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Home Turkey Recipes

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

By:Nagi
Published:18 Oct '18Updated:13 Nov '20
51 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

This is a very simple, classic homemade cranberry sauce recipe. It’s sweet (but not overly sweet) and tart with a little touch of lemon that I think makes all the difference. It takes all of 3 minutes of active preparation time and 20 minutes on the stove – very low maintenance!

Cranberry Sauce recipe originally published November 2015. Post updated with new recipe video added. No change to recipe – it’s still the same one I use and love!

A spoon of Homemade Cranberry Sauce

HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE IS AMAZING

I tried store bought cranberry sauce once many years ago and it turned me right off it. It just tasted like….jam. I may as well have slathered my turkey with strawberry jam!

It wasn’t until I started to take on the roast turkey centrepiece for holiday gatherings that I decided to give Cranberry Sauce another go….

and well, well, well, what do you know? Homemade cranberry sauce is sensational! It’s nothing like store bought. It tastes (shock horror) like cranberries!

Juicy Roast Turkey being carved, ready for serving

WHAT IS CRANBERRY SAUCE USED FOR?

Well, the obvious answer is ↑↑↑ : turkey! But there’s so many other options too. It’s sweet and tart, so it’s ideal to use like a warm jam for things like Scones, French Toast, or Pancakes. Or to make a jam and whipped cream layered Vanilla Sponge Cake.

Because it’s a bit tart, it’s also ideal paired with savoury things. I serve it with Glazed Baked Ham at Christmas, on sandwiches piled high with leftover turkey (roast whole turkey, slow cooker or roasted turkey breast) or sandwich cold cuts (ham, turkey, chicken slices).

Try it on a grilled sandwich with brie – what a fabulous combination! Use it to make Cranberry Bars (switch out the raspberry jam in this Raspberry Jam Bars recipe) or swirl dollops of it through muffins – like these Apple Muffins or in place of blueberries in these muffins.

In short – your only limited by your imagination!

A closeup of Homemade Cranberry Sauce

HOW TO MAKE THIS SIMPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE

A great Cranberry Sauce just needs cranberries (frozen, sold alongside other frozen fruit), sugar, water, and I like to add a touch of lemon zest which I think gives it a little edge. It lifts the flavour and gives it a tiny touch of freshness that will make your family and friends ask what the secret ingredient is!

Sometimes I use orange zest – and once I used both. All are great, but lemon is my base recipe!

I really love that I can control the sweetness of the sauce to my taste. I’m a savoury gal, so I’m not a fan of overly sweet cranberry sauces.

If you’re here for Thanksgiving, complete your menu with a browse through the new Thanksgiving Recipe Index! It’s sorted by category so it’s nice and easy for you to find what you’re after (and get ideas for things that you didn’t even know you needed in your life! 😂). Enjoy! – Nagi x

Easy Thanksgiving Recipes on RecipeTin Eats

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Easy Classic Cranberry Sauce - done in 15 minutes with 3 minutes of active effort.

Easy Classic Cranberry Sauce

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 2 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 22 mins
Condiments, Sauce
5 from 7 votes
Servings10 - 12 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 55
Recipe video above. A classic, easy cranberry sauce recipe for your turkey centrepiece. Store bought tastes nothing like this homemade version! The touch of lemon zest is what makes that little extra difference. Adjust the sweetness to your taste. This to me has a nice balance of sweet / tart, without being overly sweet like jam. Easy to adjust thickness with more water so don't worry if it gets too thick when it cools. Makes almost 3 cups.

Ingredients

  • 16 oz / 500g bag frozen cranberries (or fresh)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/8 tsp lemon zest
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Tip the cranberries in a saucepan set over medium low heat. Remove a heaped 1/2 cup of cranberries and set aside.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Cook for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.
  • Increase heat to medium high. Cook for 10 minutes or until most of the cranberries have burst and the liquid is syrupy.
  • Reduce heat to low, stir through reserved cranberries. Adjust sweetness to your taste with more sugar and add a pinch of salt. 
  • Allow to cool and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Best served at room temperature or warm. Serve with a juicy Roast Turkey - or Slow Cooker Turkey Breast or Roasted Breast.

