This easy, homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe is BETTER than store-bought and perfect for Thanksgiving. Plus, you can make it ahead of time!
Cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries is surprisingly easy to make! It goes so well with oven-roasted turkey and can also be used in salads.
What You’ll Find In This Post
How To Make This Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Homemade cranberry sauce is super easy to make! It only has 5 ingredients, including water. Put the first three ingredients in a saucepan.
Stir and cook over medium heat. The cranberries will start to burst and break down. Boil for 10-15 minutes until most of the cranberries have bust.
Stir the cornstarch into the cold water and add to the cranberry sauce stirring constantly.
Cook and stir for a few minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and allow the cranberry sauce to cool.
Recipe Variations
Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce Recipe
You can substitute the orange juice in this recipe with Ocean Spray cranberry juice for even more cranberry flavor!
Cranberry Raspberry Sauce
For a cran-raspberry flavor, you can add 2 cups of raspberries along with the cranberries.
How To Use Leftover Cranberry Sauce
- Cranberry Pecan Salad is perfect for holiday dinners.
- A Turkey Cranberry Sandwich is easy to make for a quick lunch.
- Light, fluffy Cranberry Salad is a sweet treat.
- Cranberry Punch is cool, creamy, and refreshing.
Tonia’s Notes
I’m not sure why it took me so long to discover how much I love cranberry sauce! I think my younger self was turned off by the canned, wobbly jelly version that is cut into slices and never tried it. But now I love it, and this homemade cranberry sauce recipe with fresh cranberries is the best!
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Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoon cold water
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Put cranberries, sugar, and orange juice in a sauce pan. Stir and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until most of the cranberries have burst.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cold water and cornstarch. Add the mixture to the cranberry sauce while stirring. Stir and cook for 20-30 seconds, until thickened.
- Remove from heat, cool, and store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Notes
One: Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce
Substitute the orange juice with an equal amount of Ocean Spray cranberry juice.Two: Cranberry Raspberry
Add two cups of raspberries along with the cranberries.Three: Without Cornstarch
You can omit the cornstarch for thinner sauce.Four: Storage
Store cooled sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to two months.Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, try cranberry juice, cran-raspberry juice, or pineapple juice.
I added the cornstarch because it helps thicken the cranberry sauce. That being said, yes, you can skip it, but the sauce will be thinner.
Yes, both fresh and frozen cranberries work.
Yes, it can be frozen in an airtight container for up to two months.
Rhonda Bunn says
I agree, I am not sure why I thought I didnt like cranberry sauce!!! Surprise! I do!