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    You are here: Home / Sides / Homemade Cranberry Sauce

    Homemade Cranberry Sauce

    November 16, 2018 By Sam 172 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

    A simple recipe for fresh and easy homemade cranberry sauce.  Made with real whole cranberries and just 3 other ingredients, this is an easy traditional must-have for your next holiday dinner.

    This cranberry sauce is a holiday classic (like my roasted sweet potatoes) and deserves a place on your table. Be sure to check out the brief how-to video at the bottom of the post if you’re more of a visual learner! 

    Fresh homemade cranberry sauce

    Who here is hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year?

    Don’t look at me, while I’d love to someday, my biggest contributions to holiday get-togethers usually land on the dessert table. Pecan pie , chocolate pie (with a side of homemade whipped cream!), these are my usual contributions, but recently I’ve branched out. This year, I’m on a mission to replace canned cranberry sauce everywhere with homemade cranberry sauce.

    Do you know how easy it is to make homemade cranberry sauce? Just one saucepan and 4 ingredients (5 if you count water, does water count??), this recipe is easy.

    No can necessary.

    Ingredients for cranberry sauce

    How Do You Make Fresh Cranberry Sauce

    • Bring sugars (use a combination of brown and white for the best flavor!), water, and orange juice to a boil
    • Add cranberries and return to simmer
    • Cook until berries have burst and desired thickness has been reached.
    • Transfer to a serving dish and chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

    Some cranberry sauce recipes use just water, and no orange juice, but I strongly recommend using both. The juice adds a nice bright flavor that really makes this cranberry sauce shine.

    How do You Make Cranberry Sauce Thicker?

    When cooking your cranberry sauce, you can simmer it as long as needed after your berries burst until the desired thickness is reached. Do keep in mind that your sauce will seem runnier while it’s hot and will thicken as it cools and sets.

    Can Cranberry Sauce Be Made in Advance??

    Yes! Cranberry sauce requires a minimum of 2 hours in the refrigerator in order for it to thicken and set properly. However, you can make this holiday side dish up to a week in advance. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container.

    Spoonful of cranberry sauce

    And that’s all there is to making homemade cranberry sauce, no can required!

    If you prefer a more visual guide you can check out my cranberry sauce video at the bottom of the post. If you enjoy these videos, please consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel! <3

    Enjoy!

    Cranberry sauce in bowl

    Homemade Cranberry Sauce

    An easy homemade cranberry sauce, made with fresh cranberries and just a handful of other ingredients.
    5 from 134 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Chilling Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 159kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • ⅔ cup sugar (133g)
    • ⅓ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed (67g)
    • ⅓ cup water (78ml)
    • ⅔ cup orange juice (157ml)
    • 12 oz cranberries rinsed and picked through -- bad/bruised cranberries removed (340g)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Combine sugars, water, and orange juice in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.  Stir occasionally until sugars are dissolved, and bring to a boil.  
    • Add cranberries and return to a boil.
    • Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook cranberries, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes or until all or most berries have burst (careful, there is some splatter) and the mixture is slightly reduced. The longer you cook your cranberries the thicker your mixture will be, but it will also thicken up after standing.
    • Transfer mixture to a bowl and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature.
    • Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.  

    Notes

    Cranberry sauce can be prepared up to a week in advance; keep refrigerated in an airtight container.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Vitamin C: 29.7mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Cranberry sauce in bowl

    I originally published this Cranberry Sauce recipe 11/20/2017, post has been updated to include tips and more information.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. dutchhenry

      December 13, 2022 at 2:23 pm

      5 stars
      I am a huge cranberry fan and this is by far the best I have eaten. Just follow the recipe and you can’t go wrong.

      Reply
    2. F. Brown

      November 24, 2022 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and so easy to make!

      Reply
    3. Georgette Jurczewsky

      November 24, 2022 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious fresh cranberry orange sauce, that is wonderfully sweet tart, and even better with a dash of ground cinnamon. Very easy to make.

      Reply
    4. Jacob V.

      November 23, 2022 at 10:44 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe! The brown sugar is what sets the sauce apart. Something I used, that enhanced the flavor, was using lite orange juice (specifically from Kroger). It’s sweeter than regular OJ and brings out the tartness and sweetness of the berries better!

      Reply
    5. Sandra Bronson

      November 23, 2022 at 2:29 pm

      5 stars
      This is my second year making this…My family loves it…we won’t go back to the canned stuff again…
      Thank you soooo much for this recipe…

      Reply
    6. Katie

      November 22, 2022 at 5:13 pm

      How much does this recipe make? I know it says 6 servings but how much is a serving? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 22, 2022 at 9:07 pm

        Hi Katie! This will make about 2 1/4 cups total so each serving is just over 1/3 cup. 🙂

        Reply
      • Janet

        November 24, 2022 at 10:29 am

        5 stars
        I added a little cinnamon because I love it and it pairs well with oranges so… delicious!

        Reply
    7. Mia

      November 20, 2022 at 5:16 pm

      Can you use an immersion blender to smooth it out a bit? First time making it.

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 20, 2022 at 8:35 pm

        Hi Mia! I haven’t tried it, but I think that could probably work. 🙂

        Reply
        • Mia

          November 23, 2022 at 4:02 pm

          5 stars
          So I just made this cranberry sauce. It was a little too tart for me so I added another 1/4 cup each of the sugars. I did use the immersion blender and it was perfect. I kept some chunkyness. Idk if it’s enough so we’ll see if next year I’ll need to double it. Tyvm. It was fun to make too hearing them pop.

      • Kally

        November 22, 2022 at 6:47 pm

        should this be made with fresh orange juice or store bought?

        Reply
        • Sam

          November 22, 2022 at 8:53 pm

          Hi Kally! Either will work. I personally prefer fresh, but either is good. 🙂

    8. Yevette

      November 19, 2022 at 10:55 am

      How many servings does this make?

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 19, 2022 at 10:17 pm

        6. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Kimberly T

      November 19, 2022 at 9:42 am

      5 stars
      This is such a tasty recipe! I will be making it for the third year in a row this Thanksgiving. It is easy to make! I will never do the canned cranberry sauce again.

      Reply
    10. Lolita

      November 18, 2022 at 8:35 pm

      Hi Sam!! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe. I was wondering though if this cranberry sauce can be made with dried cranberries as fresh cranberries are not vastly available in Australia?

      Thank you for your time 😊

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 18, 2022 at 8:45 pm

        Hi Lolita! I don’t recommend using dried cranberries. 🙁

        Reply
      • Amy

        November 23, 2022 at 10:34 am

        Last year I made cranberry sauce with dried cranberries and it was amazing!! I’d say go for it my family LOVED it

        Reply
    11. Connie

      November 08, 2022 at 3:36 pm

      5 stars
      Can you freeze it in jelly jars?

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 08, 2022 at 8:44 pm

        Hi Connie! I haven not frozen it myself, but I don’t see any issues doing so. Be careful freezing it in glass jars though, you don’t want them to break. 🙂

        Reply
      • Misty

        December 01, 2022 at 3:27 pm

        5 stars
        Simple & delicious!

        Reply
    12. K L Portray

      December 25, 2021 at 8:22 am

      Who could ever go back to that artificial jellied stuff after this? It’s like trying to get toothpaste back in the tube— you cant go back ! ( LOL) This recipe is so simple yet so DELISH 😋. I even put a dash of Dark spiced Rum in mine. Definitely a keeper recipe ~

      Reply
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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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