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November 21, 2018

Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce (Video)

This easy, classic homemade cranberry sauce recipe is ready in less than thirty minutes, easily done ahead of time, and made without refined sugar!

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Aerial view of a white bowl filled with cranberry chutney sitting on a wire cooling rack. Several loose cranberries are on the table next to the bowl.

Alright. CRANBERRY SAUCE: ultra-essential, or a bit overrated?

I’ll confess I used to fall into the “overrated” camp. Still, I started making this homemade sauce every Thanksgiving (because “tradition” or whatever).

And you know what? Turns out I ACTUALLY LOVE IT.

Woman\'s hand holding an orange slice in front of a white background.

This cranberry orange sauce gives the perfect pop of brightness to an otherwise heavy meal (looking at you, turkey + potatoes + gravy + rolls) and – GOOD NEWS – it’s almost absurdly easy to make.

Also, this recipe has no refined sugar (hip hooray!)

All you need:

  • Fresh cranberries
  • Orange slice (use more or less orange if you like!)
  • Maple Syrup
  • Honey
  • Cinnamon stick
  • Water
  • Pinch of salt
Woman\'s hand pouring maple syrup and orange juice into a saucepan filled with cranberries.

This recipe is EXCEPTIONALLY forgiving, which means:

  1. It’s really, really hard to mess it up
  2. It’s easy to tweak and adjust! Add more or less of any ingredient and feel free to play with it until you find YOUR perfect combination.
Fresh cranberries in a small saucepan with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick.

Riffs and Substitutions

We’re keeping this recipe relatively simple, but it’s easy to dress up for the holidays! Some of our favorite additions:

  • Ginger (a pinch of dry, powdered ginger or a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger)
  • Splash of whisk(e)y
  • Fresh rosemary sprig
  • Dash of vanilla extract

In a pinch, you can even nix the orange or cinnamon and just use fresh cranberries with a bit of sweetness (honey, maple syrup, or plain ol’ sugar). The most important flavor in cranberry sauce is, after all, the cranberries.

Cranberry sauce topped with orange zest in a white bowl next to a window.

How to freeze cranberry sauce

This sauce freezes very well! To freeze, let sauce cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the freezer until you’re ready to use it. Cranberry sauce will last almost a year in the freezer, but it will taste freshest within 4-5 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or in a small saucepan over low heat.

You can also use any leftovers to make a quick cranberry mayonnaise – perfect for turkey sandwiches after Thanksgiving!

PS – Getting ready for Thanksgiving? We have you covered!

Cranberry sauce in a white bowl, surrounded by several fresh cranberries.

Video: How to make homemade cranberry sauce

Print
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White bowl filled with cranberry sauce sitting on a wire cooling rack.

Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

  • Author: Jessie
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: Makes 2 cups 1x
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Description

An easy homemade cranberry sauce with no refined sugar – perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 oz. fresh cranberries (reserve a few for garnish if you like)
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup water
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 orange slice (see recipe notes)
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • Fresh orange zest (optional), for garnish

Instructions

  1. Stir cranberries, maple syrup, honey, water, and salt together in a small saucepan.
  2. Squeeze the juice from your orange slice into the pot, then tuck the orange rind and cinnamon stick into the cranberries. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until cranberries have burst and sauce has thickened.
  3. Top sauce with extra orange zest and reserved fresh cranberries (optional). Serve immediately or let cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Use as large or as small of an orange slice as you like. I like to slice off a 1/2-inch-thick piece from the side of an orange (see photos in the post above) so I get a Tablespoon or two of orange juice plus the flavor from the rind. I like just enough orange-y flavor to bring out the tartness in the berries, but add as much or as little as you like! If you don’t have a fresh orange, you can add a few tablespoons of store-bought orange juice or substitute a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.

This recipe makes a chunky cranberry sauce. If you like a smoother sauce, remove the orange slice and cinnamon stick after cooking and give it a few zaps with an immersion blender or pulse it a few times in a blender to smooth it out.

To make this vegan, omit the honey and use all maple syrup instead.

I like the depth of flavor I get from a mix of both honey and maple syrup here, but you can certainly use all one or the other! You can also substitute 1/3 cup of white or brown sugar for the natural sweeteners if you like.

Optional add-ins: A pinch of ground ginger, grated ginger root, or a knob of fresh ginger; A splash of whisk(e)y; Extra orange juice or orange zest; Sprig of rosemary; Dash of vanilla

To make this recipe ahead of time, follow the recipe as written and let cranberry sauce cool completely. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or store in the freezer until you’re ready to use it. Let frozen cranberry sauce defrost for a day or two in the fridge, or place frozen cranberry sauce in a slow cooker or saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until warm. Serve cranberry sauce at any temperature you like: hot, cold and straight from the fridge, or at room temperature.

How much cranberry sauce should I make per person? It depends on your guests, but planning for 1/8 to 1/4 cup per person is usually plenty for everyone to take a small scoop and have some leftover (some people won’t eat it at all, some people will eat more). If you want plenty of leftovers or if you know your guests love a ton of cranberry sauce, you can make 1/3 cup per person. This recipe makes about 2 cups – usually enough for our group of 8 plus some leftovers. If you’re cooking for 10-20 people, double or even triple this recipe. Cranberry sauce is one thing I never mind having lots of leftovers of – it freezes well it’s easy to repurpose into cranberry mayonnaise or a marinade, and it’s amazing on crostini and sandwiches (like this brie + cranberry sauce grilled cheese!)

To make this recipe in the slow cooker or Crock Pot, combine all ingredients in your slow cooker and cover. Cook over low heat for 6-8 hours until berries have burst and sauce has thickened. If the sauce is too runny, remove the slow cooker lid and cook for another hour or so to thicken it up. (Honestly, I prefer making this on the stovetop – it actually feels like a little less work to me than using a slow cooker. The exception is if I’m out of stovetop space and haven’t had time to make it in advance!)

What should I do with leftover cranberry sauce? I love making this cranberry mayonnaise (it makes the BEST turkey sandwiches!) You can also check out this video for some ideas of what to do with cranberry sauce leftovers.

Can I freeze cranberry sauce? Yes! Cranberry sauce freezes excellently. You can store it in an airtight container (I like using my Stasher Bags or small mason jars) in the freezer for up to a year, although I recommend eating it within 4 months or so for maximum freshness.

Keywords: Thanksgiving

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Comments

  1. Ruth says:
    November 23, 2019

    Question: Your directions and video don’t say whether to remove the orange and cinnamon stick before serving. I plan to make to smoother version, should they be removed before blitzing?

    Reply
    • Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry says:
      November 23, 2019

      Hi Ruth – yes after the simmering is done – right before you pulse it, remove the cinnamon stick and orange. Thank you!

      Reply

 
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