Cranberry sauce is a staple at the holiday table and as with most things, NOTHING beats homemade. This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is so easy and will become your go-to from now on!
The holidays simple aren’t complete without homemade cranberry sauce – every dining table needs a bowl of it. Right?
If you’re like me your reaction has generally been, “Eww, cranberry sauce. That jelly-like gelatinous stuff that makes an unpleasant suction sound as it oozes its way out of the can.” I agree: The canned stuff just really isn’t very appetizing. Homemade cranberry sauce on the other hand….totally different story. It’s fresh, vibrant and absolutely delicious. There just isn’t any comparison and so if like me you’ve always hated the canned stuff, give this homemade cranberry sauce a try and you may just change your mind.
This cranberry sauce is not only the perfect accompaniment to your roast turkey, it also makes a great glaze for chicken, pork and even beef. Spread it on your sandwiches, add it to your wraps, put some in the crock pot along with your usual ingredients for pulled pork, or enjoy it in sweet baked goods like muffins, scones and tarts. You can even add your favorite BBQ sauce to it for a fun and tasty holiday twist on BBQ sauce. Let your imagination run free!
This classic cranberry sauce recipe will take you less than 15 minutes to whip this up and it will store in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks.
Let’s get started!
Bring the orange juice, sugar, salt, cinnamon (see note in recipe box) and cloves to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the cranberries and orange zest and simmer over medium-low for about 12 minutes until the cranberries have popped and are soft.
If you prefer your cranberry sauce extra chunky, add in another 1/4 cup or so of cranberries and simmer for another minute or two.
Let the cranberry sauce cool completely and then refrigerate in a non-reactive airtight container for up to two weeks.
Let cool completely and then store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Enjoy!
If you’re both a cranberry and a salmon fan, be sure to try our delicious Salmon with Cranberry Ginger Mustard Sauce!
Classic Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cinnamon stick (optional, see Note)
- 3 whole cloves (most easily retrieved if you put them in a muslin spice bag or cheesecloth while simmering)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Instructions
- Bring the orange juice, sugar, salt, cinnamon and cloves to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and orange zest and simmer over medium-low for about 12 minutes until the cranberries have popped and are soft. *If you prefer your cranberry sauce extra chunky, add in another couple of tablespoons of cranberries and simmer for another minute or two.
- Let the cranberry sauce cool completely and then refrigerate in a non-reactive airtight container for up to two weeks.
Notes
Bobby says
I made this today it’s very good, has a little bite to it. Very easy, Thanks
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Bobby, thank you!
joan jacobowski says
That’s what I read while subbing in a high school food class, Ha!!! Love your recipes!!!! I’m a wild foods forager so I use wild cranberries:)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Joan! :) And wild cranberries – that’s awesome!
joan jacobowski says
Sure, of course. Gotta follow the safe food guidelines. As I know from personal experience, food poisoning is no joke! But they’re so funny! Do you know they say whole grains will last for 6 months when tightly sealed, properly stored grains/ seeds will last for years! Just checked: Wiki says a 2,000 yr old date seed germinated. Ha!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Geez, do they really say only 6 months?? That’s such nonsense. We have a lot of food storage that we’ve collected over the years – lots of years-old bins of grains and other dried foods, including some things we got from our parents that are over 20 years old and still perfectly good. And yes, the wheat found in ancient pyramids still sprouted after 2000 years. Though I play it safe when it comes to the guidelines I post in my public recipes, in our own home we take much of the USDA’s guidelines with a grain of salt.
Joan says
Actually, it’ll last for months in the fridge.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
In actuality, yes it likely will, Joan. I just provide the recommendations based on USDA guidelines.
Mary Ellen says
I like homemade cranberry sauce, pretty much any version I’ve tasted. However, I also like the canned which has the virtue of being easily available all the time. I like to slice it and put it on sandwiches, turkey for sure, but others too. I just love cranberries in all forms…Craisins over raisins!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
YES, craisins over raisins any day, Mary Ellen!
cathy @ Noble Pig says
Scratch is the only way to make cranberry sauce.
Lauren @ Hall Nesting says
I can’t believe I’ve never made cranberry sauce from scratch! 😲
Isabelle @ Crumb says
You just can’t go wrong with the classics! I usually make mine with water, but I love the idea of using orange juice for a little extra flavour boost… definitely so much better than the canned stuff, and so easy to make that there’s really no reason to buy anyway. :)
carrie @ frugal foodie mama says
Homemade cranberry sauce is the best! This looks amazing. :)
Karyn Granrud says
I love homemade cranberry sauce! This recipe sounds so good.
Lauren Keating says
Looks great, cranberry sauce is everybody’s favorite!
cathy | Lemon Tree Dwelling says
I love homemade cranberry sauce – it’s such a necessary addition to a holiday meal!
Sandi G says
Your fresh cranberry sauce looks amazing…I agree, the canned stuff is awful.
Amanda | The Chunky Chef says
I love cranberry sauce, but hate that canned stuff. Totally making this homemade version!
Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says
Homemade cranberry sauce is the only way to go. I toss a sweet apple in mine with the cinnamon stick. I’ll have to try your recipe with the orange juice. Yum!
Jessica @Savory Experiments says
Looks lovely! I want to eat cranberry sauce ALL year long!
Alyssa | EverydayMaven says
I am a big fan of homemade cranberry sauce!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
So pretty! I bet it tastes as great as it looks!
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
YUM! I love fresh cranberry sauce (as opposed to that icky canned stuff) and LOVE the idea of using this as a glaze for meat. I’ve never done that before, but I’m definitely gonna give it a go now because this stuff is my fave!
The Food Hunter says
You know I never make it…always someone else brings it over. :)