Cranberry Sauce, with its ruby red color and its sweet-tart flavor, is a staple on almost all tables for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner when a turkey is involved.
I will show you a basic recipe for cranberry sauce and many variations to make it your own. We love cranberry sauce here; it is a side dish that is never forgotten. And if you have leftover cranberry sauce then make these amazing Cranberry Brie Tarts!!
Cranberries are a beloved berry here at Noshing With The Nolands, not only in sauces but also in baking, cooking, and cocktails. Some of our favorites are these Cranberry Lemon Bars or a Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail. Plus, a show-stopper of a dessert is this Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake.
Helpful Items for This Recipe
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small portion from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you.
What is a Cranberry?
Cranberries are actually not berries but in a class of false berries or epigynous. They are a close cousin to blueberries. Berries are produced from the ovary of the flower, but cranberries grow beneath the flower and also mature along with the flower.
Cranberries are grown in bogs or marshes and are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines. They are very popular in North America as they are native here.
They don’t actually grow in water, though, but water plays a helpful hand in harvesting them. The bogs or marshes are flooded, and the cranberries float to the top once they are cut from their vines. This happens because cranberries have four little pockets of air that help them float.
Cranberries are a superfood, and most people have them in a sauce or juice, but there is the risk of high sugar when consuming these, as cranberries are naturally very tart.
They are considered to be heart-healthy, good for slowing cancer progression, and in treating urinary tract infections. Drinking the juice is not effective compared to taking an oral capsule of cranberry extract, but it is nice to know that you are consuming something that is healthy that you also love. You can read MORE here.
How Do You Make Cranberry Sauce From Scratch?
Ingredients
Simple ingredients that you may have on hand. We tend to almost always have cranberries in the freezer as we love to use them at any time of the year.
Cranberries, fresh or frozen
White sugar
Water
I have always made homemade cranberry sauce and have never used canned. It is just so easy to make and can be made days ahead of time also.
Stir all the ingredients together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add additions if using.
Bring to a boil raising the heat to medium-high or high heat if needed, and continue to cook for 10 minutes boiling or until almost all of the cranberries have burst. You may want to reduce back down to a lower heat but keep it boiling.
Let cool for 30 minutes and then transfer to a bowl or serving dish and cover and refrigerate. The cranberries will thicken as it cools.
Cranberry sauce can be made 3 days in advance, keeping them refrigerated.
Can you Use Fresh or Frozen Cranberries?
You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries to make a cranberry sauce; they both work equally as well. I tend to use fresh if they look good or refer to a frozen product if not, as they are frozen at their peak of freshness.
Cranberry sauce is naturally gluten-free, so you don’t have to make a special recipe for everyone to enjoy this side dish.
Cranberry Sauce Variations
Here are some wonderful variations or ideas to add to your cranberries before or after cooking them. Should cranberries be served warm or cold? I think always cold or at least room temperature.
I honestly have never had a warm cranberry sauce, but I have had cranberry chutneys like our Cranberry Pear Almond Chutney; this makes a great gift also for the holidays as you can preserve it. A Cranberry Relish or Cranberry Salsa are other great recipes too.
Try adding in some of these additions the next time you make cranberry sauce.
Fresh fruit like pineapple, pears, apples, and oranges. Try 1/2 cup first to see if you like it. Add in before or after cooking.
Change the white sugar to brown sugar or reduce the sugar and add maple syrup or honey.
Orange zest is delicious. Zest one orange or about 2 tsp, making sure not to add in the pith. Add in before cooking.
Orange juice, substitute half the water for 1/2 cup of orange juice.
Orange liqueur like Grand Marnier, add a tablespoon at the beginning of cooking.
Nuts, add in 1/2 cup pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc. Add in toasted nuts after cooking.
Dried fruits, chopped-up dates, figs, raisins, cranberries, cherries, and apricots will add texture and flavor. Add at the beginning of cooking.
Spices, add in a dash of nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon to taste before cooking.
What Do You Eat Cranberry Sauce With?
Well, number one is a roast turkey, of course, but there are other ways to enjoy cranberry sauce.
Have you tried cranberry sauce on toast in the morning? It is basically a jam and can be treated like one.
On a sandwich, you probably have had it with your leftover turkey, but it is also great on a chicken sandwich or a ham sandwich too.
Make up a pan of sliders and use it as a condiment. You will be loving these well after the day has gone, especially if you freeze some cranberries or cranberry sauce for a later date like game day.
Have you had cranberry sauce or a melting warm brie? It will be gobbled down as it goes excellent with the rich, creamy brie cheese. Or serve it up with a cheese or charcuterie board. The sweet tartness of cranberry sauce is excellent with many types of deli meats too.
Flavor dairy items like yogurt and whipped cream, or blend them into a creamy, decadent milkshake. They will all turn a pretty pink color naturally.
Use it as a glaze for BBQ chicken or roast chicken. Add some to your favorite BBQ sauce. It would also be excellent with pork.
Use it in place of cinnamon in rolls or bars, as in these delicious cranberry bars.
Enjoy these berries and use them more often than just on your Thanksgiving table. I hope I have introduced you to new and exciting ways to enjoy the wonderful cranberry and see all the great benefits it has not only for your health but for a delicious diet too.
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Basic Cranberry Sauce with Variations
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups 12 oz. bag cranberries
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of water
Instructions
- Stir ingredients together in a small saucepan. Add additions if using.
- Bring to a boil, and on a high simmer, cook for 10 minutes or until almost all of the cranberries have burst.
- Let cool for 30 minutes, and then cover and refrigerate. The cranberries will thicken and gel with cooling.
- Cranberry sauce can be made 3 days in advance, keeping it refrigerated.
Additions:
- Fresh fruit like pineapple, apples, and oranges. Try 1/2 cup first to see if you like it. Add in before or after cooking.
- Orange zest, zest of one orange or about 2 tsp. Add in before cooking.
- Orange juice, substitute half the water for orange juice.
- Orange liqueur like Grand Marnier, add a tablespoon at the beginning of cooking.
- Nuts, add in 1/2 cup pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc. Add in toasted nuts after cooking.
- Dried fruits, chopped-up dates, figs, raisins, cranberries, cherries, and apricots will add texture and flavor. Add at the beginning of cooking.
- Spices, add in a dash of nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon to taste before cooking.
Comments & Reviews
Heather says
SO EASY AMD DELICIOUS! I’ve been making this recipe for years and everyone loves it. I exchange half of the water with orange juice. This year, I’m exchanging half of the white sugar with brown sugar. Try your own twists, but this basic recipe is so solid.
Ken Noland says
Thanks so much for sharing with us!