Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

A little tart and a little sweet this easy homemade cranberry sauce is a great addition to your holiday menu and baked goods.

Cranberry Sauce in a bowl

I love cranberry sauce, if it’s whole berry even better. A few years back I decided to try making my own batch and it was so easy. Every year before Thanksgiving I make a batch to use for the holiday but also for leftovers. I understand not everyone likes the whole berry sauce but even if I make it just for me I still consider it a win. Of course I always have the jellied kind on the table for those who love that instead.

What I like most about this recipe is that you can make it a few days ahead of time. You can also make it more sweet or more tart based on your preference.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

You can make it several days ahead of time.

It can be made as sweet or tart as you like.

bowl of cranberry sauce

Ingredients

Fresh Whole Cranberries

White Granulated Sugar

Light Brown Sugar

Orange Juice

Cinnamon

Maple Syrup

How To Make Cranberry Sauce

  1. Begin by washing your cranberries and making sure you sort out any that are mushy.
  2. Then in a medium sized saucepan, over medium heat, dissolve both sugars in the orange juice.
  3. Once the sugars are dissolved stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop.
  4. Once the cranberries have popped remove from the heat and add the cinnamon and maple syrup. Stir and taste making any adjustments you want.
  5.  As the cranberry sauce cools it will thicken.
whole berry cranberry sauce

Ways to Serve Cranberry Sauce

Have cranberry sauce leftovers? Consider these ideas for using it up:

Sandwiches

Serve with butter and biscuits, toast, bagels, etc.

Stir it into your oatmeal or chia pudding

As a side to roast turkey, pork, or chicken.

bread and butter with cranberry sauce on top

Storage Tips

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to five days.

Freezing Tips

I find that you can freeze the cranberry sauce for a few months and it still tastes fresh and delicious. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Make the cranberry sauce as directed and let it cool slightly in the pan.
  2. Use a glass Ball canning jar or your preferred canning jar and fill it with the cranberry sauce leaving at least an inch at the top for expansion. Let it continue to cool without a lid.
  3. When the cranberry sauces is still warm (but not hot) loosely cover the jar and transfer it to the refrigerator to cool down overnight.
  4. The next day close the jar all the way and freeze.

 

whole berry cranberry sauce
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Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Homemade cranberry sauce that's perfect for the holidays.
Prep Time5 minutes
Active Time10 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberries, cranberry sauce, homemade, maple syrup
Yield: 1
Calories: 156kcal
Author: Stillwood Kitchen

Materials

  • 12 oz Whole Fresh Cranberries
  • 1/2 cup White Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 1 cup Orange Juice
  • 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1-2 tbsp Maple Syrup

Instructions

  • Rinse cranberries and pick out any that are mushy.
  • In a medium size sauce pan over medium heat dissolve the white and brown sugars in the orange juice.
  • Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries pop (approx 10 Min). The cranberries will foam but will go away as it cools. Slightly crush with a potato masher, fork, or spoon.
  • Remove from heat and add the cinnamon and 1 tbsp of maple syrup. If it is too tart for you add another tablespoon until desired sweetness.
  • Stir slowly to help the foam disappear. It may take a bit for that to happen but it will disappear. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
  • Cool and store in a jar or container.

Notes

Fresh orange juice gives it a nice flavor but you can use bottled Orange juice to save time.
Can be made a few days before serving. Will last one week in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze the cranberry sauce for several months and it will still taste fresh and delicious.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 204IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
cranberry sauce on a spoon

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