Recipe Notes:

Adjust consistency to your taste with hot water. I like mine like runny jam with a touch of syrupy-ness to it, rather than a thick jam.
Nutrition is per person, assuming this serves 10. It will go much further if you also have gravy as a sauce option for turkey.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Classic Cranberry Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 125
% Daily Value*
Sodium 2mg0%
Potassium 53mg2%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 27g30%
Vitamin A 40IU1%
Vitamin C 8.3mg10%
Calcium 5mg1%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 125cal (6%)Carbohydrates: 32g (11%)Sodium: 2mgPotassium: 53mg (2%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 27g (30%)Vitamin A: 40IU (1%)Vitamin C: 8.3mg (10%)Calcium: 5mg (1%)Iron: 0.2mg (1%)
Keywords: Cranberry Sauce
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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51 Comments

  1. Philippe says

    November 28, 2019 at 8:49 am

    I love the flavor of this recipe. But like many cranberry sauces, I really don’t like the crunchiness of the seeds. If I sieve it, then it truly turns into a jam/jelly. How could we keep some of the texture of the fresh cranberries without the seed? Am I chasing a unicorn?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 28, 2019 at 1:46 pm

      Hi Phillippe, why don’t you strain then add half of the seeds back into the mix. You can always loosen it a little with water if it’s too thick 🙂

      Reply
  2. Anglela Grattan says

    December 21, 2018 at 3:47 pm

    Hi Nagi, this recipe sounds great. I can’t find frozen cranberries, can I substitute dried ones instead?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 21, 2018 at 9:07 pm

      Hi Angela, Dried ones aren’t quite the same unfortunately!

      Reply
  3. Helen says

    December 19, 2018 at 1:13 am

    Hi Nagi, love the new website, very crisp and clear, but wondered if you are able to add metric measurements to all your recipes? I have seen that some websites have an option to click on Aus cups or Metric, and wondered if you had considered incorporating that function? I particularly want to try making the Italian Cheese Log. I love all your recipes and use them constantly!

    Reply
  4. Carrie says

    December 14, 2018 at 4:41 am

    Love the new website!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 14, 2018 at 1:03 pm

      Thanks Carrie!

      Reply
  5. Marina says

    November 18, 2018 at 11:43 am

    How would you tackle dried cranberries, which are easily available in health food shops at our market here in Melbourne? Same weight as fresh?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 18, 2018 at 6:22 pm

      Hi Marina! Hmm, I haven’t tried this with dried but this is what I would do: I would use about 2/3 of the weight, then soak in boiled water until they plump up. Drain then cook per recipe 🙂 Hope that helps! N x

      Reply
      • Marina says

        November 21, 2018 at 5:19 pm

        Thanks, I’ll give it a go as soon as I get a chance.

        Reply
  6. Donn says

    November 15, 2018 at 4:40 am

    Hi, Nagi,

    Just out of curiosity, you say cranberry sauce keeps for ages. About how long would those ages be?

    Thanks! I have been making my own cranberries for years — can’t stand that canned stuff!

    Donna

    Reply
  7. Hanah Lee says

    November 8, 2018 at 9:48 am

    We have fresh cranberries here in US. Can I use fresh instead of frozen?

    Reply
  8. Gerry says

    July 24, 2018 at 8:26 am

    5 stars
    Nagi – I make a variation on what you’ve published here, adding two whole cinnamon sticks and a few (4-6) cloves. But be sure to fish out those pointy cloves before serving! And the cranberries actually taste best after resting a few days in the refrigerator.

    A dab of the the cranberries are ambrosial on a turkey and mayo sandwich the day after the big dinner!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 25, 2018 at 8:10 pm

      Ah yes! Biting into cloves is NOT nice! 😂

      Reply
    • Leslie says

      November 15, 2018 at 11:32 pm

      Using a spice/tea ball would make life much easier getting those cloves out. We love homemade cranberry sauce and have made it with orange zest also.

      Reply
  9. katia says

    December 23, 2017 at 2:46 am

    im so glad i happened across your blog today! I’m making my first ever Christmas dinner on monday and i will be using your bone in turkey recipe as well as this one above! thank you, thank you!!! bought all my ingredients last night. will report back! have a wonderful holiday.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 23, 2017 at 2:36 pm

      Oooh how exciting, your first Christmas dinner! Merry Christmas Katia, you’re going to ROCK it! N xx

      Reply
  10. Julie says

    November 26, 2017 at 8:24 am

    Could you please tell me where I can buy frozen cranberries. I am from Australia and the local Coles/Woolworths don’t stock them. Thanks

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 27, 2017 at 6:15 pm

      Hi Julie! I’ve noticed that they appear in stock towards Christmas, I went looking for them mid year but couldn’t find them 🙂

      Reply
      • Julie says

        November 27, 2017 at 6:40 pm

        Thanks Nagi. I’m doing our dinner early (10 December) so may struggle

        Reply
        • Tim says

          December 21, 2017 at 5:06 pm

          Hi Julie,

          I had no luck finding cranberries at either Coles/Woolworths/Aldi, either fresh or frozen. Might have a bit of luck at IGA – I ended up finding punnets of frozen cranberries at my local independent grocer.

