That is our household’s favourite cranberry sauce recipe, and it’s such a easy improve from something store-bought. It’s excellent for Thanksgiving.

It solely takes about quarter-hour, so it’s genuinely simple. Due to the excessive pectin content material of cranberries, all it is advisable do is add them to a saucepan with some sugar, allow them to cook dinner for a couple of minutes, and also you’ve bought cranberry sauce.
Our easy recipe requires just a little little bit of orange juice and lemon juice, plus sugar to stability the tart cranberries. It’s fast, vibrant, stunning on the desk, and just about my excellent do-it-yourself cranberry sauce for the holidays and roast turkey. For extra, see all our favourite Thanksgiving recipes!
Key Components
- Cranberries: Use recent cranberries or frozen cranberries which were thawed. Dried cranberries gained’t work right here since they don’t break down the identical approach.
- Sugar: We use a mixture of granulated sugar and brown sugar for further taste. Cranberries are naturally very tart, so that you do want a very good quantity of sugar to stability the sauce. We maintain ours on the tart facet, however should you favor a sweeter cranberry sauce, add an additional tablespoon or two of sugar to style.
- Orange: Orange and cranberries are a traditional pairing. We add a small quantity of recent orange juice to the bottom of the sauce. You solely want one orange.
- Lemon: A tablespoon of recent lemon juice brightens the sauce and brings out the flavour of the cranberries much more.
- Salt: A pinch of salt ties the flavors collectively and retains the sauce from tasting flat.
Discover the complete recipe with measurements beneath.
Methods to Make Cranberry Sauce
Tip 1: Simmer the cranberries. Add the cranberries to a saucepan together with the sugars, orange juice, lemon juice, and salt. Warmth over medium till the combination begins to simmer, then cook dinner till the cranberries begin to burst, 5 to 10 minutes. To assist issues alongside, use the again of a spoon to press among the cranberries towards the facet of the pan till they pop.

Tip 2: Add orange zest. Stir within the orange zest after the cranberries have damaged down right into a sauce. I normally add about 1/2 teaspoon. I do know it doesn’t sound like a lot, however the orange taste actually comes by way of. In the event you love cranberry orange sauce, be at liberty so as to add extra.
Tip 3: Chill till able to serve. I favor serving cranberry sauce chilled straight from the fridge. As soon as the sauce has cooled to room temperature, switch it to a bowl or an hermetic container and refrigerate. Because it sits, the sauce thickens, units, and turns into much more flavorful.
Make Forward Suggestions
Cranberry sauce is among the greatest Thanksgiving dishes to make forward. Retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as two weeks. You too can freeze it. Merely switch the cooled sauce to a freezer-safe container and freeze for as much as 3 months. If you’re prepared to make use of it, thaw the sauce in a single day within the fridge.
Methods to Use Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is much extra versatile than most individuals notice. Listed here are a few of my favourite methods to make use of it past the Thanksgiving desk:
- Serve with roasted meats. That is the traditional pairing, and it really works simply as effectively with roast rooster and baked pork chops because it does with Thanksgiving turkey.
- Unfold on sandwiches. Add it to leftover turkey sandwiches, grilled cheese, or a turkey-and-brie panini.
- Use as a topping for breakfast. I really like spooning leftover cranberry sauce over yogurt, oatmeal, buttermilk pancakes, waffles, or French toast.
- Swirl into baked items. You’ll be able to fold it into muffin batter, swirl it into fast breads, or serve it alongside scones.
- Pair with cheese boards. Cranberry sauce is actually good with delicate cheeses like brie or goat cheese and nice on a vacation charcuterie board.
Extra Do-it-yourself Sauce Recipes


Our Favourite Cranberry Sauce
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PREP
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COOK
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TOTAL
We love this cranberry sauce made with each orange juice and lemon juice. Orange pairs superbly with cranberries, however some recipes lean too closely on it for my style. We give a spread for the orange zest beneath. I at all times stick with the decrease finish, however should you love a stronger orange taste, be at liberty to extend it.
Because the sauce cooks, style as you go. You’re in search of one thing vibrant, barely candy, and nonetheless pleasantly tart from the cranberries. In the event you favor a sweeter sauce, you may stir in an additional 1 to three tablespoons of sugar till it’s good.
Makes 2 cups
You Will Want
12 ounces recent or frozen and thawed cranberries, not dried (340g)
½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
3 tablespoons brown sugar (38g)
½ to 1 teaspoon orange zest, to style
¼ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice, from 1 orange (60ml)
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon effective sea salt
Instructions
1Cook dinner the cranberries: Add the cranberries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, and salt to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium warmth. Carry to a simmer and cook dinner, stirring often, till the sugar has dissolved and the cranberries start to burst, about 10 minutes. Use a spoon to press among the cranberries towards the facet of the pan to assist them break down as they cook dinner.
2Let it cool: Stir within the orange zest. Flip off the warmth, cowl the pan, and let the sauce cool to room temperature.
3Refrigerate: Switch to a bowl, cowl, and refrigerate till able to serve.
Adam and Joanne’s Suggestions
- Make forward: You may make this as much as 2 weeks prematurely. Maintain in an hermetic container within the fridge. It additionally freezes for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge.
- The diet details offered are estimates.
Diet Per Serving
Serving Dimension
2 tablespoons
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Energy
42
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Whole Fats
0g
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Saturated Fats
0g
/
Ldl cholesterol
0mg
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Sodium
37.3mg
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Carbohydrate
10.9g
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Dietary Fiber
0.8g
/
Whole Sugars
9.1g
/
Protein
0.1g
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