Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Easy recipe for homemade cranberry sauce! Whole berry or jellied, with only 3 ingredients. Keep it simple or jazz it up with add-ins!
*This post originally published on November 20, 2013. I thought it was due for an update! So, I’ve included new photos, added a how-to video, and given some more detailed instructions and tips for success. Hopefully you’ll enjoy this cranberry sauce recipe as much I do!*
I’m working furiously to get all the best Thanksgiving dinner recipes up before the holiday! Have you noticed?
In the last few weeks, I’ve shared my favorite Pumpkin Pie recipe, a fabulous recipe for soft Homemade Crescent Rolls, and our go-to Pecan Pie.
And today I’m so excited to bring you this easy homemade cranberry sauce.
Have you ever thought about making cranberry sauce from scratch? In my family, we always just had the canned kind. Honestly, I thought it tasted pretty good!
But as I started to learn more about cooking, I realized how simple and quick it is to make it homemade. It’s only 3 ingredients! And it takes less than an hour!
So worth it to have a homemade dish on your holiday table! Plus this is just so pretty, don’t you think?
WHAT IS CRANBERRY SAUCE?
Cranberry sauce is an easy side dish that’s often served at holiday meals, along with roast turkey and dressing. It’s made with just a few simple ingredients, and only requires about 5 minutes of prep.
What does it taste like?
Cranberry sauce has a tart & tangy, fruity berry flavor, with a slight bitter edge. It’s a great compliment to rich foods because the natural acidity sort of cleanses the palate and provides a counterpoint to all the savoriness.
HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY SAUCE FROM FRESH BERRIES
You are going to love how easy it is to make your own cranberry sauce.
All you have to do is simmer the whole cranberries in a pot with some water and sugar. After a little while, you’ll notice that the berries have burst and the juices look thick and syrupy.
If you like a chunkier, whole-berry sauce, you can stop right there! Just transfer it to an airtight container and pop it in the fridge to chill.
But if you’re like my family, and you prefer the smooth, jellied cranberry sauce, there’s one more simple step. Just pass the mixture through a food mill or strain it with a sieve, discarding the pulp.
HOW TO THICKEN HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE
You don’t need to add anything extra to thicken this. There’s no pectin or gelatin or anything like that required!
Fresh cranberries already naturally contain everything needed to thicken up and gel. Just let it boil for a good 40 or 50 minutes, and it will reduce by about 30%. The cranberry sauce will thicken even more and become solid as it cools.
IS CRANBERRY SAUCE GLUTEN-FREE/VEGAN?
This cranberry sauce has just 3 simple ingredients, and not one of them contains a single trace of gluten or dairy.
It’s completely gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan, so you can rest assured that everyone at your holiday feast can enjoy!
HOW TO SERVE CRANBERRY SAUCE
Cranberry sauce can be served chilled or at room temperature.
It’s most widely known as a Thanksgiving side dish. It provides the perfect bright and tangy contrast to turkey, stuffing, gravy, and all those other rich foods. I like to dab a little on every bite, like a condiment!
But you can totally eat this all year round. It’s great served with Swedish meatballs, roast chicken, salmon, or meat loaf!
Whether you go the whole berry or jellied route, you can keep it pure and simple, or jazz it up and make it your own. Some great add-ins might include:
- the zest of an orange
- a cinnamon stick
- a few slices of fresh ginger
- a finely minced jalapeno pepper
- a handful of toasted pecans
- some crunchy diced apple or pear
- a little chopped red onion
Or anything else your heart desires! The options are limitless.
CAN CRANBERRY SAUCE BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?
If you’re looking to get ahead on your Thanksgiving meal prep, this is a great dish for making ahead.
Once it’s cooked and fully cooled, cover it tightly and keep it refrigerated. See below for more info on how long it is good for.
HOW LONG WILL HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE KEEP?
This homemade cranberry sauce should stay good at room temperature for at least a few hours, and it will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Or you can freeze it! Place it in an airtight container, and it should last for a couple of months in the freezer. (Be aware that as it thaws it may give off some juice. If it’s too watery, just drain away any excess liquid.)
Give this homemade cranberry sauce a try! It’s so easy, and looks so much prettier than canned!
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Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 30 ounces (850.49 g) cranberries, , fresh
- 2 1/2 cups (500 g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups (591.47 g) water
Instructions
- Place the cranberries, sugar, and water in a large pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a low boil.
- Continue to boil, stirring, until the cranberry sauce is reduced by about a third (approx. 40 to 50 minutes.
- Pass the sauce through a food mill (optional- if making smooth cranberry sauce).
- Discard the pulp and pour the liquid into a lightly greased 3-cup capacity bundt pan.
- Chill for 4 hours (or overnight).
If you like the pulp in it can you still place in bundt pan to congeal & serve? This is beautiful & I would love to try it!
You can if you like! So happy you like it!
Have you tried doing this with a sugar substitute like stevia or maple syrup/honey?
I have not, but if you use a sweetener that can sub 1:1 for sugar it should work fine. Good luck!
Could you can this after cooking?
Yes! Be sure to use sterile jars. Good luck!
l made this for the first time today. l cooked it for 50-60 minutes and it immediately set up. I just tasted it after cooling and its amazing! LOVE it. l’ll experiment with adding orange peel for the first 20 minutes and removing it the next time l make it. Perfect!
Yay!
Could I use frozen berries for this?
I think that would work!
I made this and it does not come out of the mold solid but more like a thick sauce. Probably needs gelatin.
You just need to boil it a little longer! I hope you didn’t throw it away because it’s still salvageable.
I can’t get my Cranberry sauce solid enough to take out of the bundt pan!! help
Just boil it a little longer! I have had this happen myself. You can just put it back in the pot and give it another 10 minutes or so at a full, rolling boil. Good luck!
I’ve made this two years in a row and while it tastes amazing, it doesn’t hold shape. I do run it through the food mill. Any ideas?
I would try cooking it a bit longer- you want it to be reduced down to 1/3 of its original volume. Good luck!
I usually add about a tsp of vanilla,
a tsp cinnamon, and juice from 2 cuties (tend to be a bit sweeter than regular navel oranges). Do you think that little bit of juice will hinder the molding? I also keep it half jellied half berried. Also, I saw a couple of inquiries about using honey but no answer. I have only used white sugar, but honey, or even brown sugar sounds interesting. Has anyone tried either? Don’t want to ruin the molding process. Can’t wait to try this piece of art. Thank you all and Happy Holidays!
You can add more liquid to it but you’ll probably need to cook it a little longer to reduce it down to what it needs to be. Feel free to play around with the sweetener as well. Good luck!
This looks delicious! I may try it with coconut sugar or honey, as I don’t eat regular sugar.
I have a question. Have you even tried making this with honey or coconut sugar?
What do you grease the bundt pan with?
Hey Ashley! I typically just use non-stick spray. Like a canola oil or something similar. Good luck!