• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Bless this Mess
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Sides
  • Desserts
  • Snacks
  • Holidays
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • All Recipes
  • Recipe Filter
  • Cookbooks!
  • Our Story
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • All Recipes
    • Recipe Filter
    • Cookbooks!
    • Our Story
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Bless This Mess > Recipes > Holidays > Thanksgiving Recipes

    Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

    Published: Nov 9, 2019 · Modified: May 25, 2020 by Melissa · 2 Comments

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Mail
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    A bowl of homemade cranberry sauce topped with orange zest

    Sweet and tart with some citrusy tang, this easy homemade cranberry sauce is heavenly on a holiday dinner plate and is a simple side to prepare ahead of time!

    Simmering together a handful of ingredients on the stove is all it takes to make an irresistible cranberry sauce that you'll be dying to make for every holiday celebration!

    Sweet and tart with some citrusy tang, this easy homemade cranberry sauce is heavenly on a holiday dinner plate and is a simple side to prepare ahead of time! Simmering together a handful of ingredients on the stove is all it takes to make an irresistible cranberry sauce that you'll be dying to make for every holiday celebration! #cranberrysauce #cranberries #cranberrysaucerecipe #thanksgivingrecipe #thanksgivingdish #thanksgivingside #holidayrecipes

    Easy Holiday Cranberry Sauce Recipe

    If there's one thing I absolutely need on my plate for a holiday meal, it's cranberry sauce. And I'm not talking the kind you get in a can that's still perfectly can-shaped when you dump it out. Nope, that's practically a sin in my kitchen. I mean, I'm all for kitchen hacks and cooking shortcuts, but you guys, making cranberry sauce from scratch is so easy that it's silly to do anything else!

    I love, love, love this sauce because it's sweet from the sugar, tart from the cranberries, and zesty from the orange juice and peel used as flavorings. It has all these rich and bright fall flavors, yet it doesn't take a professional chef (or a food blogger) to make it perfectly every time.

    If you can stir things in a pot on the stove, you're golden (ahem, that should be everyone reading this!). It's also a perfect contender to make ahead of time for less stress on the day of the occasion itself. It keeps for up to 3 days, so go ahead and knock it off your to-cook list early!

    Sweet and tart with some citrusy tang, this easy homemade cranberry sauce is heavenly on a holiday dinner plate and is a simple side to prepare ahead of time! Simmering together a handful of ingredients on the stove is all it takes to make an irresistible cranberry sauce that you'll be dying to make for every holiday celebration! #cranberrysauce #cranberries #cranberrysaucerecipe #thanksgivingrecipe #thanksgivingdish #thanksgivingside #holidayrecipes

    What do you use cranberry sauce for?

    Cranberry sauce is a traditional Thanksgiving dish in America. It's thought that a cranberry dish may have been served at the first Thanksgiving, as the Wampanoag tribe used cranberries for a variety of things, like dye, medicine, and food. Today, it's a sweet and tart dish served up at most Thanksgiving tables because the bright flavors complement the heavier, saltier, richer Thanksgiving foods, like turkey, potatoes, and stuffing.

    Can cranberry sauce be frozen?

    Yes, homemade cranberry sauce freezes beautifully! Store it in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge when you're ready to serve it.

    How do you make cranberry sauce less tart?

    For a sweeter cranberry sauce, add an additional ¼ cup of sugar to the sauce at the start of cooking to cut some of the tartness.

    Is cranberry sauce served cold or hot?

    This is totally up to you! You can serve it warm, at room temperature, or chilled. It will also keep in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days, so take advantage of it for all your holiday leftover meals!Sweet and tart with some citrusy tang, this easy homemade cranberry sauce is heavenly on a holiday dinner plate and is a simple side to prepare ahead of time! Simmering together a handful of ingredients on the stove is all it takes to make an irresistible cranberry sauce that you'll be dying to make for every holiday celebration! #cranberrysauce #cranberries #cranberrysaucerecipe #thanksgivingrecipe #thanksgivingdish #thanksgivingside #holidayrecipes

     

    How to make cranberry sauce:

    • Add the cranberries, orange juice, water, and sugar to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
    • Stir to combine.
    • Add the salt, cinnamon, and orange peel.
    • Bring the mixture to a simmer, and reduce the heat to medium.
    • Simmer and stir for 10 to 12 minutes.
    • Let the mixture cool for 30 minutes, and remove orange peel and cinnamon stick.
    • Serve warm or at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

    Sweet and tart with some citrusy tang, this easy homemade cranberry sauce is heavenly on a holiday dinner plate and is a simple side to prepare ahead of time! Simmering together a handful of ingredients on the stove is all it takes to make an irresistible cranberry sauce that you'll be dying to make for every holiday celebration! #cranberrysauce #cranberries #cranberrysaucerecipe #thanksgivingrecipe #thanksgivingdish #thanksgivingside #holidayrecipes

