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Oftentimes, Cranberry Sauce becomes an afterthought on the Thanksgiving dinner table.
It certainly was on mine growing up. I don’t think we ever had cranberry sauce made from scratch during the holidays.
I wouldn’t have thought much about it until I watched Samin Nosrat on her Netflix show Salt Fat Acid Heat.
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She dedicated an entire episode to the fundamental element of any well-balanced table: ACID.
That’s exactly what cranberry sauce provides: acidity and tartness, which is necessary if you think about all of the rich, salty, and savory food served on this holiday.
It brings to life all of those other dishes. But there’s nothing worse than that bland, overly sweet canned cranberry sauce that maintains the cylindrical shape of the can it came in.
This homemade recipe is 1,000 times more flavorful. It adds that zing we all want on our plates – and it’s so pretty, too!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Cranberry Sauce
Fresh or Frozen Cranberries?
Both fresh and frozen cranberries will work just fine to make this cranberry sauce recipe – but don’t use dried cranberries, as that won’t work.
If you have leftover cranberries after making this recipe, try out my Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake for the perfect fall breakfast or brunch, or Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars for a delicious dessert option.
Orange Zest and Juice
While these ingredients are listed as optional below, I highly recommend adding both to this recipe, to add a beautiful freshness and flavor to the sauce. Be sure to zest your orange before you slice it open to juice.
How to Thicken Cranberry Sauce
If you prefer thicker cranberry sauce, simply simmer the sauce a little longer on the stove – but keep in mind that it will thicken as it cools.
How to Use Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- With Thanksgiving dinner, of course!
- On top of Buttermilk Biscuits
- On top of Homemade Waffles
- With my Easy Cornbread Recipe
- With my Thanksgiving Leftover Hand Pies
Making Ahead & Storage
This recipe can be made up to 1 week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. I have not tried freezing this cranberry sauce.
More Thanksgiving Recipes:
- Ultimate Dinner Rolls
- Apple & Sausage Stuffing
- Crowd-Pleasing Sweet Potato Casserole
- Cheesy Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
- Caramel Apple Streusel Pie
See ALL of my best Thanksgiving recipes here!
Cranberry Sauce
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest, optional
- 12 ounces (340 grams) fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Bring the water, juice, sugar, and zest to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the cranberries and cinnamon, and simmer until two-thirds of the cranberries have burst and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 to 12 minutes. Taste and season with salt and add more sugar if necessary.
- Allow to cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
This post was originally published in 2019 and has been updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
My husband has always insisted that we have the cranberry sauce in a can, since that’s what he grew up with. I told him I wanted to try homemade this year too. After one bite, he had to admit that the can stuff was garbage and this one is amazing. The whole family loved it! So simple and delicious. We’ll be making this from now on!