Say goodbye to canned cranberries, and hello to the real deal! You’re about to impress everyone around the dinner table with fresh cranberry sauce! It not only is delicious, but cranberry sauce is also such an easy side dish to make for the holidays. You only need 3 ingredients and 15 minutes to make this delicious homemade cranberry sauce!
Despite its ease, it can go wrong really fast and you can be left with making a face as if you ate an entire lemon. I finally have found the right measurements to make this cranberry sauce not too sweet, yet not too tart. Scroll down to find the recipe!
Once you try this recipe, you’ll want to make this cranberry sauce a permanent staple alongside your homemade turkey and stuffing!
The secret ingredient?
Oranges!
This cranberry sauce adds a little zest to it, using oranges. The oranges balance out the tartness from the cranberries. I like to make orange juice homemade for extra freshness. I also like the little bit of pulp that goes into the sauce. If you are short on time, buying orange juice will do the trick. But make sure to buy an orange to grate for the zest on top!
How many servings?
This recipe uses two 12 ounce bags of cranberries, which will happily feed at least 15 people. One bag just doesn’t cut it in my family! We love to have leftovers and cranberry sauce is even better the longer it sits.
How long does it last?
Store cranberry sauce up to one week in the fridge. It will thicken up the longer it sits too.
No sugar? No problem!
Adding sugar in this recipe is simply to cut out the tartness. If you are wanting to cut back on the sugar in your diet, feel free to add less sugar. Just remember, less sugar is going to bring out more of the tartness. You can also substitute 1/2 cup honey instead of the sugar.
Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 12 oz bag cranberries fresh
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup and 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- orange zest
Instructions
- Place cranberries into a cooking pot.
- Add sugar, orange juice, and orange zest over the cranberries.
- Stir over low-medium heat for 10 minutes, until cranberries are nearly all popped. Stir frequently. If you desire, use spoon or potato masher to pop all remaining berries.
- Pour into serving bowl, cover, and let chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours until completely cooled.
- Add orange zest on top for decoration if desired.
Notes
- If you prefer a less pronounced orange flavor, you can substitute 1/2 cup of orange juice for 1/2 cup water instead. The orange juice adds a really nice bout of sweetness to balance out the tartness from the cranberries
- Try to refrain from grating the white portion of the orange peel, as that may cause the sauce to taste bitter
- Cranberry sauce is best when left overnight to chill
2 Comments
I am going to make this for my next family holiday dinner. This cranberry sauce looks delicious and the photos are mouth water!! Thank you
I am going to make this for my next family holiday dinner. This cranberry sauce looks delicious and the photos are mouth watering!! Thank you