Servings
Font
Back
5.0 from 24 votes

Cranberry Sauce Recipe

This homemade Cranberry Sauce recipe is the perfect addition to holiday meal spreads, made with five simple ingredients and bursting with festive flavor.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 8 servings / 2 cups
Calories: 100 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar (granulated, light brown) (200g)
  • ¼ cup orange juice (1 orange) (60ml)
  • ¼ cup water (60ml)
  • 1 (12-ounce/338g) bag cranberries fresh or frozen
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest (1 orange)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. If using fresh cranberries, rinse the cranberries and discard and shriveled or brown ones. Reserve a handful of cranberries and place the rest in a medium saucepan. (If using frozen cranberries, you don’t need to rinse or thaw them.)
  2. Add the sugar, orange juice, water, and orange zest. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberry mixture starts to simmer, about 10 minutes.
  3. Decrease the heat to medium-low and stir occasionally, cooking until the berries burst and the liquid thickens the desired amount, 5 to 10 minutes. (Keep in mind the sauce will thicken as it cools.) Stir in the reserved berries. Remove from the heat. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Notes

  • Adjust the texture. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, reserve a handful of whole cranberries to stir in after cooking. For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender or potato masher to break down the berries further after cooking. For a thinner sauce, add more water, orange juice, or cider to thin it out.
  • Avoid overcooking. The cranberry sauce will naturally thicken as it cools. Remove the saucepan from the heat once the cranberries burst and the liquid reduces. Overcooking the sauce can create a gummy or overly thick texture.
  • Balance the flavor. Add a pinch of fine salt to balance the flavors if you find the sauce is too tart for your taste.

Nutrition Information

Calories 100kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 0.1g (0%) Fat 0.1g (0%) Saturated Fat 0.001g (0%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.003g Monounsaturated Fat 0.003g Sodium 1mg (0%) Potassium 17mg (0%) Fiber 0.1g (0%) Sugar 26g (52%) Vitamin A 18IU (0%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 2mg (0%) Iron 0.03mg (0%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings / 2 cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 100

% Daily Value*

Calories 100kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 0.1g 0%
Fat 0.1g 0%
Saturated Fat 0.001g 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.003g 0%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.003g 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Potassium 17mg 0%
Fiber 0.1g 0%
Sugar 26g 52%
Vitamin A 18IU 0%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 2mg 0%
Iron 0.03mg 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.