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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Delicious! I followed as written and the sauce came out perfectly! As I was covering it to put in the fridge, a couple of spoonfuls landed on some cream cheese I just softened! This made an excellent dip!
Hi. I just made mine and it’s bitter. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix it? Thankfully, I still have time to.
Hi, I’d try adding another tablespoon of sugar. Just stir it really thoroughly to get it distributed throughout. Hope that helps!
FYI for me this was WAY too sugary. I tried adding some lemon juice to balance it out and it didn’t work so I’m going to have to do a re-do. I’d do half the amount of sugar and see where it’s at from there.
This recipe is so easy and delicious. I have been using this recipe for all of my holiday meals for years!
This recipe is great. I have been using it a long time for the holidays I add a tablespoon of grand manier to it. Adult version cranberry sauce.
We make this every year, it is such a wonderful addition to our Thanksgiving table. I put a bit aside and use it as the topping on the cheesecake!
I’m not the biggest fan of cran/orange flavored anything. Do you think I should omit the orange juice and replace with water? Or maybe cut in half?
Hi Kelly, I haven’t tried it, but another reader commented that she replaced the OJ with water and was still happy with the taste. Please LMK how it turns out if you adapt it!
Amazing and simple! Perfect combo!
I have cut the juice in half before as I only had one orange and it still had great flavor!
I can use fresh or frozen cranberries. Which do you prefer?
I always use fresh because they’re so accessible at this time of year, but I really don’t have any preference; either fresh or frozen will work. Hope you enjoy!
Don’t even think about making this sauce. JUST DO IT! It is the BEST ever. 5-stars!!
We just had Thanksgiving in Canada and this was perfect. I didn’t have enough oranges so used orange juice (no pulp), fresh cranberries and zest from one orange and it was delicious 😋 Definitely 5*.
Yummy is my best review! 5+ stars.
I can so top this. add ORANGE MARMALADE to fresh cranberry sauce, instead of all that orange juice business. Mix well and chill. I am always asked to bring this to Thanksgiving and Christmas.
So you…haven’t made this recipe?