Best Ever Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2024)

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Learn to make delicious Cranberry Sauce at home using this failproof and easy recipe. Homemade cranberry sauce with orange is amazing condiment. This simple and delightful recipe requires very few ingredients. Ginger and orange peel add a bit of zest and uniqueness to the sweet and tart notes of the Cranberry sauce!

This bright crimson sauce is a quintessential staple in holiday dinner menu. It jazzes up holiday feast for Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner with it’s beautiful color and heavenly taste. I hope you give this super easy recipe a try this holiday season! You can also use it as a topping on Baked Brie Cheese Appetizer .

Best Ever Cranberry Sauce Recipe (1)

Cranberry Preserve

Most fruits and vegetables are available year-round but cranberries aren’t. They make their appearance only through fall / winter months. This recipe is great way to preserve them for use throughout the year.

Cranberries are antioxidant-rich, healthy berries. Cranberries are excellent source of vitamin C and dietary fiber, You will want to include them regularly on your Whole Food Plant Based Menu Planning.

Store brought dried cranberries are often loaded with sugar and preservatives so be watchful. Same goes for ready made cranberry sauce. It’s always good to make these easy recipes at home as much as you can.

Our Favorite Condiment

I use this sauce as a condiment to enhance the flavors of grilled and stir fry dishes. Similar to Apple Butter Sauce, this is easy to make in Instant Pot. During the peak gardening season, I also make Peach Chutney, and Tomato Chutney to preserve the best seasonal fruit for a year long storage.

Serving and Storing Suggestions

To make your next dinner party look fancy, serve it as charcuterie style board along with crackers, other cheese and vegetables. Your guests will be impressed ! You can always top it on the toast, salad or simply eat a spoonful out of the jar.

Towards end of the cranberry season, I make this sauce in bulk and freeze it for use throughout the year. That way, I don’t need to buy it from outside. The sauce freezes well and tastes superb when thawed. I prefer to freeze it in freezer safe mason jars.

Best Ever Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2)

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

This particular cranberry sauce recipe is fool-proof. I have made it numerous times. Once cranberries start making their appearance in the store, I keep making this sauce.

Kids love scooping it out of jar. Freshly made sauce always tastes the best but preserved one gets added flavors of orange juice, orange peel and bits and pieces of ginger.

And it’s super easy to make. All you need is about 15 minutes of time to make this yummy goodness. I have also included instructions to make it in Instant Pot.

It is practically a dump and go recipe in Instant Pot and you can do it using Pot in Pot also. During frantic holiday meal preparation, things can’t get easier than that , can they?

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Ingredients

Exact measurements are listed under the recipe card below. Here’s what goes in making this sauce. This recipe is very adaptable so make necessary changes if needed.

  • Fresh cranberries – Rinse under cold water and drain it well before using
  • Sweetener – brown raw sugar, maple syrup or stevia
  • Orange juice and Water
  • Salt – just a pinch
  • Ginger root – shred it or cut into tiny pieces
  • Orange peel ( bite size pieces) or orange zest

Best Ever Cranberry Sauce Recipe (4)

How to make

Combine sugar (or stevia), orange juice, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar dissolve completely.

Add cranberries, ginger pieces and orange peel and salt. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Continue cooking, for about 10 minutes, or until all or most of the cranberries have popped. Using the wooden spatula mash the cooked cranberries a few times so they form a jelly like texture.

Let cool completely for least 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

Making cranberry sauce in Instant Pot is super easy. Combine all ingredients including water and add them in InstantPot. Stir well. Close the lid. Choose Manual at High Pressure for 1 minute. After it beeps when done, allow for NPR- Natural Pressure Release. Open lid carefully.

Click cancel and then press the Sauté button. Stir and break the cranberries with a wooden spoon. Stir well till you get thick cranberry sauce. Remove the main insert after done. The sauce will thicken a bit more after it’s cooled off. Let cool completely for least 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Best Ever Cranberry Sauce Recipe (5)

Thanksgiving Dinner Side Dish

Thanksgiving is almost here and I am sure everyone is looking around for delicious and crowd pleaser recipes to impress your guests. This is vegan, gluten free, nut free and soy free recipe.

If you haven’t already, do check out some off beat / Vegan and low carb recipes we have to make your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner an unforgettable event.

All these recipes are Whole Food Plant Based and easy to make and tried and tested in our kitchen.

Our Favorite Holiday Recipes for Easy Entertaining

  • Whole Roasted Cauliflower
  • Crispy Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
  • Wild Rice Pilaf Stuffing
  • Vegan Carrot Almond Pudding
  • Vegan Creamed Spinach
  • Savory Sweet Potato Hash
  • Mulled Apple Cider
  • Curried Butternut Squash Soup
  • Vegan Apple Crisp

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If you make this CRANBERRY SAUCE RECIPE do let us know how you like it by star rating it and leaving a comment below.

Best Ever Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Prajakta Sukhatme

Best Ever Cranberry Sauce is easy and delightful. Spiced with ginger and orange peel, it is the best and unique recipe for perfect Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner.

4.88 from 16 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Condiments

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 93 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 bag - 12 oz. fresh cranberries rinsed and drained
  • ¾ cup brown raw sugar or stevia
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ½ cup water
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 inch ginger root cut into tiny pieces
  • 2 Tablespoons orange peel chopped into bite size pieces or 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest - Optional but highly recommended

Instructions

Stove Top Method to make Cranberry Sauce

  • Combine sugar (or stevia), orange juice, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar dissolve completely.

