Cranberry Sauce

This homemade cranberry sauce is the perfect way to impress your guests at Thanksgiving dinner! Easy to make with just 5 simple ingredients!

Course Condiments, Sauces

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 24

Servings servings

Calories 78

Author Dorothy Bigelow

Ingredients

12 oz fresh cranberries about 3 ⅔ cups
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar plus 1 tablespoon (for adding to the cooked sauce)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice about half of 1 large orange
Zest of 1 orange approximately 1 tbsp
¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
Additional orange zest for serving (optional)

Instructions

Combine the water and white sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the fresh cranberries, salt, and orange juice and bring to a simmer (you won’t see large bubbles at first, but the cranberries will begin to crack and you will see lots of small bubbles)
Reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 12-14 minutes, stirring often, or until the berries burst open and break down into sauce.
Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Taste and adjust the amount of salt to your liking (add a little at a time until the flavors are bright and pronounced).
Cool before serving (it will thicken with cooling). Garnish with additional orange zest (and/or a cinnamon stick) if desired.

Notes

Yields: About 2 ½ - 3 cups

Using maple syrup: Swap the sugar and water for 1 - 1 ¼ cups of pure maple syrup. After cooking, taste and add more if more sweetness is desired.

Storage: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Freezing: Transfer to freezer-safe containers or freezer bags. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.

Without sugar: Substitute the sugar for your favorite that measures 1-to-1 with sugar. Be sure to add salt to taste.

Make ahead: You can prepare this sauce up to 3 days in advance if preparing it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. Just be sure to keep it refrigerated.

Nutrition