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
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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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So good! Used it on turkey sandwiches as well as eating it with cottage cheese. Freezes well too as it’s only me. Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Forgot to give it the 5 stars it deserves. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This cranberry sauce was very tasty. I’ve made it from the recipe on the cranberry bag and this recipe is perfect.
Thank you for yet another lovely and easy recipe. Happy Thanksgiving!
This has been a staple recipe for Thanksgiving since 2021. It always turns out delicious!
Followed the instructions to the letter, came out divine. My husband and daughter could t stop licking the spoon and even put it on whole grain toast! Thanks for the lovely recipe.
Hi Jen and everyone,
I’ve made my cranberry sauce like this for years, except I’ve never added salt (which I will do now) and I’ve added a generous splash of Grand Mariner. I love your recipes! Happy Thanksgiving!
Suzanne
Durango, CO
Hi Jenn, the cranberry sauce is delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe. I was wondering, I usually make my cranberry sauce with cranberries, blueberries and red wine. My question is, do you think I could add the orange part as well? Thank you very much.
Sure, that should work. Just keep in mind that the wine will add acidity in addition to the orange, so you may want to cut back on the OJ (or the wine) just to touch. Enjoy!
Fantastic! Thank you so very much for your quick response, I appreciate it. Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Prepared ahead of thanksgiving and it came out perfect!! Just the right amount of sweetness and great consistency. I added a small cinnamon stick for more flavor, but I think it would’ve been fine without. Definitely saving this recipe for the future 🙂
Thank you for this delicious recipe. It is great AND no high fructose corn syrup! You’re page is my go to for recipes.
Hi, Can the cranberry sauce be canned in a water bath? Look delicious, can’t wait to try. Thank you.
Hi Christina, I didn’t develop this recipe with canning in mind, so not sure it would be safe – sorry!
Hi Christina Cacchione House, If you look on line or purchase a Ball Canning Book, I am sure you will find a canning recipe from an avid canner.