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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Oh Jenn! -Can I call you Jenn? This recipe is a 10/10 winner! I discovered it last year and loved it so much that I had to make it again this holiday season. I made up a batch earlier this evening and even my picky toddlers were fighting over who got to lick the spatula!! Thank you so much for sharing such a fabulous recipe!
Hello Jenn,
I like this recipe all year around but especially during the holidays. I was thinking to changing to lime or lemon. Do you have a recommendation and would I use the same amount of fruit or would the ratios change?
Thank you again for your suggestions.
Best, Keith
Glad you like it! I think you could swap the orange for either lemon or lime depending on what you’re craving. Keep in mind that the lemon will pack a little more punch than the lime and that using either of these instead of the orange will make it a bit more tart.
Your recipe was a big hit. It is much more interesting than the basic one on the back of the cranberry package.
This cranberry sauce can be eaten with a spoon it’s that good. It’s always a hit at holidays and everyone takes some home.
I made this for thanksgiving this year and it was such a hit! Everyone loved it. Super simple to make. I shared the recipe with everyone. Thank you!!!!
Have made homemade cranberry sauce since I was a kid, but without orange in it. This recipe takes it to the next level! A new Thanksgiving tradition for our family.
I make this every year! Simply the BEST, full stop! I follow the recipe exactly, quick and delicious, can’t wait to enjoy my Thanksgiving sandwich on Friday with this cranberry sauce on top of the stuffing (your recipe Jenn, the sausage/herb stuffing) on some good sourdough bread! Thank you!
Thank you, Jenn,
This recipe was easy and delicious. It will be on our Thanksgiving table.
Happy Holidays to you and your.
So good and I felt very cheflike. Used only the 3/4 cup of sugar and tossed in a cinnamon stick per suggestions. It was perfect!!
FANTASTIC FLAVOR!!!
The recipe I was using was always too tart( sorry Martha!).. But this is perfectly sweet/tart at the same time..
I made it today for thanksgiving but am eating it over a piece of almond/ blueberry cake that I made right now!! Thank you Jenn💙
Marlene
(AKA Oreo crust Marlene)!!