Homemade Cranberry Sauce
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Complete your Thanksgiving feast with this tangy and sweet Homemade Cranberry Sauce. A must have Thanksgiving side dish. Made with fresh cranberries, pineapple and orange juice, lemon zest and coconut sugar. The perfect balance between sweet and tangy. Best compliment to that juicy and tender Thanksgiving turkey.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
What’s a greatly cooked Thanksgiving turkey without a delicious, sweet and tangy cranberry sauce? I make my homemade cranberry sauce every year and everyone goes crazy for it. They absolutely love it! It is the perfect combination of tangy and sweet and pairs up lovely with a juicy and tender turkey.
It is also a better option to store-bought cranberry sauce. Much healthier and much fresher option. It doesn’t end there though, it is also extremely easy and quick to make. I always make it the night before so that it has plenty of time to cool-off and gets refrigerated overnight. Just take it out the next day and serve it next to your awesomely decorated turkey.
Ingredients needed to make Homemade Cranberry Sauce:
- Fresh Cranberries– You can also use frozen cranberries, you will have to simmer sauce a bit longer.
- Pineapple Juice– Adds sweetness and flavor.
- Orange Juice– Compliments the flavors.
- Lemon Zest– Adds depth to the flavor.
- Coconut Sugar– For sweetness. You can also use maple syrup.
Equipment needed to make Homemade Cranberry Sauce:
- Medium Saucepan– To simmer homemade cranberry sauce in.
- Spatula– For stirring.
- Wide Mouth Mason Jar– For storing sauce in.
How to make Homemade Cranberry Sauce:
- Step 1– Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place saucepan on stovetop turning to high heat. Bring to a boil.
- Step 2– Once ingredients are boiling, bring heat down to low. Give it a stir making sure ingredients are well combined. Cover saucepan and allow sauce to simmer for 10 minutes. At this point most cranberries should have started bursting and reducing.
- Step 3– Uncover sauce and it still should look liquidly. Turn heat back up to high and leave pot uncovered.
- Step 4– Allow sauce to come to a boil once again. At this point it will start thickening up. Keep to boiling for 5-8 minutes. Once all the cranberries have reduced and dissolved and the sauce has thicken, turn heat off and remove sauce from stovetop so it can cool-down. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools-down. Leave sauce uncovered.
- Step 5– Once sauce has completely cooled-off place in a wide mouth mason jar. Or any container with a tight-lid.
- Step 6– Place in the fridge overnight or for a 2-4 hours before serving so that it’s nice and chilled. Keep refrigerated for up to 7 days.
Tips and Substitutions:
- If there are some cranberries that don’t get reduced or dissolved- Use a fork or potato masher to mash cranberries down.
- Garnish cranberry sauce with orange zest- Once you serve your cranberry sauce, garnish it with some orange zest. The contrast between the red and orange colors is so pretty and will make your table look so festive.
- Store cranberry sauce in a mason jar- It will keep the sauce fresh for more days.
- Substitute for coconut sugar- Use maple sugar. You can also use honey or maple syrup but it may look more on the liquid side and not as thick.
How to use Homemade Cranberry Sauce:
- This homemade cranberry sauce is obviously great over your Thanksgiving roasted turkey.
- Make sandwiches with leftover turkey and cranberry sauce.
- Use to make these Cranberry Oatmeal Bars.
- Over some gluten-free homemade cornbread.
- As topping for your oatmeal.
- Make oatmeal orange muffins.
- Over roasted chicken.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce FAQ’s:
How do you make cranberry sauce thicker?
As cranberries simmer and reduce, the sauce will thicken. The linger you simmer the sauce for, the thicker it will be. Also, note that as the sauce cools down and chills in the fridge, it will continue to thicken more.
Can cranberry sauce be made in advance?
Yes. Homemade cranberry sauce can be made in advance. Place it in a tight container and keep it refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Should cranberry sauce be served warm or cold?
You can certainly serve cranberry sauce while it is still warm. However, I think it is best hen served cold as it is more flavorful and will have a thicker texture.
Can you use frozen cranberries to make cranberry sauce?
Yes. You can use frozen cranberries to make cranberry sauce. You will probably have to simmer it for a bit longer. About 5-10 minutes more so it can reduce.
How to store Homemade Cranberry Sauce:
Once your cranberry sauce has completely cooled-off, pour into a wide mouth mason jar. You can also use any other air-tight container if you don’t have a mason jar. Keep sauce refrigerated for up to 7 days.
Freezing Homemade Cranberry Sauce:
Place homemade cranberry sauce in a mason jar or any freezer safe container. If using a mason jar or any glass container, make sure you leave some space on top. The sauce will expand as it freezes and will need some space to do so. Keep cranberry sauce frozen for up to 2-3 months. Defrost by thawing-out in the fridge overnight.
Complete your Thanksgiving Dinner with these other recipes:
- How to Perfectly Roast a Turkey
- Honey-Ginger Roasted Carrots
- Homemade Gluten-Free Gravy
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Maple Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Gluten-Free Homemade Cornbread
- Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms
Did you like this Homemade Cranberry Sauce recipe? You may also like these other recipes for homemade condiments:
- Easy Homemade Pumpkin Puree
- Homemade Applesauce
- Easy Homemade Chimichurri Sauce
- Veggie Loaded Homemade Tomato Sauce
- Homemade Vegan Mayo
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Complete your Thanksgiving feast with this tangy and sweet Homemade Cranberry Sauce. A must have Thanksgiving side dish. Made with fresh cranberries, pineapple and orange juice, lemon zest and coconut sugar. The perfect balance between sweet and tangy. Best compliment to that juicy and tender Thanksgiving turkey.
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 cup coconut sugar
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place saucepan on stovetop turning to high heat. Bring to a boil.
Once ingredients are boiling, bring heat down to low. Give it a stir making sure ingredients are well combined. Cover saucepan and allow sauce to simmer for 10 minutes. At this point most cranberries should have started bursting and reducing.
Uncover sauce and it still should look liquidly. Turn heat back up to high and leave pot uncovered.
Allow sauce to come to a boil once again. At this point it will start thickening up. Keep to boiling for 5-8 minutes. Once all the cranberries have reduced and dissolved and the sauce has thicken, turn heat off and remove sauce from stovetop so it can cool-down. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools-down. Leave sauce uncovered.
Once sauce has completely cooled-off place in a wide mouth mason jar. Or any container with a tight-lid.
Place in the fridge overnight or for a 2-4 hours before serving so that it's nice and chilled. Keep refrigerated for up to 7 days.
Recipe Notes
Tips and Substitutions:
- If there are some cranberries that don’t get reduced or dissolved- Use a fork or potato masher to mash cranberries down.
- Garnish cranberry sauce with orange zest- Once you serve your cranberry sauce, garnish it with some orange zest. The contrast between the red and orange colors is so pretty and will make your table look so festive.
- Store cranberry sauce in a mason jar- It will keep the sauce fresh for more days.
- Substitute for coconut sugar- Use maple sugar. You can also use honey or maple syrup but it may look more on the liquid side and not as thick.
*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.
**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used.
**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family.
