Homemade Cranberry Sauce (The Best)
“Learn how to make homemade cranberry sauce using fresh cranberries. A splash of orange and pomegranate juices takes this from-scratch cranberry sauce to the next level! Easy and quick to make!”
Watch me make this homemade cranberry sauce from start to finish!!
Hey, don’t forget the cranberry sauce!!! Thanksgiving is just not the same without it in my family. It really completes the meal to have that dark, ruby, sweet, tangy stuff stashed on the side of your plate.
Cranberry sauce is so easy and quick to make that there really isn’t a reason why everyone shouldn’t make it homemade. It blows that canned, jelly stuff out of the water.
However, I won’t lie to yall, I use to love that canned cranberry sauce as a kid. It was so cool how it use to slowly plop out of the can and still had that canned shape. Although I could never eat very much of it, way too sweet. I can eat this homemade cranberry sauce by the spoonful!
This homemade cranberry sauce is super easy, sweet, tangy, and delicious!! You just can’t beat the taste of fresh cranberries. No siree Bob! The pomegranate juice goes so well with it too! I’ve been convinced that cranberry and pomegranate are like the best couple ever! They belong together and complement each other flavor beautifully.
If you’re not a fan of pomegranate juice then I highly suggest you use cranberry juice as a replacement. It tastes just as good, but without the pomegranate aftertaste that some folks dislike. You can also use water as a last resort. And I do mean the VERY last result.
*TIP* Becca on my Facebook fan page said she replaced the pomegranate juice with fresh granny smith apple juice and she was “IN FREAKING HEAVEN” I just had to share this tip because I LOVE apple with cranberry and will def. try out both on Thanksgiving!! Thanks Becca!!
Get the Recipe: Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup sugar, can add more or less
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, juice of 2-3 oranges
- 1/2 cup 100% pomegranate juice
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add cranberries, sugar, orange juice and pomegranate juice.
- Stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Let simmer over medium heat until almost all of the cranberries have popped.
- Stir occasionally and continue cooking until sauce has thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Pour into a serving dish.
- Sauce will thicken and set as it cools and gets better the next day.
- Serve.
Video
Notes
Replace the pomegranate juice with cranberry or apple juice or water if desired.
This gets better as it sits so make it ahead.
It will also thicken and set as it cools. Don't skip that FRESH orange juice.
I made this sauce for Friendsgiving and it was a hit. There wasn’t any left. Followed the recipe to the T! Thanks for the recipe!
I make the recipe with one cup Sugar, one forth cup Apple juice, one forth cup of Orange Juice and then one half cup water to equal a cup of liquid total. Then I chop small a Granny Smith Apple and one forth cup of small chopped Pecans. I also make the plain Cranberry sauce. That way folks have their choice.
They both are great condiment for the Holidays or anytime throughout the year. It is super good with Ham and Pork Chops. I also use either sauces to stuff thick Pork Chops with a few slices of thin sliced Apple.
Thanks for your recipe. Sorry this is so long.
I made your recipe for cranberry sauce last year for a big family gathering as a test. My DIL warned me, if everyone liked it, I would be required to make it every year going forward. I made a single batch and it was gone in the blink of an eye! Needless to say, I am making it again this year and doubling the recipe! I saved a jar of it for my husband and me too! Oh, and I made this two weeks before Thanksgiving! A great make ahead dish! A chef friend of mine told me to keep it in an air tight container with plastic laying directly on the sauce. Done! I am excited to see everyone’s happy faces! Thank you for an amazing recipe! An old dog can learn new tricks!
You are so sweet !
love the presentation & your stories about your grandmother! also love your banana cake recopies im doing it all the time.
I made this last year and had to come back and find the recipe for this year. I ate half of it in my own lol. Hands down the best cranberry sauce I’ve ever had. I didn’t have the pomegranate juice so I substituted half water and half fresh orange juice along with the orange juice it already called for. Perfect mix! I do want to try the pomegranate juice this year. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
Ok, confession. First time I made this on Thanksgiving, I ate an entire salad bowl full while I was waiting for the rest of dinner to cook. I couldn’t help myself. We’ve pretty much made it every week since- our favorite pairing is with roasted salmon. Beyond perfect recipe, loved using the apple juice suggestion.
Thanks!