This apple cranberry sauce recipe is a flavorful twist to the traditional version. Whole berries and diced Honeycrisp apples simmer with warm spices. It’s a must-have at the holiday table.
Recipe Science
- The apple cell walls release natural fructose, adding sweetness to the sauce, while malic acid provides a mild, balanced tartness.
- As cranberries heat up, they burst and release pectin, which helps thicken the sauce.
- Apples add an extra boost with about 15-20% pectin, giving your apple cranberry sauce a jam-like texture.
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Why It Works
This cranberry apple sauce is easy to make, chop, pour, and simmer. In 20 minutes, you’ll magically have a thickened condiment to serve with hearty slices of roast turkey and endless sides. The extra texture added from the apples gives each serving a pleasant contrast of fruit flavor.
This year, I decided to switch things up and add fresh Honeycrisp apples to my homemade cranberry sauce recipe. The released juices provide extra sweetness that balances the tart berries. The sauce is infused with cinnamon and nutmeg aromas as the cranberries pop while simmering.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cranberries: You’ll find fresh cranberries around mid-October. However, you can also use frozen cranberries. There’s no need to defrost them. Add them to the pot, and they will warm quickly as the mixture boils. Grab a 12-ounce bag. It will reduce to about 1 ½ cups of sauce.
- Apples: Adding in another sweeter fruit helps to balance the tart and astringent taste of the cranberries. Apples are an ideal pairing! The cell walls have natural fruit-sugar fructose that sweetens the sauce. It also has malic acid, a less intense sour acid, in the mix. Plus, I love the added nutrients like fiber. During the fall, my top choice is Honeycrisp apples for their sweet and juicy taste. Peel off the skin and chop them into ½-inch pieces.
- Sweetener: To enhance the sauce’s sweet notes, add brown sugar. It contains molasses for a deeper, caramel-like taste.
- Juice: Apple juice adds a deeper fruit flavor, and if you’ve got cider, that works too.
- Spices: I use two types of cinnamon to add a warm baked note: ground cinnamon and a whole cinnamon stick. The ground cinnamon quickly infuses into the fruit mixture, while the stick gives a lingering aroma. It’s lovely! Plus, I add ground nutmeg. It makes your home smell like you just baked my fresh apple pie recipe.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This apple cranberry sauce is easy to customize! Try these delicious options:
- Apple Alternatives: If desired, you can try different types of apples, such as Fuji, Gala, Envy, and Golden Delicious. You want them to hold their structure, so avoid mealy varieties like Red Delicious and McIntosh. Granny Smith apples are dry and sour, so I don’t recommend using them. If that’s all you have on hand, increase the amount of apple juice and brown sugar to taste.
- Sweetener Swaps: Pure maple syrup and honey are great substitutes. Coconut sugar or granulated sugar also works well.
- Try Citrus: If you’re a citrus fan, use orange juice and orange zest instead, or make my orange cranberry sauce.
- Spice Substitutes: Try cardamom for a floral note, allspice, mace, or ginger.
How to Make Apple Cranberry Sauce
Step 1: Combine the Ingredients
The ratio I use to make the base sauce is 12 ounces (about 3 ½ cups) of fresh cranberries, ½ cups of liquid (apple juice), and ½ cups of sweetener (dark brown sugar). I also add 1 cup of peeled and diced apples.
The ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick boost the sweet aromas as the homemade cranberry sauce simmers.
Step 2: Simmer the Sauce
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat to get the berries popping. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, to gently soften the fruit.
After about 20 minutes, it develops a thick consistency. The pectin in the cranberries and apples cools down, creating a jammy, scoopable texture.
Ingredient Chemistry: When whole cranberries heat up in liquid, the juice in the fruit starts to steam. Eventually, that pressure causes the skin to burst. This is a good thing when making sauces. The berries release starchy pectin molecules, just like in a jam, it eventually helps to thicken and solidify the cranberry sauce. This recipe also has about 15 to 20% pectin in the apples for extra texture.
Step 3: To Serve
Turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon stick. Taste the sauce—feel free to add a bit more sweetener. For a thinner consistency, stir in a splash of apple juice.
Let the sauce cool slightly. It will naturally thicken as it sets, creating the perfect texture for serving. This sauce pairs perfectly with roast turkey and homemade gravy. I love using any leftover cranberry sauce to make turkey salad sandwiches the next day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cranberries contain tannins, especially in the skin, which are very bitter. To tame the intensity, add a sweetener like brown sugar, granulated sugar, maple syrup, or honey. Other fruits and juices like apples and oranges can also help to sweeten the sauce naturally. A little bit of butter can also be mixed in. The fat helps to coat some of the bitter flavor compounds, so it’s less intense.
Cranberry relish is made from fresh fruit that has been finely chopped and lightly sweetened. Cranberry sauce is a fresh or frozen fruit compote simmered in a sweet syrup until reduced and thickened. Both are condiments.
Use sweet and juicy varieties that hold their structure, like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Envy, Golden Delicious, or Gala. You want nice chunks of fruit in the cranberry sauce, not completely broken down like applesauce or apple butter.
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If you tried this Apple Cranberry Sauce, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Apple Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries, washed
- 1 cup diced honeycrisp apples, or Fuji, ¼" dice
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar, pure maple syrup, or honey
- ½ cup apple juice, or apple cider
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cinnamon stick, optional
Instructions
- Combine the Ingredients – In a medium pan, add cranberries, apples, brown sugar, apple juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cinnamon stick. Stir to combine.
- Simmer the Sauce – Bring sauce to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cooking until most cranberries pop, apples are tender, and the mixture has slightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally, about every 5 minutes.
- To Serve – Turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon stick. Taste the sauce and add more sweetener if desired. If needed, add more apple juice for a thinner sauce. Cool slightly to thicken before serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: 1 ¼ cups
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Store: Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Recipe Resources
Tom says
Very similar to my recipe. Other ideas you can try… I like to keep the skin on my apples, it’s healthier and gives a bit of “chew” that I enjoy. To be honest, I think it’s likely off putting to most so this is a personal taste “thing” (I have also peeled the apples leaving many strips of skin, maybe a nice first try?). I also add Allspice and Ginger giving it a bit of heat to my spice.
Jessica Gavin says
I love your flavor suggestions for the apple cranberry sauce. I would like the skin too!
Lorrie Jean DeLauder says
can you can apple cranberry sauce?
Jessica Gavin says
I have not tried canning the cranberry sauce. I recommend freezing small portions in thicker freezer bags instead.