The best Homemade Cranberry Sauce recipe you will ever make, and a must-have recipe for your holiday celebrations! This cranberry sauce with orange juice is made with only 5 ingredients in under 30 minutes, and it can be prepared ahead of time! You'll never buy canned cranberry sauce in a can again!
In a medium sauce-pan, whisk together water, orange juice, granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon over medium-high heat.
Once the mixture comes to a boil, gently pour cranberries into the saucepan and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Simmer the mixture uncovered for 10 - 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries begin to pop. (You will hear popping noises and the berries will burst open).
Once most of the berries have popped, use a potato masher to gently mash the cranberries. The more you mash, the smoother the mixture will be. If you prefer extra-smooth cranberry sauce, blend the mixture in a blender until smooth.
Simmer for another 3 minutes and then turn off heat but leave the pot uncovered on top of the burner to cool and thicken for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Transfer the cranberry sauce to an airtight container to chill overnight (or for at least 6 hours).
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Notes
Ingredient Substitutions:
Fresh cranberries. this recipe tastes best when it's made with fresh cranberries. I have used frozen cranberries and while it still tastes great, it is a little "seedy" meaning the seeds don't break down as well during cooking. If using frozen, I would recommend blending the sauce in a high-powered blende.r
Orange Juice. choose a pulp-free variety for the best texture.
Brown Sugar. Both light and dark brown sugar work well in this recipe. Dark brown sugar will impart a slight molasses taste.
Granulated Sugar. white sugar or organic cane sugar are good choices. (or try this healthy cranberry sauce).
Cinnamon. Ground cinnamon really takes this cranberry sauce from good to phenomenally great. I don't recommend omitting it, but it can be left out with delicious results.
Water. you can substitute water with more orange juice, or apple cider.
Make-Ahead I always make this recipe a day or two before Thanksgiving and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. You might even argue that it tastes better after siting for a couple days because the flavors become richer as they have time to blend!StoreStore it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 2 months.