• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • Desserts
  • Appetizers
  • Low Carb
  • Breakfast
  • Main Entrees
  • Salads

Cooked by Julie

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Posted In: Holiday Recipes, Sides
    November 10, 2021 — Updated October 5, 2022 — by Julie — Leave a Comment

    Home » Holiday Recipes » Classic Cranberry Sauce

    Classic Cranberry Sauce

    Sharing is caring!

    14 shares
    • Share
    • Reddit
    • Yummly
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    All you need is 5 ingredients to make this delicious classic cranberry sauce! Cooks in just 15 minutes and tastes so much better than store-bought.

    Enjoy this cranberry sauce with creamy mashed potatoes and juicy roast turkey.

    classic cranberry sauce in a white bowl with a spoon, cranberries, and towel on the side.
    Jump to: hide
    1 Why You’ll Love This Classic Cranberry Sauce
    2 Ingredient Notes
    3 Top Tips
    4 Should I Serve This Hot Or Cold?
    5 How Do You Know When It’s Done?
    6 More Delicious Holiday Recipes
    7 Classic Cranberry Sauce

    Why You’ll Love This Classic Cranberry Sauce

    • It’s tart, a bit sweet, and tastes so good when paired with other dishes.
    • You can top off your yogurt with this and add it to your turkey sandwiches!
    • This is the perfect base for any cranberry sauce spinoff! You can add a shot of Grand Marnier, rum, or a cinnamon stick.
    • A must at every Thanksgiving table!

    Ingredient Notes

    Fresh Cranberries – Make sure to discard any soft or bruised cranberries.

    Orange – I used the juice of 1 orange, feel free to use store-bought orange juice instead. If using store-bought orange juice, use 1/4 cup of juice.

    ingredients for cranberry sauce. fresh cranberries, one orange, water, sugar, and vanilla extract.

    Top Tips

    • If you like cinnamon, feel free to add one stick or a pinch of ground cinnamon.
    • Want to make it spicy? Add some diced jalapeno peppers or chipotle peppers.
    • Make sure to let the cranberry sauce cool completely before refrigerating.
    • Place any leftovers in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
    • Add more sugar than suggested, if you like it extra sweet.
    • Don’t overcook! I like to leave some cranberries whole for some texture.
    • Garnish with fresh mint or orange zest, if desired.
    fresh cranberries and liquid in a saucepan.

    Should I Serve This Hot Or Cold?

    I highly recommend serving cranberry sauce cold or at room temperature.

    How Do You Know When It’s Done?

    The sauce will thicken, most of the cranberries will pop, and it should resemble a jam-like consistency.

    a spoonful of cranberry sauce.

    More Delicious Holiday Recipes

    • Slow Cooker Candied Yams
    • Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole
    • Creamy Garlic Butter Mushrooms
    • Baked Ham

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

    classic cranberry sauce in a bowl with a spoon, towel, and cranberries on the side.

    Classic Cranberry Sauce

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 2 minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes
    Total Time: 14 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 127kcal
    Author: Julie Maestre
    All you need is 5 ingredients to make this delicious classic cranberry sauce! Cooks in just 15 minutes and tastes so much better than store-bought.

    Ingredients

    • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
    • 1 orange juiced
    • 1 cup sugar or to taste
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup water

    Instructions

    • Add the water, orange juice, and sugar to a sauce pan. Mix well.
    • Add the cranberries to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until most of the cranberries pop and the sauce is nice and thick. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
    • Enjoy cold or at room temperature.

    Notes

    • If you like cinnamon, feel free to add one stick or a pinch of ground cinnamon.
    • Want to make it spicy? Add some diced jalapeno peppers or chipotle peppers.
    • Make sure to let the cranberry sauce cool completely before refrigerating.
    • Place any leftovers in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
    • Add more sugar than suggested, if you like it extra sweet.
    • Don’t overcook! I like to leave some cranberries whole for some texture.
    • Garnish with fresh mint or orange zest, if desired.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 62IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookedbyjulie or tag #cookedbyjulie!

    Share this:

    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

    Filed Under: Holiday Recipes, Sides

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Julie! I’m extremely fortunate to make a living doing what I truly love – creating and sharing my favorite “can’t live without” recipes with readers from all over the world.

    More about me →

    Holiday Recipes

    • Easter sugar cookie bars with jelly beans, milk, and peep candies on the side.
      Easter Sugar Cookie Bars
    • two slices of caramelized onion cornbread on a plate.
      Caramelized Onion Cornbread
    • Chocolate coquito in a martini glass up close.
      Chocolate Coquito
    • traditional rum balls on a plate.
      Traditional Rum Balls
    • crockpot candy clusters on a baking sheet up close.
      Crockpot Candy
    • mashed potatoes in the instant pot.
      Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

    Popular

    • fried shrimp in a blue small bowl
      Southern Fried Shrimp
    • honey roasted turkey wings
      Honey Baked Turkey Wings
    • crab stuffed salmon fillets up close.
      Crab Stuffed Salmon
    • Creamy Garlic Salmon and Shrimp

    Like Us on Facebook

    Cooked by Julie
    Recipes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2021 Cooked by Julie

    14 shares
     

    Loading Comments...