  • Add cranberries, ginger and salt. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.

  • Add orange peel or orange zest. Continue cooking, for about 10 minutes, or until all or most of the cranberries have popped.

  • Let cool completely for least 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.Can be stored in freezer for extended periods of time.

Instant Pot Method to Make Cranberry Sauce

  • Combine all ingredients including water and add them in InstantPot. Stir well.

  • Close the lid. Choose Manual at High Pressure for 1 minute. After it beeps when done, allow for NPR- Natural Presure Release. Open lid carefully.

  • Click cancel and then the Sauté button. Stir and break the cranberries with a wooden spoon. Stir well till you get thick cranberry sauce. Remove the main insert after done. The sauce will thicken a bit more after it's cooled off.

  • Let cool completely for least 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be stored in freezer for extended periods of time. Enjoy !

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 24gSodium: 23mgFiber: 2gSugar: 20g

Did you make this recipe?Mention @ProfusionCurry or tag #ProfusionCurry!

Best Ever Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What takes the bitterness out of cranberry sauce? ›

"Instead, start by stirring in one tablespoon maple syrup and one teaspoon of a sweet drink like apple juice, orange juice, or fruity white or red wine. Add more to taste. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (in small amounts, it intensifies sweetness)."

How to improve cranberry sauce? ›

Spirits are a wonderful addition to cranberry sauce, but remember that a little goes a long way. Go with spirits and fortified wines used to make other sauces, and start with port, sherry, madeira, marsala, sweet vermouth, or even bourbon. Add it to your sauce a teaspoon at a time until you get the flavor you want.

What thickens cranberry sauce? ›

Sugar helps the thickening process, and while it's nice to try to keep your cranberry sauce from being too sugary sweet, you will need at least some sugar to make it work well (about 1/2 cup sugar per 12-ounce bag of cranberries).

Why do you open cranberry sauce upside down? ›

But why? Ocean Spray says this is to get the cranberry sauce out in one intact piece. “The rounded part of the can that looks like the bottom has an air bubble in it,” Ocean Spray's representative explains. The bubble is there so you can “break the seal the sauce makes with the can.”

Why do my cranberries taste bitter? ›

Cranberries are generally considered safe whether they are cooked or raw. However, because of their notoriously bitter, sharp taste, most people prefer not to eat them raw or unsweetened. This bitterness is due to the high tannin content of cranberries.

Why is my homemade cranberry sauce runny? ›

You must cook the sauce for at least 10 minutes at a full boil for the pectin to react with the sugar and create the proper gelled texture. It is also important to let the cranberry sauce cool at room temperature. Moving it to the refrigerator too soon may also affect the gel.

What does eating cranberry sauce do for you? ›

The great amount of antioxidants found in cranberries, such as proanthocyanidins, could help lower your chance of getting cancer. However, more research is needed to confirm this. Cranberries have two big benefits for heart health: lowering blood pressure and improving cholesterol.

What makes cranberry juice taste better? ›

If you'd prefer, you could use simple syrup, coconut sugar, cane sugar, sugar-free sweetener, maple syrup, or raw honey. You could also omit the added sugar and make an unsweetened cranberry juice if you'd prefer. Fresh Citrus: oranges and lemons add sweet and acid to balance the cranberries tartness.

What if I add too much water to cranberry sauce? ›

What to do if the cranberry sauce is too thin or loose. If you inadvertently added too much water, simply bring the cranberry sauce back to the stove top and bring it to a low boil, cooking it down just a bit to help thicken it up.

How do you fix too sweet cranberry sauce? ›

Cranberry sauce is supposed to be a balance of sweet and tart. The sauce acts as a cleansing port in a tumultuous storm of fat and salt, but the effect is lost if the sauce is too sweet. Luckily, there is a very easy way to fix an over-sugared homemade sauce: You just need a little citric acid.

Does homemade cranberry sauce thicken when it cools? ›

Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Why is my homemade cranberry sauce not thickening? ›

One possibility is that you may not have used enough sugar: Sugar helps the sauce firm up, so be sure to use the full amount called for in a recipe. Another possibility is that the cranberries need to boil for longer, releasing their pectin and ensuring a jelly consistency.

What cancels out tartness? ›

How Do You Neutralize Sour Taste in Food? If a dish is too sour, add a little bit of sugar! Sweetness balances out sour flavors, so if something makes your mouth pucker, a dash of sugar may help soften the blow of the sour food.

Why is my cranberry sauce seedy? ›

Why is my cranberry sauce so seedy? Cranberries do have seeds inside them. Sometimes, when using frozen cranberries, if it does not cook long enough, the seeds may not break down. This can cause the sauce to taste seedy.

How do you sweeten bitter cranberry juice? ›

Add agave nectar to the cranberry citrus mixture to your taste. I started with 1/2 cup and ended up with 1 cup of nectar to the 9 cups of juice. You could also use 1/2 cup of white sugar or 1/2 cup of honey for this. Just taste test as you go to achieve your desired sweetness.

What can I do with bitter cranberries? ›

That said, the best way to tackle fruits that are way too tart is to balance their sourness with sweetness. In addition to softening their abrasiveness, tossing any unbearably bitter berries with sugar can also heighten nuanced flavors.

How do you counteract bitterness in juice? ›

Sure, you can add pineapple, agave nectar, or other sweet ingredients to cover up the bitterness of greens. But if you're looking for an easy, less sugary way to balance the flavor, add lemon or lime.

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