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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Hi, this is a perfect recipe. I added a dash of triple sec, it adds just a touch of yumminess.
I tried to find the nutritional information for this recipe but didn’t see it anywhere on your site. Can you guide me to the nutritional information?
Hi Chris, so glad you liked the cranberry sauce! I just added the nutritional information. (You can find them immediately under the recipe.)
Great recipe, Jenn! Very simple, super tasty. I love your presentations. Thank you!
As a diabetic, can I substitute Stevia for the sugar?
Hi Anne, I haven’t used Stevia before, so I can’t say for sure, but I suspect that should work just fine. Happy Thanksgiving!
I used Truvia as a substitute for those with diabetes
I have used Swerve before. Worked geeat!
Awesome and not too sweet or caloric. I smash/strain the cranberry sauce into bowl before chilling. I dislike the skins.
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for the wonderful recipes, photos and stories–your site makes me look forward to cooking a new meal! I have a question about coconut sugar–do you think it would be an acceptable substitute for cranberry sauce? I’m trying to not use refined/white granulated sugar, but am still learning where it works and where it doesn’t. Would greatly appreciate your advice!
Hi Angela, glad you hear you enjoy the recipes! I’ve never used coconut sugar, so I can’t say for sure. What I do know about it is that it tastes more like brown sugar than granulated sugar, so I’m not sure it would be appropriate here. If you do try it, though, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was the star of the meal. Planning to make it for Christmas also. I actually don’t care for cranberry sauce, but this was great. I will never buy canned cranberry sauce again.
Just made this for Thanksgiving. So simple and so delicious! What I would love to find are some good uses for leftover cranberry sauce in different dishes.
Paula, another reader suggested mixing the extra cranberry sauce into oatmeal. It would also make a tasty addition to plain or vanilla yogurt.
Added the jalapeño, excellent! Started with a half and ended up using the whole jalapeño. It was quite the hit!
This has been my go-to cranberry sauce for the last couple of years. I stopped looking for a better recipe. I do reduce the sugar a bit since I’ve weaned myself from sweetness. I discovered that the leftovers from Thanksgiving taste great in my morning oatmeal.
Just made it . Delicious. I used hand blander to get smoother texture. Happy Thanksgiving!
Delicious! Instagramed and tagged #onceuponachef