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

    Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce


    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
    • Total Time: 45 min
    • Yield: makes 3 cups 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Sweet and tart with some citrusy tang, this easy homemade cranberry sauce is heavenly on a holiday dinner plate and is a simple side to prepare ahead of time!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups)
    • ½ cup orange juice (juice from 3 to 4 oranges)
    • ½ cup water
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • Pinch of salt
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 piece of orange peel, about ½-inch wide and 3 inches long (just shave a little off with a knife)

    Instructions

    • Add the cranberries, orange juice, water, and sugar to a medium to large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to combine.
    • Add the salt, cinnamon, and orange peel.
    • Bring the mixture to a simmer, and reduce the heat to medium.
    • Simmer, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped. The mixture will thicken.
    • Let the mixture cool for 30 minutes, and then remove the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
    • Serve warm or at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
    • This can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.

    Notes

    • I have found no difference between using fresh and frozen berries -- just use what you can find!
    • If you like your cranberry sauce very sweet you can add an additional ¼ cup of sugar when you add the sugar.
    • Prep Time: 5 min
    • Cook Time: 10 min
    • Category: side
    • Method: stove top
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce recipe, homemade cranberry sauce, easy cranberry sauce, fresh cranberry sauce, cranberry orange sauce

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @blessthismessblog on Instagram and hashtag it #blessthismess

    Sweet and tart with some citrusy tang, this easy homemade cranberry sauce is heavenly on a holiday dinner plate and is a simple side to prepare ahead of time! Simmering together a handful of ingredients on the stove is all it takes to make an irresistible cranberry sauce that you'll be dying to make for every holiday celebration! #cranberrysauce #cranberries #cranberrysaucerecipe #thanksgivingrecipe #thanksgivingdish #thanksgivingside #holidayrecipes Sweet and tart with some citrusy tang, this easy homemade cranberry sauce is heavenly on a holiday dinner plate and is a simple side to prepare ahead of time! Simmering together a handful of ingredients on the stove is all it takes to make an irresistible cranberry sauce that you'll be dying to make for every holiday celebration! #cranberrysauce #cranberries #cranberrysaucerecipe #thanksgivingrecipe #thanksgivingdish #thanksgivingside #holidayrecipes

    Side dish recipes for your turkey dinner:

    • Whipped Sweet Potato Casserole
    • Deviled Eggs
    • Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Apples
    • Simple Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
    • Easy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
    • Easy Homemade Turkey Gravy
    • Katie’s Corn Casserole

    Cranberry sauce is a special Thanksgiving dish that really elevates the rest of the flavors of the meal with its bright flavors and color, and this recipe is the best for making ahead and having a simple and rich cranberry sauce.

    Related Posts:

    • 15 Must-Make Homemade Pizza Recipes + My favorite quick and easy pizza sauce recipe!
      15 Must-Make Homemade Pizza Recipes + My favorite quick and…
    • Easy Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
      Easy Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
    • The Best Cranberry Orange Bread
      The Best Cranberry Orange Bread
    « Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Apples
    Katie's Easy Corn Casserole »
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Mail
    Craving More

    Take the hassle out of meal planning with: Dinner Made Easy, a FREE 1 week meal plan with full shopping list, easy dinners, nutrition information, serving suggestions for each meal, and more!

    Subscribe Now
    about me

    About Melissa

    Melissa is dedicated to helping parents figure out the nightly questions, "What's for Dinner?!" with her no-fuss approach to cooking. Read more...

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Robbin Finnicum

      November 24, 2021 at 4:02 pm

      Making this now for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I love your recipes; basic readily available ingredients and real food that you have made special with your creativity. I also appreciate how easy this site is to navigate. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Robbin

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Melissa

        November 27, 2021 at 7:43 pm

        I appreciate the feedback and the compliment on the site, that means so much to me!

    Primary Sidebar

    I’M MELISSA, AND I WANT TO HELP YOU FEED YOUR FAMILY WHOLESOME FOOD.

    As a hobby farmer and mom of five, I’m all about keeping it simple in the kitchen. I want healthy meals that feed my family well, and then I want to get back to my (messy) life. Let’s work together to find something yummy for your dinner table.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • How to Make a Sourdough Starter
    • Perfect and Simple Grilled Fish Fillets
    • Homemade Chicken Nuggets
    • Hot Water Cornbread
    Dinner Made Easy

    Get Recipes & More for Free!

    Get my FREE Dinner Made Easy meal plan, exclusive recipes, giveaways, and behind-the-scenes updates! Get my newsletter or a new recipe every day! Unsubscribe if you aren’t into it.

    Subscribe Now

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    SEEN ON

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Tools.
    • Terms Of Service.
    • Accessibility.
    • Bylaws.

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About Us
    • Cookbook FAQ
    • Find A Recipe!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 blessthismessplease.com. All rights reserved.

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter