Cranberry Sauce
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Ready in 15 minutes and bursting with flavor, this homemade cranberry sauce is a simple holiday staple you’ll make year after year.
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’s so easy to make! Simply boil fresh (or frozen) cranberries with sugar, water, orange juice and zest, and in just 15 minutes, you’ll have a sauce bursting with bright, sweet flavors. The best part? You can make the sauce ahead of time and relax knowing it’ll stay perfectly fresh in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for two months.
Serve it up alongside your favorite Thanksgiving turkey and turkey gravy, then give your post-feast turkey sandwiches a gourmet twist by mixing the leftover sauce with mayo for an irresistibly delicious spread.
“I usually use the recipe on the Ocean Spray bag. This is so much better!”
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Zest and juice the oranges. Start by zesting one of the oranges. A rasp grater works best, but any fine grater will do—just avoid the white pith, which can be bitter. Always zest before juicing; once the orange is squeezed, there’s no going back!
Step 2: Start the sauce. Combine the orange juice, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the cranberries, orange zest, and salt.
Step 3: Cook the cranberries. Let the mixture boil gently for about 10 minutes, until most of the cranberries have burst.
Step 4: Finish and store. Once most of the cranberries have burst, mash them lightly with a spoon to reach your desired texture. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, then even more as it chills in the fridge. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. It will keep for up to 10 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer.
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Video Tutorial
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 sauce to a serving bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: Cranberry sauce will keep for 10 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
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?