Cranberry Sauce should NEVER come from a can. It should ALWAYS be made from scratch. When I was a preschooler, we made homemade cranberry sauce as a gift for our family on Thanksgiving. I’ve been making homemade cranberry sauce every Thanksgiving since then. It’s sort of my “signature” Thanksgiving dish.
When looking at your Thanksgiving menu, aside from the turkey, cranberry sauce is the EASIEST thing to cook. I know, you’re thinking it will be chunky and no one will eat. That’s not true. If you make it, they will eat it.
What you’ll need
3 cups fresh local cranberries (or one 12 ounce bag of quick frozen cranberries)
1/2 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed is best, but a good orange peach mango blend is a fun touch, too!)
1/2 cup cranberry juice (the stuff that’s super tart is the best)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
What you’ll do
Combine all ingredients in 3-quart sauce pan and stir. Cook over medium-high heat, until the cranberries start popping and the liquid begins to boil.
Stir well and reduce heat to low.
Simmer for 10-12 minutes until the juice is thick.
Spoon into serving dish or mason jar for storage or gift giving.
If you find your sauce is too chunky, you may push it through a fine sieve strainer to get the whole cranberries out. Personally, I like mine with the whole berries; without and I’m reminded of gelatin desserts. Gross.
Fun variations
Substitute Orange Liqueur for the orange juice.
Add dried cranberries for even more chunkiness.
Substitue cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice.
Use honey or agave sweetener in place of the sugar.
I recommend making your homemade cranberry sauce a day or two ahead of time. This ensures it has ample time to cool and allows the flavors really come together and your cranberry sauce will shine! I made mine on Monday, and we’ll be eating it on Thursday. That is, if I can stop myself from snacking on it. It is so good!
What To Do With Leftover Cranberry Sauce
Add it to your oatmeal with a few pecans or walnuts.
Slip a spoonful or two into your morning smoothie.
Add it to baked brie.
Have you made homemade cranberry sauce before?
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