Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2024)

What’s the most underrated dish on every holiday table? I’ll give you a hint – its ruby-red color and burst of tart and sweet flavor help elevate your savory main dishes. Its citrusy, warm smell travels through your home 🏡 reminding everyone of joy and togetherness. You got it: cranberry sauce!

Cranberry sauce never really gets the credit it deserves, yet it’s a holiday staple and an essential addition to festive meals.

In this recipe, I’ll show you how to create the most delicious, homemade cranberry sauce, consisting of minimal ingredients and prep time, yet still delivering an explosion of flavor in every bite!

Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Now I know what you’re thinking. Why would I spend time making cranberry sauce when I can simply buy it? I know cooking Holiday meals is extremely time-consuming, and therefore outsourcing a few of the dishes is a great time saver for a lot of people. I get it…although a few people around the table might judge you 🧐!

However, one of the best features of this recipe is how simple it is to throw together. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal steps, you’ll have a cranberry sauce that’s so packed with flavor, that it will make store-bought cranberry sauce taste like a bland, uninspired afterthought (yes, I went there) 😌.

Besides, making your own cranberry sauce gives you tons of versatility. You can reduce the sugar content, make it tangier or sweeter, or simply alter the flavor profile by experimenting with different spices and extracts.

No matter how you spin it, nothing beats homemade cranberry sauce and I promise you the additional 15 minutes you will spend making this are well worth it 👌!

How to Prepare Cranberry Sauce

Begin by placing the cranberries, maple syrup, freshly squeezed orange juice, water, and orange zest into a pot. Turn the heat to a gentle medium and stir.

As the sauce starts to simmer, the cranberries will begin bursting and you’ll hear them pop 💥. Don’t be afraid – you’re on the right track! Partially cover the pot with a lid to avoid any mess and splatter and keep an eye on the mixture as it cooks down.

Once the cranberries soften and open up, take your masher and mash them in the pot until you reach your desired consistency, and then continue to stir until the sauce has thickened.

Keep in mind that as the sauce cools, it will continue to thicken, so don’t stress if it seems a little loose at this stage.

Finally, take the sauce off the heat, add a dash of cinnamon or some vanilla extract if you’d like, and let it cool completely before serving.

Variations and Substitutions

Here are a few variations and substitutions for this cranberry sauce recipe:

• If you’re looking to reduce the sugar content, use half the amount of maple syrup and then taste and add more as needed. Alternatively, you can also use honey 🍯, brown sugar, agave syrup, coconut sugar, or date paste to sweeten this dish.
• For a “sugar-free” version, you can use monk fruit or a sugar substitute like Stevia.
• If you want a tangier cranberry sauce, substitute some or all of the orange juice with lemon juice or apple cider.
• No experiment with different textures and flavor profiles, try stirring in the following at the of cooking: pure vanilla extract, raisins, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or ground cloves.
• If you don’t like how tart cranberries are, you can add sweeter berries like cherries 🍒 or strawberries 🍓 to the mix.
• For a stronger orange flavor add more orange zest and decrease the amount of water in this recipe to ½ cup, making sure to add an additional ½ cup orange juice instead.
• If you’re in a pinch, you can purchase cranberry sauce at the store, but it will never taste homemade 😊!

Other Holiday Recipes

• Gravy
• Juicy Turkey
• Mac and Cheese
• Stuffing
• Sweet Potato Donuts
• Pumpkin Pie
• Brussels Sprouts
• Sweet Potatoes
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Squash
• Turkey Noodle Soup
• Butternut Squash Pasta
• Baked Apples
• Mushrooms
• Green Beans
• Whole Roasted Sweet Potato

Common Questions