Simple but Amazing Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2024)

Last update: April 24, 2018 By Alice Currah 155 Comments

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE

If you’ve never made homemade cranberry sauce because you thought it was too complicated, I’m going to show you just how easy it is to make. This simple cranberry sauce recipe is perfect! All you do is add fresh cranberries, orange juice, and sugar (both brown and white) to a pan and cook the berries until the break down into a beautiful vibrant red cranberry sauce.

Served alongside roasted turkey an gravy, cranberry sauce is a favorite Thanksgiving recipe that is so easy to prepare and happens to be amazing! Only 15 minutes to cook, I love this sauce because it is not overly sweet and the combination of cranberry and orange give it a subtle citrus, sweet tang that makes a regular turkey dinner go from ordinary to extraordinary.

The vibrant deep red color and texture of the cranberry sauce is in stark contrast to the Ocean Spray canned cranberry sauce so many of us remember in its jellied molded form. One cannot even put them in the same category on many levels of comparison. From color, taste, texture, and overall pleasantness, homemade cranberry sauce wins by a landslide.

Trust me after you try this sauce, you will never buy canned cranberry sauce again. Be prepared when friends and family “Ooooh and Awwww” over the mere fact you made fresh cranberry sauce from scratch. They will call you “Martha” and hate you for it. But that’s okay.. your secret is safe with me.

I won’t tell how you didn’t spend hours over a hot stove making this. In all honesty, if the world only knew how easy this was cranberry sauce was to make, no one would ever buy canned again! Do yourself a favor and leave that good-for-nothing sauce in the can on the grocery store shelf and for this Thanksgiving make your homemade cranberry sauce.

For those of you wondering if you can make this in advance – YES!!! Up to two weeks sealed in a container and stored in the refrigerator!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cranberry sauce?

Cranberry sauce is a popular condiment made with fresh cranberries, sugar, and water. It is most commonly served alongside turkey on Thanksgiving at room temperature but can also be served slightly warmed up.

Because cranberries are naturally low in sugar and tart in flavor, most cranberry sauce recipes include sugar to make the sauce both sweet and tart.

How long will the cranberry sauce keep?

Cranberry sauce will last two weeks in the refrigerator or up to two years if properly preserved and canned.

What can I do with leftover cranberry sauce?

• Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on sandwich bread followed by a layer of cranberry sauce when making turkey sandwiches like this Turkey Cranberry Sandwich recipe. The combination of cream cheese and cranberry sauce makes regular turkey sandwiches taste dull in comparison.
• Mix in a tablespoon or two into plain Greek yogurt along with granola, like my favorite Perfect Granola recipe, for a nice breakfast parfait.
• Add a spoonful to your favorite co*cktail using vodka.
• Add a dollop of sauce to cottage cheese or oatmeal for breakfast or a snack.
• Replace cranberry sauce for any recipe calling for jam.
• Cranberry sauce over oven baked brie makes a great appetizer when served alongside crackers for your holiday gathering.
• Top off your favorite cheesecake recipe (like my Black Tie Cheesecake recipe) with cranberry sauce instead of the more common varieties of blueberry, cherry, raspberry, or strawberries. The sweet and tart flavor of the cranberry sauce compliments the richness of the cheesecake for a winning combination.

Other Cranberry Recipes to Consider

Apple Cranberry Crisp
Honey Satsuma Cranberry Sauce