Cranberry Sauce

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Updated Dec 19, 2023

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Cranberry sauce is an easy Thanksgiving side dish that’s a must-make for your dinner menu. This one’s naturally sweet, with a hint of orange, and slightly chunky – the perfect texture to spoon over your best turkey recipe and everything else on the table.

Homemade cranberry sauce in a glass bowl.

While you might be tempted to grab the canned stuff, promise me you won’t do it. Because there’s really no comparison to homemade cranberry sauce that’s fresh, zingy, and sweet.

Not only is cranberry sauce extremely easy to make at home, but you can control the amount of sweetness and avoid any preservatives. All you need is a bag of cranberries, honey or maple syrup, and orange juice. Plus, you can prep this ahead of time! And that gives you one less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving day. So grab your pot and let’s get cooking!

Ingredients for cranberry sauce on a table.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for a traditional and classic cranberry sauce.

Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries here, either works. And if you have extras leftover, save them for a cranberry smoothie!
Sweetener: Honey or maple syrup will give this just the right amount of natural sweetness.
Orange Juice and Water: While you can simplify this recipe and use only water, orange juice adds a delicious depth of flavor that compliments the cranberries perfectly.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How To Make Fresh Cranberry Sauce

It’s a simple as simmering a few items on the stove. And since cranberries are high in pectin, this will help the sauce gel up beautifully. Here’s how to make it:

Wash your cranberries. If using fresh cranberries, rinse them in a colander under running water to make sure they’re nice and clean. You can skip this if you’re using frozen cranberries.
Combine all the ingredients. Pour the cranberries, water, orange juice, and honey in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Let it simmer. As it’s simmering, stir occasionally. You’ll notice that the cranberries will start to burst and the sauce will thicken.
Cool. Turn the heat off and let it cool before using or storing. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Jazz Up Your Cranberry Sauce

You can amp up the flavor of your cranberry sauce with simple ingredients. Here are a few ideas to bring additional texture and flavor to this classic sauce.

Add sweet spices. A dash of cinnamon will give it a sweet warmth. Just stir it in at the last few minutes of cooking.
Make it bright. Stir in zested orange or sprinkle a little on top to add brightness.
Add some depth. Pour in ½ a cup of red wine to the sauce.
Bring the heat. Add some freshly grated ginger or chopped jalapeños to turn this into a more savory dish.
Add crunch. Toast walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts. Chop them, and sprinkle on top before serving.

Ways To Use Cranberry Sauce

The beauty of cranberry sauce is that you can eat it with almost anything. For Thanksgiving dinner, you can spoon it over turkey, mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts.

And if you’ve got leftovers, here’s a few ways to get creative:

Serve with herb baked chicken, lemon garlic spatchcock chicken, or pork meatballs.
Dollop onto a turkey cobb salad, your morning oatmeal, homemade yogurt or chia pudding.
Spread it onto paleo pancakes, buckwheat waffles, a vegan cheesecake, or inside cassava flour crepes.

To Store

In the fridge: This will last for 1 to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.
To freeze: Pour the sauce into a freezer-safe container after it’s cooled. It will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
To thaw: Simply let it defrost in the fridge overnight, give it a good stir, and serve.

Classic Thanksgiving Recipes To Add To Your Menu

You’re on a roll with the cranberry sauce, so don’t stop there! Complete your impressive dinner spread with these much-loved Thanksgiving recipes:

I think we can all agree that it’s not a Thanksgiving dinner without a bowl of homemade cranberry sauce! So if you make this recipe, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce (Better Than Store-Bought)

5 from 47 votes

Prep: 5

Cook: 15

Total: 20

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Lisa Bryan

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Description

This cranberry sauce is a classic recipe that's perfectly sweet, slightly chunky, and a must-have for your Thanksgiving dinner spread! Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!

Video

Equipment

Glass Gravy Boat A glass gravy boat shows off the beautiful red color!

Ingredients

▢ 4 cups (about a 12-ounce package) fresh or frozen cranberries
▢ ½ cup honey or maple syrup, or more as desired
▢ ½ cup orange juice
▢ ½ cup water
▢ orange zest, optional

Instructions

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the water, orange juice, and honey. Bring to a boil.
Add the cranberries and give everything stir.
Bring the mixture back to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. The cranberries will burst (that's what you want) and the sauce will start to thicken.
Turn the heat off and let it cool for 15 minutes. Then transfer it to a container and place it in the fridge to chill and thicken up.

Lisa’s Tips

Cranberries are naturally tangy and tart. I don’t add a lot of maple syrup or honey to mine, but feel free to add more if you like your cranberry sauce sweeter. Just take a quick taste test before cooling.

Nutrition

Course: sauce

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce recipe

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Recipe originally published November 2020, but updated to include new information for your benefit!

About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.