Description
This homemade cranberry sauce is a vibrant, sweet-tart holiday side dish made with fresh cranberries, orange juice, and cinnamon. Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s a simple yet flavorful addition to Thanksgiving or Christmas meals.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup water
- 12 oz fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked through
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 piece of orange peel
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, orange juice, and water. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the cranberries, salt, cinnamon stick, and orange peel to the saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.
- Continue cooking for about 10 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have popped. Leave a few whole for texture if desired.
- Remove from heat and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. For best flavor, make 1–3 days in advance.
Notes
- Use frozen cranberries if fresh are unavailable — no need to thaw.
- The sauce thickens as it cools, so don’t overcook.
- Adjust sweetness by adding more sugar or orange juice to taste.
- Can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Pairs perfectly with turkey, pork, or over baked brie.
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 21g
- Sodium: 2mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg