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5.0 from 6 votes

Easy Cranberry Sauce

An easy, versatile and adaptable homemade cranberry sauce made with just 4 ingredients. 

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 6 -8
Course: Side Dish , Condiments
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar, or honey (SEE RECIPE NOTES) white sugar or brown sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • Generous pinch of salt
  • Orange zest of ½ an orange
  • 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place the sugar, water and orange juice in a saucepan. Heat over medium high heat and bring to a boil, while stirring frequently. Lower the heat to medium and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
  2. While the syrup is simmering, add the orange zest, cranberries and salt. Stir it all in, and cook for 10 minutes while stirring frequently, to prevent the cranberries from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  3. After 10 minutes (or when the cranberries are cooked to your desired consistency), remove from the heat and let it cool down. Serve.

Notes

  • Recipe variations
  • Recipe variations
  • Recipe variations
  • Add 1 tsp of grated ginger for a warming, spicy kick!
  • REFINED SUGAR FREE VERSION
  • If you don't like orange in your cranberry sauce, simply replace it with water.
  • Or you can substitute the orange juice with pomegranate juice. 
  • Replace the orange juice or water with red wine for a more adult-friendly version of this homemade cranberry sauce.
  • Add 1 tsp of grated ginger for a warming, spicy kick!
  • Add about 1/4 cup of some chopped red onion along with the cranberries for a more savory flavor profile.
  • You can easily adjust the amount of sugar that you add. But I would recommend adding at least 1/2 cup (100 g) of sugar, along with 3/4 cup of liquid.
  • For a REFINED SUGAR FREE VERSION - substitute the sugar with honey for a healthier homemade cranberry sauce, but also remember to reduce the water to a 1/4 cup.