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!”
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 to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Video Tutorial
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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A nice balance of the cranberries. 0range and sugar. There was no bitterness. (Be sure and avoid the white of the orange. )
Guest asked for recipe.
I made it for Thanksgiving, it was delicious. Everybody liked it and it taste very fresh. It is easy to make and you can make a few days early.
Love it and so did my family! The orange zest and juice put it over the top. Thank you.
I am not a cranberry sauce fan in general but this is fantastic!!! I love the orange in it. Highly recommend!
This recipe was easy and delicious! I tried another recipe that called for 1/2 cup of sugar and it was tart. The extra two tablespoons made all the difference. Also appreciated the tip of zesting the orange before extracting the juice.
My Husband and I made this recipe and it was absolutely delicious. Definitely making it again. Love!
It’s okay. I doubled the recipe, but I had to add more sugar after I finished because it was too bitter still. I think this would be a good baseline to then play around with.
First time I’ve ever made a homemade cranberry sauce.
So easy to make and delicious!
The sweet-tart flavor will go great with the savory dressing tomorrow.
Perfect sauce. I have even just used water and no juice or zest and we still love it. Since fresh cranberries are only available this time of the year, I buy bags of them and freeze so I can have the sauce most of the year. Great with any meat.
What a great idea!!!. Will follow your lead! We love it!
A friend of mine made this last week and it was amazing! I asked for the recipe. She said she also had trouble getting enough juice for the orange so she also zested a lemon and added juice of a lemon to the recipe! It was amazing. I plan on making it for this Thanksgiving.
Really good and simple to make.
Thanks!