Homemade cranberry sauce is one of my favorite side dishes. While many people enjoy it for holiday meals I think it makes an awesome side dish for any time. This fresh made cranberry sauce is also perfect for using with other recipes or enjoying alone as a side dish.

homemade cranberry sauce with whole cranberries

Homemade Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce Recipe

When preparing your favorite holiday meal, ditch the canned cranberry and make this easy homemade cranberry sauce instead. This holiday side dish is the easiest from scratch cranberry sauce ever!

If you want the perfect homemade cranberry sauce recipe for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner, this fresh cranberry sauce has the perfect balance of tartness and sweetness.

Every time I see that roll out of a can of cranberry sauce on the table I cringe. I have tried to love canned cranberry sauce, and ever since I was a kid, I just could not, no matter how much I tried to. Then I tried homemade cranberry sauce made with fresh cranberries and oh my! It makes a world of difference.

The flavors are so fresh and so tasty that I can not get enough homemade cranberry sauce. If you are like me and don’t like canned cranberry sauce, make this and try it. I am sure you will change your mind like I did. If you are a fan of canned cranberry sauce, I still suggest making your own homemade so you can see just how much better it is! Plus, it is a super easy recipe to make, too!

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How to Serve Cranberry Sauce

Serve it cold or at room temperature as a side dish. If you prefer warm cranberry sauce, you can also serve it warm. If you want to make it more of a dessert, add a dollop of whipped cream on top. It is important that the cranberry sauce is chilled completely when you make it before you warm it up if you are serving it warm.

Bowl of cranberry sauce garnished with rosemary and cranberries, with a spoon inside. Orange slices and additional cranberries are visible in the background.

What Can I Make with Leftover Cranberry Sauce?

While cranberry sauce is usually served as a side dish for holiday dinners like Thanksgiving and Christmas there are also many other tasty ways to use cranberry sauce made with fresh cranberries.

While it is fantastic for making things like gobbler sandwiches (also known as Thanksgiving leftovers turkey sandwiches) and Thanksgiving leftover Charcuterie boards there are many other tasty ways to use up and enjoy this traditional Thanksgiving side dish.

Swirl cranberry sauce into a bowl of yogurt and top with granola.
Use as a topping for Belgian Waffles, homemade pancakes and french toast.
Spread on top of toast of english muffins with some cream cheese.
Add into a bowl of oatmeal.
Use for glazing meat including pork and chicken.
Add to a fruit smoothie.
Spread over toast or pancakes.
Serve warm over chocolate or vanilla ice cream for a sweet dessert.

A bowl of cranberry sauce garnished with rosemary and orange peel. Nearby are orange slices, whole cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and a red-striped napkin with a spoon.

Tips for making cranberry sauce with whole berries

Thicker sauce: The longer the sauce sits, the thicker it will be become.

Stronger orange flavor. More flavoring can be added by adding more orange juice and leaving out water.

Don’t skip chill time. Once made, chill the homemade cranberry sauce fully before serving.

How do you thicken cranberry sauce?

If you want the cranberry sauce to be thicker, you can continue to cook it on the stove longer; however, as it cools, it will thicken up. Cranberries have natural pectin that helps thicken without needing to add anything.

Close-up of a bowl of cranberry sauce with a spoon, garnished with fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.

Variations of this recipe

If you do not want to use sugar, you can replace it with maple syrup or honey. Use ¾ cups of honey or maple syrup for every 1 cup of sugar the recipe calls for.

Add Vanilla extract. To add a subtle, sweet undertone, stir in a small splash of vanilla extract or a scraped vanilla bean.

Use lemon zest instead of orange zest. I prefer to use orange zest to match the hint of orange flavor in this recipe that comes from the orange juice, but you can use lemon zest instead.

Chunky or Smooth. Depending on your preference, you can make this recipe a chunky or smooth cranberry sauce. If you want a chunky cranberry sauce, leave some of the berries whole and don’t allow all of the berries to burst when you simmer the cranberry sauce on the stove. If you want it smooth, you can use an immersion blender to blend the cranberry sauce.

A spoonful of homemade cranberry sauce with visible cranberry chunks and orange zest in a white bowl.

Can I make homemade cranberry Sauce ahead of time?

Yes! One great thing about this homemade cranberry sauce is that you can make it days before serving. Allow it to cool completely, and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Freshly made cranberry sauce can be kept in the fridge for 10-14 days if stored in an airtight container.

If you like warming your cranberry sauce, you can reheat it in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave before serving.

How long does cranberry sauce last?

Fresh-made cranberry sauce can be kept in the fridge for 10-14 days if stored in an airtight container. Frozen cranberry sauce can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 year.

Can I freeze homemade cranberry sauce?

You sure can! Just allow the cranberry sauce to cool completely and then pour it into plastic freezer bags. Squeeze the air out of the bag as you close it and lay the bag flat. Push the cranberry sauce around in the bag to make sure it is even, and then lay the bag flat in the freezer. Frozen cranberry sauce will keep for up to one year in the freezer.

A bowl of cranberries surrounded by a glass of juice, cinnamon sticks in a jar, an orange, a bowl of sugar with a spoon, and a pitcher of water on a light blue surface.

Cranberry Sauce Ingredients

Fresh cranberries
water
Orange juice
Granulated white sugar
orange zest (The scrapings of the peel of an orange)
cinnamon stick

How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce

In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients and stir well.

A pot filled with fresh cranberries is surrounded by glasses of water and orange juice, a bowl of sugar, cinnamon sticks, and half an orange on a light blue surface.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes until it has thickened and most of the berries have burst.

Pot filled with cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon stick on a light blue surface. Nearby are ingredients in bowls and jars.

Remove the mixture from the heat and move the sauce to your serving container.

A pot of cooked cranberry sauce is surrounded by fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks, a halved orange, and a bowl of sugar on a light blue surface.

Allow the mixture to cool until it has thickened up, about 15-20 minutes.

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