Homemade Cranberry Sauce (Better Than Store-Bought)
This cranberry sauce is a classic recipe that's perfectly sweet, slightly chunky, and a must-have for your Thanksgiving dinner spread! Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce recipe
Servings: 8 servings
- 4 cups (about a 12-ounce package) fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup or more as desired
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup water
- orange zest optional
Boil the orange juice mixture. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the water, orange juice, and honey and bring to a boil.
Add the cranberries and give everything stir.
Simmer the sauce. Bring the mixture back to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. The cranberries will burst (that's what you want) and the sauce will start to thicken.
Let it cool. Turn the heat off and let it cool for 15 minutes. Then transfer it to a container and place it in the fridge to chill and thicken up.
- Cranberries are naturally tangy and tart. I don't add a lot of maple syrup or honey to mine, but feel free to add more if you like your cranberry sauce sweeter. Just take a quick taste test before cooling.
- Make-ahead tip: I always make this the night before Thanksgiving or Christmas. Simply warm it back up in the microwave or stovetop before serving.
- If you want less orange flavor, just use ¼ cup orange juice or omit it completely for an orange-free cranberry sauce (though I personally love the natural sweetness from the orange juice).
- If you have leftover cranberry sauce, use it to make these leftover cranberry sauce recipes!
Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg