Cranberry Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This really caught my Thankgivingers by surprise. No one really liked cranberries very much and were used to choking down the canned stuff. Enter this recipe and they went for their spoons. I also enjoyed mixing with sour cream as a dessert. What else should I use it on as it seems very versatile and not overly sweet?
Hi Keith, So glad your Thanksgivingers liked it! I would be great mixed with cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, plain Greek yogurt and topped off with a little granola. It would also be a nice sweet condiment on a savory sandwich (like grilled cheese) or as a topping for pancakes or waffles. Hope that helps!
Oh my yes, thank you!
The combos worked great especially the yogurt. I must confess that the sour cream still rocks. In a rush to the store recently, I bought FL grapefruits by mistake based on their size and after not reading the label… However, these are not extremely tart or sour even with the zest. I also tried it with the CA navel oranges which seemed to overpower the cranberries. Any other fruits that you might consider?
Thank you!
So glad you were able to make the best of your leftovers! I honestly can’t think of another fruit that would be appropriate here — sorry!
Wow, this cranberry sauce is so delicious. I made it exactly as written and it turned out perfectly. The orange juice and zest elevates it to another level. It’s so fresh tasting! I am using the last bit for my toast in the mornings. Thank you.
Delicious!!
This was delicious! Thank you for all of your great recipes 🙂
I don’t know how this has 5 stars…. I nearly doubled the amount of cranberries and water but left the orange juice and zest about the same amount on this recipe, and it still turned out to be too much orange and completely took away from the cranberries. I had to make a whole new batch without the orange and mix a 1/4 of the original orange mix into the regular mix for it to be any good.
Hi Jen
Just finished your pumpkin pie and perfect pie crust, can’t wait to try it tomorrow. Question on your cranberry sauce, I overcooked it a bit yesterday, and I am afraid it’s very thick. Can I reheat it on the stove with a little more OJ or water to thin it out? Thanks.
Hi Emma, Yes definitely – that should work well (and you can use either OJ or water). Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Jen,
How many cups is 12 oz. of cranberries?
Thank you!
Hi Carmelita, a 12 ounce bag has 3 cups.
Made exactly as instructed and it came out fantastic! I may have to turn in my cans!
So good I might have to make a 2nd batch for Thanksgiving.
Tastes great and easy to make!