This is the best homemade cranberry sauce recipe for your Thanksgiving or holiday feast! This easy three-ingredient condiment is ready in just 15 minutes. You can make the cranberry sauce ahead to grab and serve with your stunning turkey.
Recipe Science
- Orange juice or water helps the berries burst and release their pectin, which dissolves and thickens the sauce as it cools.
- Vanilla adds subtle sweetness and warmth. It balances the tartness for a complex and well-rounded cranberry recipe.
- The natural pectin in the cranberries forms a gel-like structure, thickening and set more firmly. This gives it a cohesive texture.
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Featured Comment 9
“Just tried this cranberry sauce recipe and it was so delicious! I’ve always followed the package instructions in the past but this method is way better. Love the consistency and of course the taste – couldn’t stop eating it. Another winner for Thanksgiving!”—Marissa
Why It Works
A gorgeous roast turkey is incomplete without some sweet and tangy cranberry sauce. Do you use canned or freshly made? For me, the answer is clear. My fresh cranberry sauce recipe wins out every time. Once you make it from scratch, it’ll be easy to see why.
In less than 20 minutes and only three key ingredients, the cooked healthy berries magically transform into a thickened, sweet, tangy, and addicting sauce. Be the first to raise your hand to make this incredibly easy condiment when the holidays roll around. It’s quick, effortless, and impressive! You can even make the cranberry sauce up to a week in advance to save time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cranberries: Grocery stores typically sell fresh cranberries between October and December. They come in pre-measured 12-ounce bags in the refrigerator section. This will yield about 3 ½ cups of berries, making 1 ½ cups of cranberry sauce. Look for round, ruby-colored berries that lack wrinkles on the surface, signaling their older age. Fresh or frozen cranberries can be used to make the sauce. Add a few minutes to the cooking time for frozen—there is no need to defrost the berries before use.
- Sweetener: This is a must! Cranberries pack a mean sour punch and must be balanced with a sweetener. Liquid sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, or agave syrup add dimension to the sauce’s flavor. I prefer my sauce not to be overly sweet. Feel free to add more sweetener, increasing from ½ cup to 1 cup. Granulated white sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar are tasty alternatives. I recommend adding ¾ to 1 cup of liquid to replace the moisture absent from the dry sweetener.
- Liquid: Orange juice or water are my top choices. The moisture helps the berries gel up once they have popped open. It also allows the natural pectin inside the fruit to dissolve in the liquid, creating a thickened consistency once the sauce cools.
- Flavoring: This is optional. However, adding vanilla extract to cranberry sauce enhances flavor by introducing subtle sweetness and warmth. Vanilla contains compounds like vanillin, which complement the tartness of cranberries by rounding out the sharp acidity. Adding it at the end of cooking preserves its delicate, aromatic notes, creating a more balanced and complex sauce without overpowering the natural fruit flavors.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
There are endless ways to customize the taste of the homemade cranberry sauce recipe. Try these delicious variations:
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract rounds out the sauce’s sweet notes. Whole vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste are great substitutes.
- Spices: Place a whole cinnamon stick in the sauce, juniper berries, or star anise as it simmers for intense sweet aromatics, and make your home smell amazing!
- Citrus: Grate some fresh orange zest and add 1 teaspoon to the sauce; I do this for my orange cranberry sauce version. Lemon zest works great too!
- Herbs: If you like an herb cranberry sauce, chop 1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, thyme, or sage, or add a mixture.
- Ginger: For pungency, 1 tablespoon freshly grated or minced ginger or ¼ teaspoon dried.
- Fruit: For a fruitier taste, add 1 cup of diced fruit like apples or pears and simmer with the cranberries. My family loves my apple cranberry sauce. Dried fruit like apricots, figs, pineapples, or raisins adds a concentrated fruity flavor.
- Hot Peppers: Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of minced jalapenos or whole dried red peppers to make a spicy cranberry sauce with some heat.
- Alcohol: Replace water with red or white wine. Add 1 to 4 tablespoons of whiskey or dark rum for an oaky, bourbon cranberry sauce—Grand Marnier for sweet citrus notes.
- Juice: Apple juice, apple cider, cranberry juice, or pomegranate juice are delicious alternatives to plain water.
- Sugar-Free Option: If you want a sugar-free, try my low-carb keto cranberry sauce.
How to Make Cranberry Sauce
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
Place the cranberries in a colander and rinse them under cool running water to remove debris. This quick rinse ensures your cranberries are fresh and ready to add that perfect pop of tartness!
