Elevate your holiday meal with this fresh, vibrant, tangy Cranberry Sauce that impresses every time! This ruby-red stunner is ready in less than 20 minutes, can be prepared beforehand, and is easy to double or triple for a crowd. Best of all, it’s layered with a splash of orange juice, vanilla, and pinches of warming spices that make it the BEST Cranberry Sauce ever!
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Ditch the Can For This Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Best Cranberry Sauce Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at what you need to make homemade cranberry sauce (measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
How to Make Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Let’s take a closer look at how to make cranberry sauce with step-by-step photos (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
Fresh Cranberry Sauce Recipe Tips
Follow these tips to ensure your cranberry sauce turns out perfectly balanced, flavorful, and ready to impress:
Cranberry Sauce variations
How to Serve Homemade Cranberry Sauce
What to do with Leftover Cranberry Sauce
Leftover cranberry sauce can be repurposed in many ways:
Cranberry Sauce Recipe FAQs
Yes! Cranberry sauce can be made up to a week in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The flavors often improve over time as they meld together. Simply take it out of the fridge an hour before serving to bring it to room temperature.
To reduce the sweetness, use less sugar or substitute with natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. Stirring in extra orange zest or adding a splash of orange juice, lemon, or lime juice can also balance the flavors. For a tangy twist, you can also experiment with unsweetened apple or pomegranate juice.
Cranberry sauce can be made without sugar, but you will still need some type of sweetener. You can use natural sweeteners like honey, agave, or dates, or balance the tartness with fruit juices like apple or orange juice. Remember that cranberries are naturally tart, so adjust the sweetness to your preference.
Absolutely! Frozen cranberries work just as well as fresh ones. There’s no need to thaw them beforehand; just add them straight to the saucepan.
Yes! You can customize cranberry sauce with orange juice or zest, spices like cinnamon or cloves (like in this recipe), or even add other fruits like apples, pineapple, or pears for a unique twist.
You can increase the sweetener in your recipe to reduce tartness. If your recipe is too tart after it’s simmered, stir in some powdered sugar that’s easier to incorporate than granulated.
Cranberry sauce can be served either way, depending on your preference but it’s most commonly served at room temperature during holiday meals.
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a larger crowd. Adjust the cooking time slightly to ensure the cranberries break down properly and use a larger saucepan.
Cranberry sauce is cooked, creating a soft, jam-like texture, while cranberry relish is typically uncooked and made by blending cranberries with other ingredients like orange and sugar for a fresh, tangy flavor.
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- 12 ounce bag cranberries, divided
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick (or increase ground cinnamon to taste)
- 1/4 tsp EACH sea salt, ground cinnamon
- pinch -1/8 tsp EACH ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground ginger
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup orange juice
ADD LAST
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste
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Combine: Reserve ½ cup of the cranberries to add at the end of cooking. Add the rest of the cranberries to a medium saucepan with sugars, cinnamon stick, spices, water, and orange juice.
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Simmer: Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils, then reduce to medium-low. Gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until most of the berries have burst and the mixture has thickened. You can control the consistency by how long you simmer the sauce. The longer you simmer, the thicker it will be, noting it will also thicken upon standing.
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Add Reserved Cranberries: Remove from the heat and discard the cinnamon stick. Stir in the ½ cup reserved cranberries, orange zest, and vanilla.
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Cool and Adjust: Transfer the sauce to a bowl and cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature. Adjust to taste by adding powdered sugar for sweetness or orange zest for tanginess. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in water a tablespoon at a time.
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Refrigerate: Time permitting, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Then, allow to come to room temperature before serving.
To Use Frozen Cranberries: Frozen cranberries can be added directly to the saucepan without thawing. They may take slightly longer to cook as they release more liquid when thawed. I suggest reducing the water to ½ cup and simmering until the berries burst and the sauce thickens.
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