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Skip the canned version and make this healthy cranberry sauce instead! It’s naturally sweetened and the perfect addition to your holiday menu. Plus, it comes together in under 20 minutes with just 5 simple ingredients!
There always seems to be cranberry sauce on the Thanksgiving table but do you usually take it or skip right over it?! There’s no wrong way to eat cranberry sauce – some like it on its own while others like to pile some on their turkey. If you’re looking for a sweet addition to your holiday plate, I highly recommend this simple recipe!
Making your own cranberry sauce is super simple! Combine the fresh cranberries, maple syrup and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low heat to simmer. Stir the mixture occasionally so it doesn’t burn. The sauce is ready when the cranberries have popped open and the sauce has thickened a bit.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and orange zest. Taste and add more maple syrup if it’s too tart for you.
I tested this with frozen cranberries and it definitely works but takes longer for the sauce to thicken! I still preferred the recipe with fresh cranberries but if you only have frozen cranberries on hand, that’s just fine!
The most asked question when I did some cranberry sauce research was, “Do I serve it warm or cold?” My answer: serve it however you prefer! I like serving it immediately after making (while it’s still warm) but you can also let it cool in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
Cranberry sauce is a traditional side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. Some like to get a little bit of each flavor on their plate in each bite while others like to keep everything separate. You really can’t go wrong!
If you have leftovers, it’s delicious on turkey sandwiches! I made these tasty collard green wraps with leftover turkey and leftover cranberry sauce. I’ll be making these again this year!
Want to take this recipe in a completely different direction? Serve homemade cranberry sauce on a scoop of ice cream! It would be so good on my one-ingredient banana ice cream. It would also be delicious mixed into a bowl of oatmeal or served over pancakes like these almond flour pancakes.
Absolutely! This cranberry sauce is one of the best make-ahead recipes for the holidays and can be made up to 5 days in advance! Yay for one less recipe to make on the day of.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks. This cranberry sauce will also store well in the freezer in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Be sure to check out the full collection of Thanksgiving recipes here on EBF!
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I embarrassingly loved the cranberry sauce from the can as a kid, but haven’t eaten any cranberry sauce in years. I LOVE this cranberry sauce! The orange flavor gets a chef’s kiss and I love that it’s sweetened with maple syrup!! This might just have to make an appearance every Thanksgiving from here on out 🙂
Ah yay! This makes me so happy to hear, Erica! Thanks so much for trying out this cranberry sauce and coming back to leave a review. It means the world to me!
Made my first Thanksgiving dinner this year for myself. Brittany’s cranberry sauce was the perfect side to my small Cornish hen. The sauce is the perfect balance between tart and sweet. Love it!
Can this recipe be doubled and frozen?
Hi Judy – Yes, you can double this recipe and store in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
Ah yay! Thrilled to hear this cranberry sauce was a hit, Gretchen! Thanks for the review :).
Brittany this is so delicious! Maybe best I ever had! Thank you! Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!
Ahhh this makes me so happy. Thank you Cathleen!