This delightful homemade cranberry sauce is super easy to make and pops with fresh orange juice and just a few simple ingredients.
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I can't imaging a Thanksgiving dinner without cranberry sauce, and especially a fresh homemade cranberry sauce. This classic condiment is so, so easy to make that it really doesn't even make sense to consider the store-bought version. And once you try making it from scratch, I promise you'll never want to go back!
Did you know?
Besides being festive and full of color, cranberries are considered to be a prebiotic food since they contain compounds including oligosaccharides and proanthocyanidins which help feed beneficial bacteria in the gut like Lactobacillus plantarum. And, they're delicious! 🙂
If you're looking for the best holiday or Thanksgiving sides to pair this delightful dish with, definitely try these Parmesan Brussels sprouts, this sweet potato mash, these classic mashed potatoes or these roasted fingerling potatoes. And if you have leftover cranberry sauce after the big day, you have to try this delightful cranberry yogurt parfait.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Takes just 20 minutes to make
- Simple ingredients and instructions
- Pairs perfectly with all of your Thanksgiving favorites
- Easy enough to make anytime during the fall season
- Not too sweet with less sugar and touch of fresh orange
🌿 Ingredients
As promised, the ingredients for this recipe are minimal and super easy to find at large grocery stores during the fall season. Or, you can use frozen cranberries any time of the year. If you don't have a fresh orange on hand you could use store-bought orange juice instead.
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
To get started, wash your cranberries in a colander, juice the orange with a citrus juicer and place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan on the stove.
Cook at medium heat until simmering, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the cranberries pop open.
Let your sauce cool a little, and then serve warm or chill in the fridge to serve later.
📋 Substitutions
As written, this cranberry sauce recipe is vegan, gluten free and dairy free. Feel free to make either of the following substitutions if necessary.
- Fresh orange juice - use store-bought orange juice instead, or just substitute the same amount of water
- Light brown sugar - use dark brown sugar or coconut sugar instead, or just substitute the same amount of white sugar
📖 Variations
One of my favorite variations on this recipe is adding chopped walnuts or other nuts. Feel free to use your favorites!
- Cranberry walnut sauce - stir in up to ½ cup of chopped walnuts into your cooked sauce after you take it off the stove
- Cranberry pecan sauce - follow the instructions above but use chopped pecans instead
- Cinnamon cranberry sauce - Add up to ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon when you add the other ingredients to the saucepan
- Kid friendly - add up to ¼ cup extra white sugar for anyone who might like their cranberry sauce a little sweeter (adults included) 😉
🔪 Equipment
I used the following equipment to make this recipe:
- colander
- citrus juicer
- small saucepan
🍱 Storage
Fresh cranberry sauce will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
🎉 Top tip
While you can substitute store-bought orange juice in a pinch, using a freshly squeezed orange really makes a difference. It adds the perfect pop of citrus and subtle sweetness to this classic condiment.
Enjoy!
💭 FAQ
Yes. You can use either fresh seasonal cranberries or frozen cranberries to make homemade cranberry sauce; no need to thaw them first.
You can adjust the sweetness of a cranberry sauce recipe by using a little less white sugar for a tarter version, or more sugar for a sweeter sauce.
To thicken your cranberry sauce more, simmer on the stove for an extra five or more minutes and make sure to let it cool sufficiently so that it has a chance to thicken as it gets closer to room temperature.
Yes; fresh cranberry sauce can be frozen in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months.
🍳 Recipe
Classic Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep: Wash your cranberries in a colander, juice the orange, and place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan on the stove.
- Cook: Cook at medium heat until simmering, and then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the cranberries pop open.
- Enjoy: Let your cranberry sauce cool a little, and then serve warm or chill in the fridge to serve later.
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