How to Make Cranberry Sauce (Only 4 Ingredients)

Let’s learn How to Make Cranberry Sauce! Homemade cranberry sauce takes about 15 minutes in a medium saucepan with only 4 ingredients, and it’s the one Thanksgiving side dish that makes everything else on the plate taste better. This easy cranberry sauce recipe cooks on the stove while your turkey rests, and it’s just as good for Christmas dinner or any holiday meal that needs something bright next to all the rich food. It’s a simple recipe, it uses simple ingredients, and it beats the canned stuff by a mile.

How to Make Cranberry Sauce

Before sharing this recipe, I need to admit to you that my family and I actually preferred the can-shaped cranberry sauce. I don’t know why… maybe it’s because that’s what we grew up eating. Or maybe my taste just isn’t that sophisticated? Haha… I’m not sure.

I even have a special serving dish for the jellied cranberry sauce, and it’s my favorite serving dish to pull out at Thanksgiving.

But regardless, just in case you want to make cranberry sauce from scratch – here’s how to make cranberry sauce from fresh (or frozen) berries!

Fifteen minutes, one pan, four ingredients, and you’ve got a sweet-tart sauce that looks fancy and tastes like you fussed over it. Making your own cranberry sauce for the first time is honestly one of the easiest wins of the whole holiday season.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s about as easy as a recipe gets. You dump everything in a pan and stir once in a while.

It tastes better the next day. You can make it a couple days ahead, stick it in the fridge, and cross one thing off your Thanksgiving Day list before the week even starts.

The orange makes it. Orange zest and fresh orange juice soften those tart cranberries just enough, so you get real cranberry flavor without the overwhelming bitter/sour.

Ingredients

Four things, and you can find all of them at any grocery store this time of year.

• Fresh cranberries (frozen work too… no need to thaw)
• Granulated sugar
• Orange zest
• Fresh orange juice (bottled is fine, or combine water with a splash of cranberry juice in a pinch)

Find the full recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.

How to Make Cranberry Sauce

Three steps, start to finish.

1. Add the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and orange juice to a small saucepan.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then so the sugar dissolves evenly. The cranberries will soften and start to burst. Pull it off the heat before it gets as thick as jam… it keeps thickening as it cools.
3. Set the sauce aside and let the cranberry sauce cool before serving. Or chill it overnight and it’ll be even better!

Pro Tips

• Don’t walk away during those last few minutes. Overcooked sauce sets up really stiff once it’s cold.
• Want a smooth sauce? Mash it with a potato masher while it’s warm. Want whole cranberries showing? Stir gently and stop early.
• Drop in a cinnamon stick while it simmers, or stir in a splash of vanilla extract at the end.
• Feeding a crowd? A double batch fits in the same medium saucepan with no changes.

Variations

• Swap half the sugar for maple syrup for a woodsy flavor.
• Use brown sugar for something richer.
• Leave the sauce chunky and stir in chopped apple or pecans after it cools for more of a cranberry relish.
• And you can absolutely cut back the cup of sugar a little if your family likes tart flavors.

Serving Suggestions

This is the perfect complement to your Thanksgiving turkey, sausage stuffing, and sweet potato casserole. It’s also wonderful spooned over cream cheese with crackers for a cheese platter, stirred into plain Greek yogurt, or (my favorite) piled on vanilla ice cream.

Storage Instructions

Let it cool to room temperature, then move it to an airtight container in the fridge, where it keeps about 10 to 14 days. Leftover cranberry sauce freezes well for up to a year in a freezer-safe container or a resealable freezer bag.

FAQ

Can I make cranberry sauce ahead of time? Yes, please do. The flavor is even better the next day, and it’s one less thing to do on Thanksgiving Day.

Can I use frozen cranberries? Absolutely. Toss them in frozen and add a minute or two to the cook time.

My sauce seems runny. Did I do something wrong? Nope. It thickens a lot as it cools, so judge it at serving time, not on the stove.

How do I use up leftovers? Leftover turkey sandwiches, first and foremost.

Once you’ve made your own cranberry sauce, that can of cranberry sauce never quite makes it back into the cart. Make it your own with whatever flavors your family loves, and let me know how it turns out!

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