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A simple homemade recipe for Fresh Cranberry Sauce, with only 5 ingredients and ready in 15 minutes. This perfectly sweetened and slightly tart sauce will be your new go to for holiday meals!
I've come to figure out that you either love cranberries or hate them. At least that is the way it is in this house. We are a split household when it comes to cranberries. Half of us love them, the others are scouring with despise when they see me making them. For the ones, that love them, this recipe is their favorite! I happen to love them, and I could smear this sauce on almost anything! And, of course eat it as is. If you are a cranberry lover, this recipe is a must try!
5 Simple Ingredients for Cranberry Sauce
Can I use frozen cranberries?
Absolutely! I suggest thawing them before hand. Then just follow the recipe as written.
Do I have to use orange juice?
No, if you prefer a different juice or even water you could use that. I prefer to use orange juice, because it pairs well with cranberries. However, if you want you could use water, but the sauce won't be as sweet it will be a bit more tart. You also could use apple juice, and the sauce will have a bit different flavor profile but will still be good.
How to Make Fresh Cranberry Sauce from Scratch
Step 1: Combine the Ingredients
Add all the ingredients to a medium sized pot and turn the heat on to medium.
Step 2: Cook the Sauce
Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce has started to thicken and most of the berries have popped open.
Step 3: Cool
Remove cinnamon stick and let the sauce cool completely. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
Step 4: Serve or Chill
Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Seriously, that's it! So simple, yet so delicious. Well, that's if you are on side cranberry love. I sure am! Need another recipe to use fresh cranberries? Try my Fresh Cranberry Pumpkin Bread recipe.
How to Store Cranberry Sauce
Store in a tightly covered container in the fridge. This sauce can be made 4-5 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.
More Holiday Side Dishes to Love!
- Roasted Garlic Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes
- Easy Roasted Carrots
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Broccoli
- Honey Garlic Glazed Carrots
- Garlic Parmesan Sautéed Asparagus
- Homemade French Bread
For all the cranberry lovers, give this Fresh Cranberry Sauce Recipe a try and let me know how much it's enjoyed in the comments below! Pictures encouraged on Instagram with the hashtag #heathershomemadekitchen You can also follow me on Social Media to see what other crazy things my family and I are doing! If you like what you see, please share with your friends and family!
Don’t forget to pin the recipe for later!
Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Instructions
- In a medium size pot, add all the ingredients.
- Over medium heat bring the sauce to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the sauce has started to thicken and most of the berries have popped.
- Remove from heat and remove the cinnamon stick.
- Let the sauce cool completely. It will thicken more as it cools.
- Serve at room temperature or chill tightly covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
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