Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

5 from 1 vote

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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!

white bowl with homemade cranberry sauce and orange zest on tip with spoon.

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!

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!

white place with turkey potatoes cranberry sauce brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • I 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.
  • Cranberry sauce is a special Thanksgiving dish that elevates the rest 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.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Cranberries fresh or frozen
  • Oranges – 3 to 4 oranges for the juice and peel
  • Sugar
  • Cinnamon stick

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

  1. Add the cranberries, orange juice, water, and sugar to a saucepan and stir.
  2. Then add the salt, cinnamon, and orange peel.
  3. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  4. Let cool and remove the orange peel and cinnamon stick

Recipe FAQs

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 it for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to serve it.

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!

white bowl and spoon with red cranberry sauce and orange zest.

Expert Tips

  • For a sweeter cranberry sauce, add an additional 1/4 cup of sugar at the start of cooking to cut some of the tartness.
  • Homemade cranberry sauce freezes wonderfully! Keep it stored in an airtight container, and it can be kept frozen for up to 3 months. Then thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to serve it.
  • Cranberry sauce can be served hot or cold, depending on your family’s preference.
white place with turkey potatoes cranberry sauce brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes.

More Thanksgiving Recipes to Consider

Thanksgiving dinner on a white plate
5 from 1 vote

Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

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!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 12 (Makes 3 cups)

Ingredients 

  • 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries, (about 3 cups)
  • 1/2 cup orange juice, juice from 3 to 4 oranges
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 piece of orange peel, about 1/2-inch wide and 3 inches long (just shave a little off with a knife)
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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 1/4 cup of sugar when you add the sugar.
  • 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!
  • It’s a perfect make-ahead dish because it keeps for up to 3 days, so go ahead and make this one ahead for less stress on the day of!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 12 servings, Calories: 37kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 0.1g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.003g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.004g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.004g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 22mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 22IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 0.05mg
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5 from 1 vote

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2 Comments

  1. Robbin Finnicum says:

    5 stars
    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

    1. Melissa says:

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