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!
Let’s swap out the old-school canned cranberry sauce for something fresher and tastier, shall we? I’ll admit, the jiggly, can-shaped version has its nostalgic charm, but homemade cranberry sauce is truly in a league of its own—and so easy to make! Simply boil fresh (or frozen) cranberries with sugar, water, orange juice, and orange 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 recipe (I love 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 the leaves start to turn, fresh cranberries make their seasonal debut, available from mid-September through the end of the year. These tart little gems are harvested in a unique way—the bogs they grow in are flooded, and the cranberries float to the surface for easy collection. But 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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Comments
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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