Cranberry Sauce
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Bright, tangy, and just sweet enough, this easy cranberry sauce recipe comes together in just 15 minutes.
I’ll admit, the jiggly, can-shaped cranberry sauce has a certain nostalgic charm, but homemade cranberry sauce is truly in a league of its own—and it couldn’t be easier to make. This cranberry sauce recipe combines fresh or frozen cranberries with orange juice and zest for a bright, sweet-tart flavor that’s perfect with roast turkey. Best of all, it can be made well ahead of time, which is one less thing to think about on Thanksgiving Day.
“This is my go-to cranberry sauce…I am now passing it on to my children and grandchildren. A treasured family recipe.”
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Fresh or frozen cranberries: Fresh are ideal when in season, but frozen work just as well and don’t need to be thawed first. Avoid dried cranberries; they won’t break down properly or give the sauce the right texture.
- Orange juice and zest: The juice balances the cranberries’ tartness, while the zest adds concentrated orange flavor. Be sure to zest the oranges before juicing them.
- Sugar: Cranberries are extremely tart, so sugar is needed to balance the flavor.
- Water: Helps dissolve the sugar and gives the cranberries room to boil and burst without scorching.
- Salt: Just a pinch rounds out the sweetness and keeps the sauce from tasting flat.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Combine the water, orange juice, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cranberries, orange zest, and salt, then simmer gently until most of the berries have burst and the sauce has thickened. Mash a few berries with a spoon if needed. The sauce will look looser than you might expect when it comes off the heat. It thickens considerably as it cools and even more once refrigerated.
Cranberry Sauce Variations
- Cinnamon-Orange: Add a cinnamon stick along with the cranberries and remove it before serving.
- Cranberry-Apple: Stir in one peeled, diced apple during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Cranberry-Walnut or Pecan: Fold in ½ cup toasted, chopped nuts after the sauce has finished cooking.
- Boozy: Stir in a splash of port, bourbon, or orange liqueur once the sauce is off the heat.
Video Tutorial
More Holiday Side Dishes You’ll Love
Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup fresh orange juice, from two oranges
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 (12-oz) bag fresh or frozen cranberries (do not use dried)
- Zest of one orange, about 2 teaspoons
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan over high heat, bring the water, orange juice, and sugar to a boil. Add the cranberries, orange zest, and salt and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and boil gently for 10 to 12 minutes, until most of cranberries have burst open. (You may need to mash them a bit with a spoon.)
- Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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The fresh cranberry orange sauce was absolutely delicious. The orange juice added extra flavor. A touch sweet but other than that a perfect compliment to our Thanksgiving smoked turkey. I will be making this easy recipe every year.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe!! I hosted a small Thanksgiving dinner the Saturday before Thanksgiving and made this Cranberry Sauce and added 1/2 cup of brandy and it was a huge hit with my husband so I made a double batch on Thanksgiving day for my entire family and everyone raved about how smooth it was without the bitterness. THANK YOU!! This is my go-to Cranberry recipe from now on.
Did you substitute the brandy for water or add water and brandy? Many thanks
Excellent- will replace my former cranberry recipe. We loved it- easy to make and perfectly delicious.
Hi Jen, I have struck gold finding you on Pinterest! LOVE all of your recipes I’ve made so far. For this cranberry sauce, can you make it the day before Thanksgiving? Or do you recommend the day of for best taste? Thank you! Stephanie
Hi Stephanie, So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! It’s absolutely fine to make this a day (or even several days) ahead of time; taste will be the same.
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I use fresh or frozen red raspberries for a change. Really yummy.
Jenn, am I reading that correctly?? That only make 2servings???? How should I adjust the recipe for 16 people???
Thanks
Judee
Hi Judee, it should say it makes 2-1/4 cups. For 16, I would double the recipe. You may have extra but better safe than sorry 🙂
I have been using the same recipe for over 20 years. It is awesome! Have added a teaspoon of lemon zest to change it up. Awesome!
I would like to try substituting Stevia for the sugar…I wonder how much I should use?
So sorry, Peggy, I have never cooked with stevia so I can’t answer that.
I use stevia sometimes but find it leaves a little bit of a bitter after taste.
If you add less stevia and add some erythritol (recommend the organic variety), then you will not get the bitter aftertaste. Erythritol is about 70% of the sweetness value of sugar. It is a natural sugar alcohol, which does not get digested, but just passes through your gut. It normally has a slightly cold mouth feel to it but, when used with Stevia, they work together synergistically and cancel out one another’s “negative” aspects. No bitterness from the stevia, and no cold mouth feel from the erythritol. And no sugar spike or calories from either one. Additionally, erythritol and xylitol are the only two sugar alcohols that are least likely to cause gas and bloating in the gut.
Hi! This recipe is DELICIOUS! I shared the link to it on my Facebook page. Thanks for sharing! Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Ruthie
Thank you, Ruthie! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