Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Bright, sweet-tart homemade cranberry sauce that comes together in minutes with just a few ingredients. Serve it as-is for a classic holiday side or use it as a base for your favorite variations.
Servings: 9 servings (1/4 cup)
Ingredients
- 12 ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup water , or orange juice (see Note 1)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (reduce slightly for a less sweet sauce--see Note 2)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons finely-grated orange zest optional (see Note 3)
- small pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Rinse the cranberries well and sort through them to discard any that are soft or shriveled.
- Combine the water (or juice) and sugar in a medium, high-sided saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to help the sugar dissolve.
- Add the cranberries, orange zest (if using), and a small pinch of kosher salt. Bring back to a boil, then reduce to maintain a steady bubble. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the berries have burst and the sauce begins to thicken.
- If needed, gently mash some of the larger cranberries against the side of the pot to help them break down. Don't mash them all—there should be some texture to a whole-berry cranberry sauce.
- Transfer the sauce into a heat-safe bowl and let it cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, until the sauce is thickened and chilled.
Notes
1. Liquid Options: To add a citrus note, replace all or part of the water with orange juice. When using orange juice, I like using 1/2 cup each of juice and water, plus a bit of zest.
2. Sweetness: For a more tart sauce, reduce the sugar by 2–4 tablespoons. Adjust the amount based on your taste or if you’re adding a sweeter juice to the mix.
3. Orange Zest: If using zest, grate it finely with a microplane, avoiding the bitter white pith. I typically use 2 teaspoons when making the sauce with water, or 1 teaspoon when using orange juice, but you can play with these quantities to taste.
4. Make-Ahead: Cranberry sauce keeps well for about a week in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
5. Adjusting the Texture: If you simmer your sauce a bit too long and it becomes too thick after chilling, stir in a small splash of water or juice to loosen it.
This sauce is a great base recipe for making your own with other add-ins, like fruits, nuts, spices, or liqueur. See the Customization and Variations section in the blog post above for inspiration.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.003g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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