This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is delicious, simple and perfect for Thanksgiving. Fresh cranberries are simmered on the stove with cinnamon, sugar, vanilla and orange zest and juice.Â
When it comes to Thanksgiving Day recipes, I'm a classics girl. I like classic stuffing, classic turkey, classic mashed potatoes. I have very fond memories of buying canned cranberry sauce, plopping it onto a plate and carefully slicing it in between the can-rivets. For years, even after I got into cooking, I'd still buy cranberry sauce from the can--it was emotional, I think! But now I've kinda switched to loving fresh, homemade cranberry sauce.
Cranberry Sauce with Turkey
Cranberry sauce is a necessary flavor component of every Thanksgiving dinner. I mean this seriously. Think about it. Most of the dishes at any Thanksgiving lean on the richer side. We have mashed potatoes full of cream and butter. We have stuffing which is herbaceous but not exactly bright and vibrant. Mac and cheese, sweet potatoes are all savory and rich.
Cranberry sauce on the other hand is bright, tart, sweet and fragrant. It has a job to do on the plate. It's there to balance out the entire dish.
How to Make Classic Cranberry Sauce
- Wash your cranberries. I like to do this even if the bag says they've been pre-washed. You truly never know!
- Add the cranberries to a saucepan.
- Zest the orange and then juice the orange. Be sure to zest it before you slice it.
- Add the zest, juice, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, water, vanilla extract, ginger and cinnamon stick.
- Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook it until it begins to bubble up and soften, about 10 minutes.
- Using your spatula, pop and agitate the cranberries a bit. I like when it's a mix of whole cranberries and sauce.
- Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. From here you can store it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it. Or serve it right away.
Tips and Tricks
- To make this recipe ahead - Cook it and allow it to cool to room temperature completely. Transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you make this recipe, let me know on Instagram!
Looking for more recipes? Here are some favorites:
- Mojo Sheet Pan Turkey
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Stuffing Muffins
- Pumpkin Butterscotch Pie
- French Silk Pie
- 40 Recipes to Make for Thanksgiving
- Apple Cranberry Pie
- Cranberry Morning Rolls
Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) bag of fresh cranberries
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Juice from 1 orange about 3 to 4 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger (from ½-inch knob of ginger)
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, add the cranberries.
- Zest the orange and add the zest to the cranberries.
- Squeeze in the orange juice, along with all of the other ingredients.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the cranberries have burst and the sauce has reduced slightly. Give it a taste (be careful, it'll be hot!) and adjust the seasonings. You may want it to be a bit sweeter.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and discard. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill. The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Keeps in the fridge when stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Tammie-Jo says
Made this last year and it was delicious! Making again this year fir Thanksgiving. Thank you for the great recipe. I'm making today with hopes it'll be fine 3 days later to serve 🙂
Adrianna Adarme says
Oh it definitely will. This recipe holds up in the fridge like a champ!
Anna says
It looks like I can make this ahead of time, right? I'm thinking of making this tonight for tomorrow's dinner. I've never had homemade cranberry sauce so I am so excited!
Adrianna Adarme says
Definitely make this ahead of time! It heats up great, or you can serve it cold or room temp!
Theresa Johns says
Awesome post! Thank you for sharing! As a "newby" to the kitchen and a newlywed trying to hold her own this holiday (yikes!) I have a quick question for the experts! Can I buy star anise at a local whole foods store or where can I get some? Would it change the taste terribly if I didn't have it?
Adrianna Adarme says
Yes! You should be able to buy it at the normal grocery store, but if you can't find it you can skip it. The dish will still be great.
meredith s. says
I just made this last night----and it is hands down the best cranberry sauce I have ever had!! I made it for a work event this week, and I am pretty sure everyone is going to love me.
Adrianna Adarme says
Oh yayyyy!!!
Brittany says
Yes!! I loved the canned cranberry sauce as a kid and refused for SO long to try the real, homemade kind. Once I did, I'm pretty sure a choir started singing and I totally got it! I make a pretty similar recipe, too! 🙂
Tammela says
I love homemade cranberry sauce, simple like this. So sad that I can't find fresh/whole/frozen cranberries here in the UK...
Hope says
Try Morrisons... I don't know where you live but there is one in Peterborough and I saw cranberries there a few days ago... I am going tonight to buy some I hope they have them
Karla says
Yummy, I'm getting excited here! This is what I always bring to a friend's house every year, and it is always a big hit. There's something about the combination of turkey and cranberry sauce that's made in heaven. But I'll have to try incorporating brown sugar too. Orange zest really kicks it over the top! As far as the canned stuff goes...YES! The little girl in me still secretly hopes that it will be there. Along with the canned Lindsey black olives.
Jennifer says
I definitely need to attempt real cranberry sauce this year!
xo Jennifer
http://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com
Kasey says
This sounds a lot like the cranberry sauce I make every year! I also have those Heath salad plates 🙂
Holly Henderson says
I love that you consider the orange essential, I do too!
Jen @ Fresh from the... says
I never knew I loved cranberry sauce until a few years ago. I think the can glop always freaked me out as a child rather than fascinated me. Homemade is so much better and not all alien-looking! Yay!
Nicole says
PIE WEEK! YESSSSS! Getting ready to test out pie recipes for T-Day. You rock my mismatched socks! I'm excited. 🙂
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
I loved canned cranberry sauce too! Now I make my own, but there is definitely a flashback to childhood when you think of canned cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving.
Sarah says
Cranberry sauce is my favorite part of Thanksgiving. I have to make it every year! And I am so looking forward to pie week.
Emily @ Life on Food says
I got excited this week and ordered a Thanksgiving sandwich at a local deli. Thick turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce on a pretzel roll. Amazing! Yes, it definitely needed cranberry sauce. I like the classic too.
Adrianna Adarme says
Pretzel roll?! YES YES YES YES