Made from just a handful of fresh ingredients, this easy homemade cranberry sauce is ready to grace your holiday table after just 15 minutes on the stovetop
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it's time to start gathering your recipes for your holiday menu. For me, it's just not Thanksgiving dinner without homemade cranberry sauce. Who needs the canned stuff when you have tart, sweet, and fresh cranberry sauce that's easy to make?
Made from just a handful of ingredients, this is a super easy recipe that's ready after 15 minutes on the stove — it's the best cranberry sauce I've ever had and I know you'll agree. Get ready for the best homemade cranberry sauce that will steal the spotlight on your Thanksgiving table.
About This Delicious Homemade Cranberry Sauce
I love this Thanksgiving staple because it's so versatile — it's not just for turkey, it's a real team player. If you have leftover cranberry sauce, here are my favorite ways to use it:
- Top baked brie with cranberry sauce for a delectable appetizer
- Smear on leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches
- Use it as your filling in a decadent chocolate layer cake
- Slather on leftover dinner rolls or toast for a sweet breakfast
- Make Thanksgiving leftover sliders and watch them disappear!
How to Make the Best Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
Rinse and sort: Start by rinsing your cranberries under cold water, picking through them to remove any remaining stems or debris, and discarding any mushy or discolored ones. Next, set ½ cup cranberries aside (you'll stir them later for added texture).
Simmer: In a medium pot or medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil until the sugar has dissolved. Add the fresh cranberries and orange juice, turn the heat to medium-low, and let simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook, stirring gently, until the liquid has reduced and the cranberries have burst and thickened, about 10-15 minutes. You can also use the back of a spoon to smash some of them for a chunkier texture.
Stir in the spices: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in your reserved cranberries (½ cup), amaretto (¼ cup, if using), orange zest (2 teaspoons), vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), nutmeg (½ teaspoon), cinnamon stick, and pumpkin pie spice (just a pinch). The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Cool and Serve: Remove the cinnamon stick, let the sauce cool, and transfer to a serving dish. This sauce is excellent served warm or at room temperature. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
* To see these instructions in action, check out this reel.
Tips for Success
Before you begin, here are a few tips to make sure your cranberry sauce comes out its berry berry best (sorry, had to).
- Zest First, Juice Later: I *highly* recommend using fresh orange juice and orange zest for the best taste. You should plan to zest your orange first, set the zest aside, and then juice the orange.
- Make-Ahead Magic: Prepare it a day or two before, and let the flavors mingle. This is a great way to save you time on the big day *and* it allows the flavors to meld, helping the sauce to reach its full potential.
- Cranberries: One 12-ounce bag is usually between 3 and 4 cups. You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. Don't worry about fully thawing your cranberries if they're frozen, simply rinse the cranberries under cool water in a colander before tossing them in the water-sugar mixture. No need to pat dry — some water droplets are fine.
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions
You can prepare the sauce up to days ahead of time (it's actually better that way!). Simply cool completely, cover tightly, then refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature or warm on the stove/in the microwave, if desired, before serving. To freeze, cool the sauce completely and place the sauce in an airtight container or plastic zip-top bag and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend making your cranberry sauce up to three days before and storing it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Yes! Cranberry sauce freezes really well. To freeze cranberry sauce, simply cool completely, place the sauce in an airtight container or plastic zip-top bag, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
Cranberry sauce is delicious warm or room temperature, and is even better the next day. To reheat, place the cranberry sauce in a saucepan on the stove and warm over medium heat, stirring gently. If you're strapped for time, you can also reheat the sauce in the microwave — simply place it in a microwave-safe container and microwave on high in 30-second increments, stirring often, until it reaches your desired temperature.
Store it in the fridge for up to a week (if it lasts that long, that is — yes, it's that good!).
While dried cranberries are delicious in their own right (try them in this salad in place of the pomegranate), this recipe shines with fresh or frozen ones. They burst with flavor, creating that perfect sauce consistency.
Yes, you can use granulated (white) sugar in place of brown sugar, but I love the additional richness that the brown sugar adds to the flavor of the tart cranberries.
Sure, you can use a sugar substitute, but sugar plays a crucial role in balancing the tartness of the cranberries, so don't skip it completely. Feel free to use a bit less sugar if you want the sauce more tart, or try substituting with coconut sugar, simple syrup, or maple syrup instead.
You can leave out the orange zest, but it helps to bring out the cranberry flavor and add a little something extra. Even if you leave out the orange rind, do not skip the orange juice — it's key to balancing the dish and enhancing its depth of flavor. If you're in a pinch and don't have fresh squeezed OJ, you can use prepared orange juice or even a bit of frozen orange juice concentrate.
Substitutions
- Add Nuts: Want some crunch? Throw in a handful of chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts during the simmering process.
- Maple Syrup Swap: Feel like experimenting? Substitute half of the sugar with pure maple syrup for a richer, more complex flavor.
- Frozen Berries: Can't find fresh cranberries? Frozen works just as well.
Special diets
If you have a special diet you're adhering to, here are some ways you can adjust this recipe.
- Gluten free: Hooray! No gluten here!
- Dairy free: This recipe is dairy-free!
- Keto: Use a keto-friendly sweetener.
Related recipes
Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes? Try these:
- For an app | Easy raspberry baked brie
- For a twist on a classic | Holiday turkey with coffee beans and sweet onion gravy
- For bite-sized sweets | Mini chocolate pecan pie bites
- For something green | Beet and goat cheese salad with pistachios and pomegranate
Before you go...
If you make my cranberry sauce and love it, please leave a comment and rate this recipe! I love to hear from you and do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram — seeing your delicious creations is my favorite!
Whether you're at a family feast, Friendsgiving, or a cozy holiday meal for two, this classic cranberry sauce will be the MVP of side dishes (move over, green bean casserole!). This easy homemade cranberry sauce will be the star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. It's simple, versatile, and bursting with flavor. So, ditch the can opener, grab some fresh cranberries, and get ready to impress!
What else is on your Thanksgiving menu? Do you have other favorite cranberry recipes that I need to try? Drop me a comment below! Thanks for trusting me with your Thanksgiving meal — I hope your holiday season is filled with fantastic food, family, friends, and fun!
Print
Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made from just a handful of fresh ingredients, this easy homemade cranberry sauce is ready after 15 minutes on the stove to grace your holiday table.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about ½ large orange)
- 4 cups fresh cranberries (about 1 (12-ounce bag), rinsed (set aside ½ cup)
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup Amaratto (optional)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Pinch of pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
-
After rinsing the cranberries, set ½ cup cranberries aside. You will stir these in at the end for extra texture.
-
In a medium pot or saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the fresh cranberries and orange juice, turn heat to medium-low, and let simmer.
-
While stirring occasionally, continue to cook until liquid has reduced and cranberries have burst and thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
-
Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup reserved cranberries, orange zest, vanilla extract, nutmeg, amaretto (if using), cinnamon stick, and pumpkin pie spice. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
-
Remove the cinnamon stick and serve. Cranberry sauce is excellent served warm or at room temperature.
Notes
You can prepare the sauce 3 days ahead of time. Cool completely, cover tightly, then refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature or warm on the stove/in the microwave, if desired, before serving.
To freeze, cool sauce completely. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm on the stove/in the microwave before serving.
One more thing!
This recipe is a part of my Thanksgiving recipes collection — check it out!
Share Your Thoughts