Cranberry Sauce
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Ditch the can and impress your guests with this easy homemade cranberry sauce recipe—ready to brighten your holiday table 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’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 (I’m a fan of a dry-brined 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! I can’t wait for my family to try it! I love the taste of the orange in it.”
About Fresh Cranberries
As soon as the leaves start turning, fresh cranberries start popping up in stores, usually from mid-September through the end of the year. They’re harvested in a unique way—the bogs they grow in are flooded, and the cranberries float up to the surface, making them easy to scoop up. And cranberries aren’t just for sauces! They can brighten up desserts and baked goods, like Nantucket cranberry pie, cranberry orange bread, or apple cranberry crumble. You can even use them to make cranberry chutney. Find them fresh in the produce section during the fall, and grab a few extra bags to freeze so you can enjoy them year-round.
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by zesting one of the oranges. A rasp grater is the best tool but any grater with small holes will work—just be sure to leave the white pith behind as it’s quite bitter. Always zest the orange before squeezing the juice out, as it’s near impossible to do afterward.
Combine the orange juice, water and sugar in a medium pot and bring to a boil.
Add the cranberries, orange zest and salt.
Boil gently for about 10 minutes.
Most of the cranberries should burst open, creating a thick sauce. You may need to mash them a bit with a spoon. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
How to Store Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce should be cooled completely before storing. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
How To Freeze Cranberry Sauce
Fresh cranberry sauce freezes beautifully, so you can make it a month or two ahead of time to get a jump start on your holiday cooking. Allow the sauce to cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let the cranberry sauce thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Video Tutorial
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Cranberry Sauce
Ditch the can and impress your guests with this easy homemade cranberry sauce recipe—ready to brighten your holiday table in just 15 minutes!
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
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- Serving size: about 1/3 cup
- Calories: 126
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Sugar: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Sodium: 43 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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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Hello Jen. Just made this recipe for our Thanksgiving dinner. Followed the recipe exactly. The sauce/gel is too thin. I noticed some cooks reduce the amounts of water, OJ. Please advise how I can THICKEN the sauce. Thank you, Cathy
Hi Cathy, I would let it sit out for a bit — it should thicken up nicely once it reaches room temperature. If not, I would try cooking it for a bit longer.
Thank you for your prompt reply. The ‘first’ attempt never did set up/thicken; I’m not sure what went wrong! Back to grocery store, and remade the recipe without water, and just a bit more OJ, and it came out perfect. My entire family loves your recipes!
Simple, lip-smackingly tart, and delicious. I was lazy and used 6 wide strips of orange peel instead of zesting my huge orange, then fished them out before chilling. Still redolent of orange and absolutely lovely. Thank you, Jenn! And Happy Thanksgiving!
I’ve made this recipe literally for decades, always wonderful. But, for the last few years I’ve made a tweak. I use no water, 3/4 cup of orange juice and 1/2/cup of brandy. The alcohol will boil off but leaving a great flavor. I also don’t mash it as everyone in our family loves the varied texture. I never told anyone when I made this change and immediately everyone said this was the best batch ever.
oooh, I read this just in time. I’m trying this Bob!
I hope you tried it and enjoyed it. We started our Thanksgiving grocery list and I just checked to see if I had brandy!
Hi Jenn!
Can I use “regular” orange juice instead of fresh oj?
Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Sure, Suzanne, that’s fine. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
So yummy! Anxious to serve it on Thanksgiving.
Thank-you for the simple cranberry sauce recipe. For longer-term storage , it’s also possible to preserve the sauce in a jar : but going through the process of filling a clean , warmed jar and filling with sauce while hot.
Hi Anna, I didn’t develop this recipe for canning so I can’t say for sure that it would be safe. Sorry!
I made this cranberry sauce tonight to freeze for Thanksgiving. I followed the recipe exactly as written. It turned out great. Quite delicious. I can’t wait to see how it tastes after freezing it. Thanks for the recipe!
I made the cranberry sauce and I love the combination of orange and cranberries. Sooo good. Thank you.
Thank you for the most delicious cranberry sauce. I opted for the 1/2 cup orange juice with 1/2 cup of water. It sure will be enjoyed today.
Not one for commenting. I am not a big cranberry sauce fan. This will definitely become a main staple in my house. Not just for the holidays either.
I did tweak the recipe a little. I added some whole clove and cinnamon. Next time I am going to try a stick of cinnamon instead ground.