Description

This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is a simple and delicious accompaniment perfect for holiday meals. Made with fresh or frozen cranberries, water, and your choice of sweetener like sugar, honey, or maple syrup, it offers a tangy and sweet flavor that enhances any main dish. The sauce is easy to prepare on the stovetop and can be customized with various add-ins such as citrus zest or cinnamon to suit your taste.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar (or 3/4 cup honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar, plus more to taste)
3/4 cup water, preferably filtered
12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries

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Instructions

Rinse Cranberries: Rinse the cranberries in a bowl of water, discarding any that float to the top as well as any shriveled, squishy, or discolored cranberries. Drain well.
Melt Sugar: In a large saucepan, combine the sugar (or your chosen liquid sweetener such as honey or maple syrup) and water. Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
Add Cranberries: Add the cranberries to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.
Sweeten to Taste: Taste the sauce and add more sweetener if desired. Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the sauce to cool to room temperature before serving.

Notes

If using a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup, you can combine all ingredients at once in the saucepan before heating.
Optional add-ins to cook with the cranberries include 2 wide strips of lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 wide strips of orange zest plus 1/4 cup orange juice for a cranberry orange sauce, 1/2 cup dried cherries, or 1/2 cinnamon stick.
To store, cool the cranberry sauce to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 cup
Calories: 90 kcal
Sugar: 23 g
Sodium: 0 mg
Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg