Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Homemade cranberry sauce is SO simple and worlds better than the can! It's perfectly sweet and tangy with hints of orange and apple.

Cranberry Sauce at Thanksgiving:

Forget the turkey, I live for cranberry sauce! It's vibrant red hue and tangy punch make everything else at the holiday table taste even better.

Most classic Thanksgiving sides are rich, buttery, and/or heavy. Not cranberry sauce! It's bright, zippy, and refreshing.

If you've never made homemade cranberry sauce, make this the year! It's easy to make and SO much better than the jelly from the can.

Key Ingredients:

• Cranberries - Cranberries come in season during the fall. You can find them in the produce aisle near the fresh berries.
• Navel orange - The juice and the zest! I typically get ⅓ cup of juice from one orange. I use a wooden citrus reamer and it's easy peasy!
• Apple cider - Adds a hint of spiced apple flavor and natural sweetness. If you can get it straight from the orchard, all the better!
• Sugar - Cranberries are very tart! I added ¾ cup of sugar for that sweet yet tangy flavor. You can decrease the amount if you like extra zip or increase the amount if you like things extra sweet!

How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce:

Cranberry sauce truly is one of the easiest Thanksgiving dishes you can make! It takes 15 minutes, max.

• Combine: In a medium saucepan, combine all your ingredients. At the very least, you need cranberries, a sweetener, and a liquid.
• Boil: Bring the mixture to a boil, then let it boil, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes. It will thicken up some, but still be liquefied. It firms up in the fridge as it chills.
• Chill: Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. Transfer the warm sauce to an airtight container and chill for at least 4 hours. I make mine the day before I plan to serve it.

Variations & Substitutions:

Cranberry sauce isn't complicated. It's just a few basic ingredients, but everyone makes it a little bit different.

• Less or more - If you love a good pucker, reduce the sugar a bit. If you prefer things extra sweet, increase the sugar a bit. I find ¾ cup of sugar combined with the apple cider to be the perfect sweetness level.
• Sweetener - If you're avoiding processed sugar, you can try swapping regular sugar with honey or maple syrup.
• Liquid - Apple cider adds so much flavor! Orange juice and water also work!

Can I use frozen cranberries?

I haven't tested this recipe with frozen cranberries. But since the cranberries are ultimately cooked and broken down into a sauce, frozen should work fine!

Storage Tips:

• Cranberry sauce should be stored in the fridge. It will firm up as it cools.
• Transfer the sauce to an airtight container and store for up to 2 weeks.
• It's important to make it at least 4 hours in advance so the sauce has a chance to cool and thicken.

More Thanksgiving Recipes:

• Easy Candied Brussels Sprouts
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Roasted Green Beans & Sweet Potatoes
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar