Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Homemade Cranberry Sauce is so easy to make! It only takes a few minutes on the stovetop and you can flavor it how you you like it! It is seriously a must have for Thanksgiving!

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Fresh Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Everyone needs cranberry sauce on the holiday table right? To me you truly can’t have a thanksgiving meal without it.

The sweet yet tart flavor of the sauce is the perfect accompaniment to the rich and savory feast of turkey and potatoes.

One of the best parts is that it couldn’t be easier to make!

If you are looking for more cranberry recipes try Cranberry Fluff with Canned Cranberries or my Cranberry Smoothie.

Supplies

You don’t need a lot to make cranberry sauce, it comes together fairly easy on the stovetop:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• medium sized saucepan
• whisk and rubber spatula

Ingredients

Here is where my cranberry sauce will differ slightly from the standard version…

To make cranberry sauce you really only need water, sugar, and fresh cranberries.

I think that it is fun to add a little extra flavor so I do that by using the following, just to give it a little extra pizazz!

• apple cider – using apple cider gives the sauce a little more of an in-depth flavor, the sweet apple flavor helps round out the tartness slightly but is not overpowering
• sugar – I use plain sugar but if you wanted to use brown sugar that would probably taste great here as well
• fresh cranberries – you will need 1 bag for this recipe, you can cook it from frozen if that is what you have, remember cranberries are very seasonal so if you love cranberries makes sure to always grab an extra bag for the freezer (they freeze really well) so you can have them throughout the year
• cinnamon sticks – just the addition of a cinnamon stick gives it that little bit of flavor boost that complements the cranberries well, if you aren’t a fan of cinnamon you may leave it out, if you are a super fan of cinnamon you can use 2 cinnamon sticks

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

How to make Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Over medium heat to bring to a simmer. 

Once you are at a simmer reduce to medium-low heat to continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally until sauce thickens and cranberries have popped. 

Remove from heat, let cool slightly before serving.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

• You can use a different liquid in place of the apple cider like just plain water or orange juice!
• A higher heat boil might cause the cranberries to foam, keep at a medium heat.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes you can. Just keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. You may reheat if you wish or just serve it chilled!

Make this your own!

• Instead of apple cider use orange juice or water
• Add in other spices beside cinnamon, maybe a dash of ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom
• a little citrus peel like orange or lemon would be delicious
• add in a little whiskey or brandy for an extra flavor punch

You really can play around with cranberry sauce, as long as you keep the ratio of liquid to cranberries you can truly make it your own!

Need more Thanksgiving & Holiday recipes? You might like these:

• How to make a Dry Brined Turkey
• Turkey Gravy
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes in the Pressure Cooker
• Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows & Oats
• Roasted Carrots with Dill
• Roasted Pear & Pecan Salad
• Sunflower Seed Pie

And make sure to save any leftovers to make my Cranberry Sauce Margarita!!

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest, for all the latest recipes!