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Introducing the ultimate easy homemade cranberry sauce! It is an absolute must-have for your Thanksgiving feast. This cranberry sauce is easy to prepare and can conveniently be made in advance. With the addition of zesty orange peel and juicy mandarin oranges, this sauce achieves a perfect harmony that beautifully complements the cranberries. The result is a balanced sauce that’s simply incredible! Trust me, this cranberry sauce is sure to become a cherished tradition at your Thanksgiving table. Don’t miss out on this holiday essential!
Why You Will Love This Cranberry Sauce
- This homemade cranberry sauce is easy to make!
- The addition of orange zest and mandarin oranges add so much flavor.
- It is such a great addition to a Thanksgiving feast.
- This cranberry sauce can be made sugar-free.
- You can make it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator.
- This cranberry sauce has the perfect balance of sweetness.
Ingredients Needed
- Cranberries: Use one bag of fresh cranberries.
- Mandarin Oranges: One small can of mandarin oranges add a citrusy and bright flavor.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt to enhance the flavors.
- Water: To make this cranberry sauce the ideal consistency.
- Cinnamon: Add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for flavor.
- Orange Zest: Brightens the sauce and complements the flavor of the cranberries.
- Vanilla: Add vanilla extract for flavor.
- Sweetener: Use your sweetener of choice or a sugar-free sweetener to sweeten this sauce.
How To Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Step 1: First, zest an orange. Then, add the fresh cranberries, drained mandarin oranges, salt, water, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, orange zest, vanilla extract, and sweetener of choice to a saucepan.
Step 2: Let the ingredients in the saucepan simmer, stir occasionally, and mash the cranberries once they start to crack.
Step 3: Then, let the sauce refrigerate overnight in an airtight container and enjoy!
What To Serve With Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is a classic that’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday celebrations. Here are some of our favorite ways to serve this cranberry sauce.
- With Turkey: Serve this cranberry sauce alongside roasted turkey or our turkey stuffing meatballs!
- Chicken, Ham, or Pork: This sauce is also delicious with chicken, ham, and pork.
- Holiday Side Dish: Serve it alongside holiday sides such as mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, or green bean casserole.
- Toast: Think of this cranberry sauce as a jam that can be spread on toast and bread. Or, add it to a turkey sandwich!
- Greek Yogurt: Enjoy leftover cranberry sauce with Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
- Ice Cream: It’s delicious warmed up over ice cream.
Expert Tips
- How To Sweeten Cranberry Sauce: Use your sweetener of choice for this recipe. Some options include sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or your favorite sugar-free sweetener.
- Make Ahead: You can make this cranberry sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator so it is ready to go.
- Crush The Cranberries: Once the cranberries start to crack, mash them with a potato masher or leave them as is.
- Refrigerate Overnight: It is best to let this sauce refrigerate overnight before enjoying it. Refrigerating it allows the flavors to intensify.
- Add The Orange: There is no orange juice in this recipe. Instead, we added mandarin oranges and orange zest for the ultimate depth of flavor in this sauce.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate: Store cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. We love using leftover cranberry sauce to make these easy cranberry overnight oats!
Freeze: You can store this cranberry sauce in the freezer. Let it cool, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for 2-3 months.
Variations
- Sugar-Free Version: To make this cranberry sauce sugar-free, use brown monk fruit or your favorite 1:1 sugar-free sweetener.
- Honey: You can sweeten this cranberry sauce with honey instead of brown sugar for a different flavor profile. Honey nicely complements the flavors in this cranberry sauce.
- Holiday Flavor: Add a pinch of ground nutmeg, cloves, and ginger for a spiced, holiday-inspired flavor.
- Add Spice: For a kick of heat, add a finely diced jalapeño.
- Chopped Nuts: Add chopped walnuts or pecans for some crunch. Stir them in just before serving to prevent them from getting soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cranberry Sauce Have A Lot Of Sugar?
Most store-bought cranberry sauces have a lot of sugar! This homemade cranberry sauce can be made sugar-free with a sugar-free sweetener.
Can Cranberry Sauce Be Made Ahead Of Time?
Yes, the great thing about this homemade cranberry sauce is that it can be made ahead of time! We love making it a few days before Thanksgiving or whenever we want to enjoy it so it is ready to go. It is best to refrigerate cranberry sauce overnight or for at least 2 hours before serving.
How Long Does Homemade Cranberry Sauce Last?
Homemade cranberry orange sauce will last up to one week in the fridge when stored in an airtight container.
Can You Freeze Homemade Cranberry Sauce?
Yes, homemade cranberry sauce can be frozen. Let it cool before freezing it. It will last up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Is Cranberry Sauce Gluten-Free?
Yes, our homemade cranberry sauce is naturally gluten-free.
Is Cranberry Sauce Vegan?
Yes, this cranberry sauce recipe is naturally vegan.
More Recipes To Try Next!
- The Best Healthy Pumpkin Pie
- Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
- Easy Sugar Free Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Homemade Slow Cooker Apple Butter
- Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Homemade Pumpkin Bagels
- Cheesy Smashed Potatoes Recipe
- Chocolate Cranberry Muffins
If you try this recipe please be sure to leave us a comment and star rating ★★★★★ letting us know how it turns out for you.
EASY HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 11 ounces no sugar added mandarin oranges
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 1 – 1 ½ teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1:1 sugar-free sweetener, or sweetener of choice
Instructions
- Zest the orange. Then, drain the no sugar added mandarin oranges.
- Add the fresh cranberries, drained mandarin oranges, salt, water, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, orange zest, vanilla extract, and sweetener of choice to a saucepan.
- Let the ingredients simmer in the saucepan over low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. After that, the cranberries will start to crack. Mash them with a potato masher until the desired consistency is achieved or leave them whole. Let the sauce simmer for 3-5 more minutes.
- Let the sauce cool at room temperature or place it in the refrigerator before serving. We like to refrigerate the sauce overnight.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze leftover cranberry sauce for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a delicious, easy and healthy recipe for cranberry sauce! It’s now my go-to recipe when I have fresh cranberries. I only had a larger can of mandarin oranges, so used the entire can….no problems with the end result! The leftovers were used in my morning oatmeal. Thank you!
Hi Kathy, thank you so much for letting us know! We are so glad the cranberry sauce turned out great, it makes us so happy to hear! 🙂 I love the idea of putting some in oatmeal that sounds delicious! Thank you for the support!