Cranberry sauce is one of those essential Thanksgiving accoutrements, but tends to be overlooked on many a family table. Please do your family and friends a favor and forgo the canned crap this year. This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is so easy, can be made days ahead (or weeks ahead if you choose to freeze it), and comes together in a just a few minutes. I swear, once you try this recipe, you will never go back to the canned stuff again!   This recipe has the perfect combination of sweetness, tang, citrus zip, and baking spice – you will not regret making it for your family, I promise!  Plus, I have a few fantastic recipes (which I am very excited about!) on how to use up your leftover cranberry sauce that I will be posting soon.

Homemade-Cranberry-Sauce
The cranberry sauce is one of my favorite dishes at Thanksgiving. It is so versatile and has such a fantastic flavor full of tang, citrus, and baking spice. Yum!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Recipe slightly adapted from the Triple Cranberry Sauce featured in Bon Appétit magazine

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup frozen cranberry juice concentrate, thawedPrintable-Recipe-dark
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 package fresh cranberries (12 ounces), rinsed and drained
  • 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon Cointreau or Grand Marnier
  • Zest from one small orange
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Instructions:

  • In a medium size saucepan, bring the cranberry juice concentrate and the sugar to a boil over medium heat, stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves.
Homemade-Cranberry-Sauce-prep
I think fresh cranberries are so pretty! They look like little jewels.
  • Add the dried and fresh cranberries to the saucepan and boil until the fresh cranberries begin to pop, stirring occasionally (about 5-8 minutes.) The cranberries should start to thicken and take on a gel-like consistency.
Homemade-Cranberry-Sauce-boil
My cranberry sauce is starting to thicken. I love when something comes together so easily!
  • Remove the pan from heat and add the remaining ingredients, stirring well to thoroughly incorporate everything. Allow the sauce to cool completely to room temperature before putting into a container. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
  • Recipe can be made up to three days in advance. (I have even made it weeks in advance and then kept it in the freezer. Just thaw in the fridge for 2 days before you plan to serve it and stir well after it has defrosted.)
Homemade-Cranberry-Sauce-scoop
This homemade cranberry sauce is so good and with such a unique fall flavor, that you will never open another can of canned cranberry sauce again!

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