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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Can this recipe be canned in a waterbath? Thank you
Hi Laurie, I didn’t develop this recipe for canning so I can’t say for sure that it would be safe. Sorry!
I love this recipe 🙂 Took mine a little longer to thicken, about 15 mins, I just simmered it until it looked like the picture and I added a teaspoon and a half of cinnamon too, it was amazing. Making another batch now!
Very nice. I needed two oranges to get a half cup of juice.
The most delicious homemade cranberries I’ve ever made. I think the 1/2 cup of oramge juice made all the defference. Perfect amount of sweetness. Thank you!
This is the best recipe for cranberry sauce and I have been making this sauce for years.
SUPER DELICIOUS! I ate SO MUCH of this with my Thanksgiving dinner. Making more now for Christmas! Thank you so much for all of these recipes! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 🎄
I once made a homemade cranberry sauce from a detailed recipe by a woman named Martha… this year I found this recipe that is so easy, you’ll convert all the cranberry haters and canned cranberry lovers. I added a whole can of pears, juice and all, 3 cloves and a little cinnamon stick to these ingredients and it stretched it for 10 ppl with a little bit for leftovers. Thanks!
It was easy, quick and delicious. Thank you for sharing this great recipe. I really loved the flavor.
What do you do if your orange doesn’t make a half cup of juice? Do you add enough water to the juice to make a half cup or just leave it?
Hi Kelly, Yes just add a little water to make up the difference.
HOW MUCH WATER FOR CRANBERRY SAUCE?
This recipe call for 1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup OJ.
Yum. Made a big batch today. Freezing half for Christmas. Came out great.
Love this! Perfect cranberry sauce! Thank you Chef Segal!