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!
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.
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.
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!
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (133 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (67 g) light brown sugar, tightly packed
- ⅓ cup (78 ml) water
- ⅔ cup (157 ml) orange juice
- 12 oz (340 g) cranberries rinsed and picked through -- bad/bruised cranberries removed
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.⅔ cup (133 g) sugar, ⅓ cup (67 g) light brown sugar, tightly packed, ⅓ cup (78 ml) water, ⅔ cup (157 ml) orange juice
- Add cranberries and return to a boil.12 oz (340 g) cranberries
- 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
Nutrition
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.
I originally published this Cranberry Sauce recipe 11/20/2017, post has been updated to include tips and more information.
Tammy
Happy Thanksgiving 2025 … I made this this morning as I was watching the parade. It’s delicious. Now to figure out what to do with the leftover orange juice. Any thoughts? Also, can the leftovers be frozen?
Nicole
do you have to refrigerate for 2 hours and what would happen if I only did an hour?
Sam Merritt
Hi Nicole! Maybe you’ll get lucky but it will likely still be pretty warm and loose.
T
Nice and easy
Kira
I have made this for several years now at thanksgiving
I add a cinnamon stick while it simmers. So good!
Jeff
So good!!
Wendy
LOVE this recipe! Use it every Thanksgiving! Great hit with my whole family.
Jacqueline Johnson
What can I substitute OJ for? Thanks everyone
Sam Merritt
You can use just water, but you will lose some flavor. Enjoy! 🙂
Pam Simpson
I use cherry juice with a bit of lemon juice to balance the sweetness.
Sara
Very good! I will definitely make this again!
Rosemary Kulick
I. Never liked the can cranberry , but once I started making my own love it so much better then the can
Mary
I really enjoyed making this recipe! Very straightforward & easy to follow instructions. I added a little bit of cinnamon to mine & it added a nice warmth!
The only thing I’ll say is that it came out slightly more tart than I was expecting. That could boil down to the package or cranberries I bought though, as I really don’t think this recipe needs more sugar. I may play around with honey as one other comment mentioned! Thanks for the great addition to our Thanksgiving! 💕
Laurel Russo
This is the recipe I used to teach my grandson how to use cranberries – he loved the result and 10yr later he still makes for us. This year i added chopped apple and some pecans to the bowl before adding the cook crans. Apples were not cooked per sey but retained a cit of crunch, same w pecans. Super delish!
Linda Allegro
Oh boy! When my daughter-in-law asked me to bring cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving dinner, I panicked, but I didn’t want to! Who really eats cranberry sauce anyway? Talk about a wake up call 😳 I had no idea how delicious this recipe would be I’m hooked and so glad I found this recipe. Going to start making it every year. Thank you and happy Thanksgiving.
Jacquie
I have been making cranberry sauce forever. This is definitely my favorite recipe!!!
Dennis
I have been playing with variations of cranberry sauce with orange juice for a few years. This year I did a triple batch. I did not use water. All orange juice except substituted 1/2 cup red wine. Used brown sugar and substituted 1/2 cup honey. Ground clove, ground cinnamon. Vanilla extract. Blueberries and diced fuji apples. Served with lime zest. AMAZING!!!
Debra L. Moore
Delicious and easy to make. I used fresh orange juice which I think made it tastier.
Serena
Delicious best ever