Fruit: Add in diced apples or pears for an extra fruity flavor.
How to Make Cranberry Sauce
Step 1: Combine Ingredients: In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the cranberries, granulated sugar, cinnamon, orange juice and water.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir gently to combine all the ingredients.
Step 2: Simmer Mixture: Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Reduce the heat to low and let the cranberries cook for about 10 minutes, or until they burst, and the sauce thickens slightly.
Step 3: Let Cool: Remove the cranberry sauce from the heat and let the cranberry sauce cool completely.
Step 4: Refrigerate Sauce: Transfer the sauce to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
Serve alongside turkey, salad and your favorite side dishes or use it as a sauce on appetizers and meats.
Storage Tips
Store this cranberry sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
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Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries, fresh
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, {or try brown sugar}
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, {more or less to taste}
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup orange juice , {or juice an orange}
- 2 teaspoons orange zest, optional
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the cranberries, granulated sugar, cinnamon, orange juice and water.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir gently to combine all the ingredients.
- Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the cranberries cook for about 10 minutes, or until they burst, and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove the cranberry sauce from the heat and let the cranberry sauce cool completely.
- Transfer the sauce to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavours to meld together.
- Serve alongside turkey, salad and your favorite side dishes or use it as a sauce on appetizers and meats.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is this recipe good to double? Will it still set up right?
Yes! Just double everything.
I appreciate you posting this recipe. I made it for the first time yesterday, for Canadian Thanksgiving. It was delicious. Next time I might cut the sugar or replace it with a natural sweetner – but otherwise, it was a hit with the family.
Glad you liked it! Great idea to cut the sugar or do natural sweetener! I should try that out.
I plan on making homemade cranberry sauce this year so I was really happy that I read your tip that you think it tastes better the next day. Anything I can prepare the day before is fine by me! 🙂
I actually eat mine throughout the week–so really you could even make it two days ahead and put it in a container with a lid in the fridge. I love it! 🙂