This fresh Cranberry Sauce recipe is made with just a few ingredients and so good! Fresh cranberries, orange juice, sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Perfect for the holiday season to accompany turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. This easy recipe takes 10 minutes!

cranberry sauce

I may earn commissions for purchases made through links on this post.

HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE

I’m not a fan of cranberry sauce in the can so I thought maybe making it from scratch would change my mind. It did! The orange with the cranberry compliment each other so much and it’s way better than the canned stuff.

I’ve never thought of cranberry sauce as a must at my Thanksgiving table but now I do.

cranberries in a bowl

INGREDIENTS

This delicious homemade cranberry sauce is made with basic ingredients you can find at the grocery store.

  • whole cranberries
  • white sugar – you can adjust the amount of sugar to your personal preference.
  • fresh orange juice
  • orange zest – For stronger orange flavor use more orange zest.
  • vanilla
  • nutmeg
  • cinnamon cranberries in a bowl

CAN I MAKE THIS AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes. You can make this up to one week ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

LEFTOVERS

This perfect cranberry sauce is great on leftover turkey sandwiches.

OTHER THANKSGIVING RECIPES:

Cranberry Sauce

5 from 5 votes
This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is a must at your Thanksgiving meal or holiday table. This cranberry relish has a little cinnamon and orange peel which make it the perfect complement to your Thanksgiving day. Way better than a can of cranberry sauce.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
  • 3/4 cup sugar, (or less sugar to taste)
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • pinch cinnamon and nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan, bring all of the ingredients to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes over medium-high heat or until cranberries burst. Let cool. Chill in the fridge until serving. Store leftover cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge.
Course: All Recipes
Author: Christy Denney
cranberry sauce
author avatar
Christy Denney
Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!
See Full Bio