Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2024)

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Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (1)

MyRecipes Member

Rating: 5 stars

11/19/2022

My go to every Thanksgiving. Make 2 days ahead for best flavor. Follow exactly, it’s foolproof!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2)

kitschywhiz

Rating: 5 stars

01/10/2014

Delicious! It came out very very tangy the first time which I surprisingly didn't mind but I'm making it right now and I don't have orange juice on hand so I substituted mango juice. I used about 2/6's cup of sugar instead (so a third less), upped the honey, and it's coming out more sweet and less tangy! Do your own thing with it, it's a delicious basic recipe!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (3)

ashleyt1987

Rating: 5 stars

12/09/2013

Best cranberry sauce ever. I used Simply Orange instead of squeezing my own oranges. Much better than white sugar, water, and cranberries!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (4)

CZMZeds

Rating: 5 stars

11/30/2013

Made this for Thanksgiving. It was outstanding and will be a definite side dish for the annual Thanksgiving feast. I love the spices and flavor to it, I found it was the perfect combination of sweet and tart. I had small but juicey oranges so it only took 1.5 oranges. It was also very easy and simple to make. I made it the day before Thanksgiving, and am still using it a couple days after to accompany my left over turkey.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (5)

JennyT

Rating: 5 stars

11/27/2013

I swore by the jellied canned cranberry sauce until this recipe! It is perfectly balanced, sweet & spicy, but not too spicy. Perfect sauce, in my book, and I make it every year a few days ahead of Thanksgiving.

Rating: 5 stars

11/24/2013

I made this in my crock pot for two hours. I didn't use the allspice only the cinnamon. when the cranberiies are tender I used my immersible blender to smooth the cranberries. this is a sauce if you want it more like the canned jelly add use one pkg of unflavored gelatin following directions on the box after sauce is done but use the sauce as the hot water.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (7)

simicook

Rating: 5 stars

11/22/2013

I made it tonight and will serve it tomorrow for our early Thanksgiving dinner. The recipe is very easy and perfect just as is. I had a few tastes as I was stirring it and it was yummy!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (8)

maddaxx

Rating: 5 stars

12/24/2012

The recipe is great as it is. Didn't have cinnamon stick, added 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead and it worked fine. Excellent!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (9)

littlemtngirl

Rating: 5 stars

11/23/2012

I made this yesterday; it was great! I followed the recipe exactly and would not recommend any changes. It is super easy and quick to make. Chill it before serving. Only bit of advice; it doesn't make a lot; make sure to read the number of servings and if you have a large dinner party, double the recipe.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (10)

lollypaul

Rating: 5 stars

11/17/2012

I have made this recipe several times over the past 5 years - it's quick, easy, can be made ahead, and much more flavorful than canned cranberry sauce - no high fructose corn syrup! Made exactly as written. It makes just enough - people like it, but you don't want too much of it left over!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (11)

lynnmarlyn

Rating: 5 stars

11/05/2012

easy, delicious and perfect every time

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (12)

seaside725

Rating: 5 stars

02/02/2012

This is a keeper. It will be my go to recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I did double the amount of brown sugar after reading the reviews. Excellent!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (13)

kaxel1075

Rating: 5 stars

12/16/2011

Made this for our family Thanksgiving dinner this year and it was a bit hit. It was a bit tart though.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (14)

eurocook

Rating: 4 stars

11/26/2011

Agree with the other comments: need to tinker with the sugar; my cranberries were not as ripe as they could have been, and while it tasted okay during prep, I thought it was still a bit too tart at the table.. Also, I popped the berries with the back of spoon as the other reviewer mentioned - for thicker sauce and a smoother presentation.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (15)

Amanda8899

Rating: 5 stars

11/22/2011

I make this every year now. It is so easy and I usually do it the day before when baking pies.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (16)

Laylamama

Rating: 5 stars

11/21/2011

So good and super quick and easy to make! The allspice gives it a real holiday flavor. I just needed to cook it a little longer to get the right consistency.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (17)

les2112

Rating: 5 stars

11/13/2011

I have made this every Thanksgiving for the last three or four years. EVERYONE loves it and it is so incredibly easy to make (and you can make it a day or two ahead of time as well). I highly recommend this recipe as a staple at your Thanksgiving (and Christmas) table.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (18)

rcturner525

Rating: 5 stars

11/28/2010

Have made this for a couple of years now, and it's wonderful. I do think that you need to be willing to tinker with the sugar and honey; sometimes my cranberries seem to be sweeter and need less sugar, but this past time they needed more. Once the sauce has simmered for a while, I use the back of a spoon to pop most of the cranberries so that they will release their pectin and the sauce will congeal a little better. My three year old ate more of this than he did his dessert!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (19)

SEROMEO

Rating: 5 stars

11/25/2010

Ive never even had cranberry sauce before but this is awesome. I made this as a healthy replacement to the canned stuff my husband grew up with (I wont even touch that stuff) and he liked it. You cant go wrong with this one!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (20)

