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4.9 from 33 votes

Basic 3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce (plus variations!)

Learn how to make basic homemade cranberry sauce with just 3 ingredients as well as 8 different flavor variations. There's sure to be one you love!

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings: 2 cups
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Rinse cranberries and discard any that are soft.
  2. In a medium saucepan combine cranberries, water, and sugar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook over medium heat until mixture boils and cranberries start to pop.
  3. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, or pulse to leave chunks.
  4. Allow mixture to cool down before serving.

Notes

  • Replace water with orange juice. Replace half of the sugar with brown sugar.
  • Replace water with orange juice. Once cranberries start to pop, add in 1 to 2 sliced jalapenos and let cook two minutes before proceeding with blending the sauce.
  • Replace water with apple juice.
  • Replace water with one 16-ounce can of pineapple chunks, undrained.
  • Replace water with  1/2 cup red wine + 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
  • Replace the sugar with brown sugar and add in 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves. For even more flavor, replace water with orange juice.
  • Replace water with orange juice and add 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger in with sugar. 
  • Once cranberries start to pop, add in 1/2 to 1 chipotle in adobo sauce (not 1 whole can). Let cook 2 minutes before transferring to a blender. 
  • Cran-Orange Cranberry Sauce Replace water with orange juice. Replace half of the sugar with brown sugar.
  • Spicy Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce Replace water with orange juice. Once cranberries start to pop, add in 1 to 2 sliced jalapenos and let cook two minutes before proceeding with blending the sauce.
  • Cran-Apple Cranberry Sauce Replace water with apple juice.
  • Pineapple Cranberry Sauce Replace water with one 16-ounce can of pineapple chunks, undrained.
  • Red Wine Cranberry Sauce Replace water with  1/2 cup red wine + 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
  • Spiced Cranberry Sauce Replace the sugar with brown sugar and add in 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves. For even more flavor, replace water with orange juice.
  • Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce Replace water with orange juice and add 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger in with sugar. 
  • Chipotle Cranberry Sauce Once cranberries start to pop, add in 1/2 to 1 chipotle in adobo sauce (not 1 whole can). Let cook 2 minutes before transferring to a blender.