Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
This homemade cranberry sauce is fresh cranberries simmered with sugar, orange juice and water until most of the berries burst. It cooks in one saucepan in about 15 minutes, and the orange keeps it bright instead of just sweet.
It’s best made ahead. The sauce sets as it chills and keeps for a week in the fridge, so you can have it done days before Thanksgiving. The full recipe is in the card below.
Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
- Colander
- Medium saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Fine grater
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries about 3 1/2 cups
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup fresh orange juice from 1–2 oranges
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Rinse the cranberries in a colander and pick out any soft or shriveled ones.
- Put the sugar, orange juice and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and bring to a boil.
- Add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring now and then, until most of the berries have burst and the sauce coats the spoon.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the orange zest and salt.
- Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate. The sauce sets as it cools.
Notes
Why This Cranberry Sauce Recipe Works
Cranberries are naturally high in pectin. When they burst in the hot syrup, the pectin is released, and the sauce sets into a soft, spoonable gel as it cools. You don’t need cornstarch or gelatin.
Orange juice replaces half the water. It brings its own flavor and a little sweetness, so the sauce tastes of fruit rather than sugar. The zest goes in off the heat so its oils stay fresh.
Fresh cranberries are in stores from fall through December. Buy an extra bag and put it straight in the freezer; frozen berries work just as well here.
Tips for Getting the Texture Right
Take the pan off the heat when most of the berries have burst but a few are still whole. The sauce looks loose in the pan and thickens a lot in the fridge. Cooked much longer, it sets firm, closer to jam.
If it’s too thick after chilling, stir in a tablespoon or two of orange juice or water. If it’s too thin, simmer it for 3–5 minutes more and let it cool again.
Keep it at a steady simmer, not a hard boil. The berries pop and spit as they burst, and high heat sends the syrup over the sides of the pan.
Taste it cold before you serve it. Cold dulls sweetness, so the chilled sauce tastes tarter than it did warm from the pan.
Making Cranberry Sauce Ahead and Storing It
Make it up to 1 week ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Serve it cold, or take it out 30 minutes before dinner to serve at room temperature.
You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and stir well, since it may be a little looser after thawing.
Lower-Sugar Cranberry Sauce
For a tarter sauce, cut the sugar to 1/2 cup. That’s a third less added sugar per serving, and the sharper flavor works well next to rich turkey and gravy.
What to Serve with Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce belongs next to the turkey, and it’s just as good with roast chicken or pork. On Thanksgiving, serve it with our green bean casserole from scratch and sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. On a weeknight, a spoonful on the side of our sheet pan chicken dinner is an easy way to use up leftovers. They’re also good stirred into plain yogurt or spread on a turkey sandwich.
The rest of the plate can come from our garlic mashed potatoes, which reheat from the fridge, and our crockpot mac and cheese, which cooks in the slow cooker while the oven is busy.
Cranberry Sauce FAQ
Why didn’t my cranberry sauce set? It either came off the heat before enough berries burst or hasn’t chilled long enough. Give it a few hours in the fridge. If it’s still runny, simmer it for 3–5 minutes more.
Can I make it without orange? Yes. Use 1 cup water instead of the orange juice and water, and leave out the zest. It will taste a little tarter.
Can I use dried cranberries? No. Dried cranberries are already sweetened and have lost most of their juice, so they won’t burst or set into a sauce.
Can I add spices? Yes. Add 1 cinnamon stick or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon with the cranberries for a warm spice note. Take the stick out before serving.