Laurenshana

Rating: 5 stars

11/23/2010

Yummy! Excellent cranberry sauce. Followed exact instructions except used a dash of cinnamon instead. Will be making again!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (21)

radiantstar

Rating: 5 stars

11/01/2010

This is my favorite cranberry sauce recipe. I make it every Thanksgiving! I don't make any adjustments to the recipe. It is so delcious!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (22)

sccook

Rating: 4 stars

12/25/2009

Very good - much better than the canned variety! So easy to make and tastes really fresh. All my Thanksgiving guests loved it. I will definitely make this every Thanksgiving from now on.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (23)

Annelisa

Rating: 5 stars

12/18/2008

This was great! I only used 2 tblsp of brown sugar, because I like it tart.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (24)

jenfur13

Rating: 5 stars

11/29/2008

Everyone raves about this sauce every time I make it. I don't know if its the brown sugar instead of white, or the honey, or the allspice - but it is fantastic and I'm now the go-to person for cranberry sauce every holiday!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (25)

jujabbo

Rating: 4 stars

11/27/2008

Excellent! I loved these cranberries, and they were easy to make. They were pretty sour though. So, if you want it sweeter, add more sugar. Do a little taste test. Another recipe I found in Cooking Light called for 3x the sugar for the same amount of berries.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What takes the bitterness out of cranberry sauce? ›

If your cranberry sauce comes out tasting too bitter, don't reach for the sugar. Granulated sugar might make the situation worse, especially if you don't have time to reheat the sauce so the sugar can dissolve properly. Instead, reach for another sweetener: maple syrup.

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.

How to improve cranberry sauce? ›

Adding a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or orange zest, a tablespoon of chopped candied peel, or even a splash of juice to your canned sauce will brighten flavors and bring in some homemade flavor.

What are the two types of cranberry sauce? ›

Cranberry sauce can be served either as a gooey liquid or as a solid jelly. The jellied version is solid enough to retain the shape of the container in which it's placed whereas the sauce version is much more fluid. The difference between the fluid sauce and the jelly versions comes down to pectin.

How to make cranberry taste better? ›

In lieu of granulated sugar, try genuine maple syrup. It's already liquid so it will stir right into the cranberry sauce, lending it a gentle sweetness. If you don't have maple syrup (pancake syrup WILL NOT do, y'all), try honey or a more neutral sweetener like agave syrup, brown rice syrup, or even simple syrup.

How to reduce tartness in cranberry sauce? ›

While you won't taste it, salt helps equalize the sweet-tart flavor of your cranberry sauce while making it a better pairing for the rest of your savory sides and, of course, the turkey.

How to tell when cranberry sauce is done? ›

Pull the sauce off the stove once you hear or see the first few cranberries burst. You want some of them to burst but others to remain whole for the best texture. The sauce can be made up to 1 week in advance; keep refrigerated, and do not add the nuts until Thanksgiving Day, a few hours before serving.

Why is my 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.”

Is canned cranberry sauce better than homemade? ›

While there are some editors who prefer homemade cranberry sauce, the canned variety also has quite a following. "There's something so beautifully perfect about the texture of canned cranberry sauce, and none of those homemade mess will ever compete," says Senior Digital Food Editor Kimberly Holland.

What to do when cranberry sauce doesn t set? ›

If you have followed these instructions, and for some reason the sauce still won't gel, add 1 envelope of unflavoured gelatin to the sauce and bring to a hard boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook an additional 5 minutes.

Should cranberry sauce be served warm or cold? ›

Typically served chilled, our recipe can be made up to 3 days ahead.

Why is cranberry sauce so expensive? ›

But that's not the case for prepared cranberry sauces, where prices are up. Lochner pointed out that processors set those prices, not growers, and that there are higher input costs unrelated to berries — like “processing the fruit and getting it to market.”

What is the difference between cranberry sauce and jellied cranberry sauce? ›

The major variation you're likely to come across is "whole berry" versus "jellied." The only difference between them is that the jellied sauce is cooked until the berries have completely broken down. They both slide out of the can as a wobbly red cylinder.

What brand is the best cranberry sauce? ›

Best Whole Berry: Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

For those who prefer a whole berry sauce, Ocean Spray was the clear winner. Not only did editors love it for the freshness, texture, and flavor, but several also noted that it was the most visually appealing of the bunch.

Is cranberry sauce supposed to be sweet or sour? ›

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.

How do you neutralize bitterness? ›

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.

How do you get the bitter taste out of sauce? ›

Add Some Baking Soda

If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

How do you get the bitter taste out of cranberry juice? ›

Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of raw honey to your juice. and give it a stir.

How do you make fresh cranberries less bitter? ›

Begin by washing and drying firm and shiny cranberries, before giving them a chop or slice. Then, coat them in the sweetener of your choice. Granulated sugar (white or brown) is a good option, but you can also experiment with other sweeteners.

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