Step 2: Combine the Ingredients
Add the cranberries, maple syrup, and orange juice to a medium pan. Stir everything together to coat the cranberries evenly with the syrup, ensuring a sweet and tangy balance as they cook.
Step 3: Simmer the Sauce
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once bubbles form along the edges of the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking the sauce over a simmer. You will hear a symphony of pops as the cranberries cook in the sweetened liquid.
The vibrant and juicy sauce is ready once the cranberries burst and cook to a thickened jammy consistency. The process takes 15 minutes or less!
Step 4: Add the Vanilla (Optional)
Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Adding the vanilla at the end preserves its delicate flavor and aromatic compounds, which can be lost if exposed to prolonged heat. This ensures the vanilla enhances the dish without becoming muted or bitter.
Step 5: To Serve
Serve the cranberry sauce warm or cool to room temperature. As it cools, the pectin becomes more rigid and set, thickening it even more. This is the best cranberry sauce recipe! The side dish pairs well with juicy slices of turkey at Thanksgiving dinner or as a condiment for a leftover turkey salad sandwich.
Make-Ahead Tip: Once the cranberry sauce has come to room temperature, it can be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to one week. This makes it a great made-ahead condiment for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It can even be placed in a releasable plastic bag and frozen for up to three months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or at least four hours before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Too much liquid is added to the sauce. Start with ½ cup liquid, then increase to 1 cup if you like a thinner consistency. Simmer the sauce until the texture thickens.
No! The natural pectin in the whole cranberries will thicken the sauce. Cranberry sauce requires the pectin to be dissolved in the berries’ liquid, sugar, and acids. Once the pectin is heated, it will swell and expand, turning into a firmer gel once cooled.
No! Other options include making the cranberry sauce in a slow cooker or Instant pot. Choose the method based on time.
If you prefer a smoother consistency in cranberry sauce, you can further process it. Use a hand immersion blender, countertop blender, or food processor to carefully puree the sauce directly in a pan. Alternatively, transfer to a blender or food processor to quickly break down the skins and tiny seeds.
Serve This With
If you tried this Cranberry Sauce Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries
- ½ cup maple syrup, or honey
- ½ cup orange juice, or water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients – Add the cranberries to a colander and wash with cool running water, set aside.
- Combine Ingredients – In a medium pan, add cranberries, maple syrup, and orange juice, and stir to combine.
- Simmer Sauce – Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries pop and the mixture thickens to a jam consistency, about 12 to 15 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more sweetener if desired.
- Add Vanilla – Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla if using.
- To Serve – Serve warm or cool the sauce before serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 1 ½ cups
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Sweetener: Granulated sugar or brown sugar can be used. Add an extra ¼ cup of water to the recipe. For a sweeter sauce, add ¼ to ½ cup of additional sweetener.
- Liquid: Apple juice, apple cider, orange juice, cranberry, pomegranate, or grape juice can be substituted for water.
- Thinner Sauce: Add 1 cup of water instead of ½ cup.
- Storing: Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Freeze for up to 3 months; defrost before use.
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.
Marissa Meyers says
Just tried this cranberry sauce recipe and it was so delicious! I’ve always followed the package instructions in the past but this method is way better. Love the consistency and of course the taste – couldn’t stop eating it. Another winner for Thanksgiving!
Jessica Gavin says
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the cranberry sauce recipe!
Laura Casey says
I love a good cranberry sauce…..I’ll be making mine Thanksgiving week….will add orange juice as my liquid…….and packing for my trip to see family in New Mexico! Thanks! And Happy Thanksgiving to you and family.
Jennifer Willis says
If I were to sub with coco sugar, how much would you say I should use?
Jessica Gavin says
I would use 1/2 cup coconut sugar. If you’d like you can start with 1/4 cup and add more to taste.
Christine says
Since I had agave syrup in my pantry I ended up using that along with the vanilla extract and it was really good! I love the hint of vanilla with the cranberry. Thanks!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Christine! Great hearing that the agave tasted good too with the cranberry sauce.
C S Bebko says
I like the idea of adding vanilla as a balancer, but I always understood that pure vanilla “cooked off” during any sort of heat treatment. Would it be better to add it, or a lesser amount off heat? Thanks, and we enjoy your recipes!
Jessica Gavin says
Great point! I like your thoughts on this, the vanilla is added for aromatics which is volatile and can be sensitive to heat. I am going to update the recipe to incorporate your comments. You are a budding culinary scientist!