          Trying out my sauce to go along with cocktail meatballs and glazed ham on Saturday!

          * I just noticed you have already had your dinner – Hopefully this helps someone else on the hunt!

          Reply
          • Julie says

            December 21, 2017 at 5:43 pm

            I managed to find frozen cranberries in Woolworths. They weren’t in my local sore but the guy working there offered to check other stores and I was in luck. The sauce was beautiful!

  11. Jenny says

    November 19, 2017 at 7:45 am

    Hi Nagi,

    Have you ever made cranberry sauce with orange. We have it in the store. It tastes pretty good. Plus, I think you can use less sugar for the recipe. I try to avoid sugar when it possible.

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 19, 2017 at 3:29 pm

      Oooh yes to adding some orange rind! N xx

      Reply
  12. Jane says

    October 25, 2017 at 2:36 am

    What did you do with thee 1/2 cup of cranberries?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 25, 2017 at 6:09 pm

      Step 4 – stir them back in 🙂 N x

      Reply
  13. Beck says

    January 3, 2017 at 7:38 am

    5 stars
    I really dislike store bought cranberry sauce – but this was a revelation! Not too sweet with great consistency and crazy easy to make. Winner winner turkey dinner!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 3, 2017 at 10:30 am

      SAME HERE!!! In fact I didn’t use cranberry sauce for years and years because all I knew was the jarred stuff 🙂 So glad you loved this Beck! N xx

      Reply
  14. Scott McClain says

    November 24, 2016 at 2:33 am

    5 stars
    I just made this and it’s terrific! I’ve been making a former TV chef’s compote with a huge list of ingredients including a bunch of water. Yours beats theirs hands down.

    I’m planning to make your Juicy slow cooker turkey breast tomorrow and thats how I ran across this recipe. I’m sure it’s will be great also.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 24, 2016 at 5:44 pm

      Oooh! I’m so thrilled to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for letting me know Scott!

      Reply
  15. dave says

    November 24, 2016 at 1:50 am

    5 stars
    Update. I was a little concerned about only using 2 tbs of water but gave it a try. I just went with it about an hour ago and this is by far mucho much better than whatever that stuff is in a can. Thanks Nagi for sharing.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 24, 2016 at 5:43 pm

      Woo hoo! 🙂 N xx

      Reply
  16. dave says

    November 24, 2016 at 12:47 am

    2 Tbs of water? That is interesting when most recipes call for 1 cup to 3 cups of cranberries. I’ll give it a shot though.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 24, 2016 at 5:41 pm

      I promise it works just great! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Chelsey says

    February 13, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    This looks fantastic! I’ve only ever tried the store bought cranberry sauce but I imagine this recipe would be so much better. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      February 14, 2016 at 7:16 pm

      Thanks Chelsey! I can assure you it is SO much better!!!

      Reply
  18. The Hungry Mum says

    November 25, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    These photos look like Christmas in a bowl! Lovely styling, as always.

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      November 26, 2015 at 7:20 am

      Gosh thank you so much!! 🙂

      Reply
  19. Shihoko says

    November 25, 2015 at 7:02 am

    Beautiful photo Nagi. I have never made cranberry sauce in my life and did not know to use sweet fruit sauce on meat till I came to Australia. I usually buy it from supermarket but I will try this one. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      November 26, 2015 at 7:16 am

      Me too! I really like cranberry sauce because it’s a bit tart 🙂 Great combo with turkey!!

      Reply
  20. Bruce Alexander says

    November 24, 2015 at 1:19 pm

    what is meant by “tip the cranberries…” in instruction #1?

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      November 24, 2015 at 11:17 pm

      It means to put them in the sauce pan.

      Reply
      • Kurt Swanson says

        November 11, 2017 at 9:55 am

        Once you stir in the remaining half cup of cranberries at the end how long do you leave them on low?

        Reply
        • Nagi says

          November 12, 2017 at 12:35 pm

          I don’t cook them, I just stir them in then that’s done. The residual heat in the sauce will warm them through. I like to do it that way because I like having some whole cranberries in my sauce. 🙂 N x

          Reply
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