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!
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- Glass Gravy Boat A glass gravy boat shows off the beautiful red color!
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
Video
Notes
- 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!
Nutrition
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