This is THE BEST homemade cranberry sauce! It is super easy to make and way surpasses the canned version in flavor. Be sure to use whole berries to your sauce to make this a delicious side dish for your Thanksgiving or holiday table!
Cranberry sauce is a staple on every Thanksgiving table, am I right?! It is one of the first things my boys ask for when we sit down for dinner. I mean, we’ve got steaming hot turkey and gravy, succulent asparagus and piles of fluffy mashed potatoes and my boys are asking for cranberries! That is saying a lot coming from a couple of extremely picky children.
Are you one of those people who likes to plop a blob of cranberry sauce into a bowl? Or do you prefer to make your own? I think there is such a huge difference in texture and flavor and I will personally never buy the canned sweet sauce ever again. There is NOTHING like homemade, friends, and it doesn’t even compare to anything you can buy at the grocery store. Make this recipe for your next holiday meal and come back and let me know how many rave reviews you get!
WATCH THIS QUICK VIDEO TO SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE!
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE
STEP 1
Pour 1 cup of orange juice into a medium saucepan over high heat and add 1 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries start to burst.
STEP 2
Add 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Remove from the heat and let cool completely to room temperature. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve!
RECIPE TIPS: HOW TO MAKE THIS FRESH CRANBERRY SAUCE THE BEST EVER!
-
For added freshness, stir in 1 teaspoon of orange zest after removing from heat.
-
Replace fresh cranberries with frozen cranberries, if desired.
-
This side dish is 100% gluten free, wooo!
-
For extra flavor, consider adding 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or brown sugar or a couple vanilla beans to the mixture before boiling.
-
When storing homemade cranberries, press plastic wrap directly onto its surface before refrigerating. This will prevent a film from forming on the surface and it will keep the sauce fresh.
CAN YOU FREEZE CRANBERRY SAUCE?
You can absolutely freeze cranberry sauce with amazing results. Place it in an air-tight container and freeze for 3 to 4 months. When ready to defrost, let thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight.
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER CRANBERRY SAUCE
You might think that once Thanksgiving dinner has passed, your cranberry sauce should pass, too. This is not the case! There are many options for repurposing the delicious, red sweet sauce. Here are a few suggestions:
-
Throw it into a Thanksgiving Leftovers Stromboli. This is a FAVORITE in our house!
-
Smear it over leftover turkey.
-
Build a Thanksgiving Leftovers Grilled Cheese Sandwich! YUM!
-
Use it as a sauce for your next sweet pizza, maybe with brie cheese, pear slices and honey.
-
Replace it with the jelly in this Crockpot Meatballs recipe.
CAN DOGS EAT CRANBERRY SAUCE?
In small quantities, cranberry sauce is perfectly safe for dogs. Be aware, however, that it can have a fairly high sugar content, which can lead to stomach issues. Also, if the sauce is canned, read the label! Some versions contain grapes or raisins, which are toxic to canines.
HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE LAST?
When stored properly in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, homemade cranberry sauce will last 10 days.
OTHER MAKE AHEAD THANKSGIVING RECIPE IDEAS
-
Plain ol’ (but very delicious) Mashed Potatoes can be made the day before and heated before serving. Or you can make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes in just 20 minutes!
-
Speaking of potatoes, this Sweet Potato Casserole is a must-have Thanksgiving dinner option.
-
Homemade Cranberry Sauce can also be made a day ahead. Be sure to press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce before refrigerating.
-
Make the dessert ahead of time to save yourself a ton of time! These TOTALLY DELICIOUS Pumpkin Bars stay perfectly fresh when stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
-
Creamy Crockpot Corn and Crockpot Mac and Cheese are two holiday hit recipes that can simmer in your slow cooker while you get everything else done in the kitchen!
TRY ONE OF THESE OTHER HOMEMADE SAUCES
Don’t stop here with making homemade sauces! Consider these delicious options, as well:
-
Easy Blueberry Sauce – Blueberry Sauce is super easy to make and goes great on pancakes, waffles or works great as a pie filling!
-
Homemade Chocolate Fudge Sauce – You’ll enjoy spoonfuls of this gooey homemade chocolate fudge sauce perfect for summer treats!
-
Apple Butter – This tasty Homemade Apple Butter Recipe is worth the wait! After you enjoy picking your favorite assortment of sweet and tart apples, you can add just a few spices to the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer. Not to be confused with butter, it’s awesome to spread on everything (like butter)!
-
Salted Caramel Sauce – There’s just 4 ingredients needed to make your own Salted Caramel sauce. It’s easy to do and you’ll be glad you know how to make it yourself because this recipe has so many uses – top or fill your next batch of baked goods with this delicious, irresistible sauce.
-
Crockpot Applesauce – Homemade applesauce is fun to make and better than the store stuff! Plus it’s the perfect fall treat. Let your slow cooker do the work so kids and adults alike can have a healthy snack!
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 12 oz. package cranberries rinsed
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Instructions
- Pour orange juice into a medium saucepan over high heat and add sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Add cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.
- Add cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Remove from heat and let cool. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve!
I made this last year for Christmas and am making it again this year for Thanksgiving for about 30 people. It really is the best. I’ve never been a fan of canned cranberry sauce. It just seems kind of gross. This really is delicious and is even better on top of ham or turkey.
Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed it and are making it again. I’ll have it at our table as well! Thank you for sharing!