• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

Small book

My cookbook "Dinner" now available!

  • My RecipeTin
  • My cookbook!
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Vegetables
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice (all)
      • Fried rice
      • Rice (plain)
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cakes
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
      • Ice cream
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Korean
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • Food Bloggers Central
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
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

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

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.

LIFE OF DOZER

Perfectly positioned so he doesn’t get zonked every time I open the fridge door…

Dozer lying close to fridge door

SaveSave

SaveSave

Previous Post
Amazing Easy Thai Coconut Soup
Next Post
Sloppy Joes

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Overhead photo of Leftover Turkey Pot Pie, fresh out of the oven

Garlic Bread Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

Sliced Garlic Herb Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with butter dripping down

Garlic Herb Butter SLOW COOKER Turkey Breast

Overhead photo of Slow Cooker Turkey Breast on a white plate with some slices carved, drizzled with gravy

Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

More Turkey Recipes

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

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

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




51 Comments

  1. carolyn marshall says

    December 20, 2022 at 11:10 am

    5 stars
    Flanerrys have frozen cranberries

    Reply
  2. Mary says

    November 17, 2022 at 9:09 am

    Sorry, Nagi. Have just seen that you have previously answered my question.

    Reply
  3. Mary says

    November 17, 2022 at 9:07 am

    How could this recipe be adapted to use dried cranberries as opposed to frozen cranberries?

    Reply
  4. Donna Laurin says

    November 10, 2021 at 5:09 am

    I always add a little orange zest or instead of water use orange juice.

    Reply
  5. Trish says

    May 6, 2021 at 10:58 am

    I always make my own cranberry sauce. I use brown sugar instead of white. I have not, but will, start adding some lemon zest (great idea).

    Reply
  6. Rebecca says

    December 7, 2020 at 1:53 am

    5 stars
    Made my whole Thanksgiving spread from your recipes, with the exception of the turkey (went with the slow cooker) . This sauce was EASY and delightful. I’ve only ever made one homemade sauce before and this far exceeded the last one I made. Thank you.

    Reply
  7. Taryn says

    November 26, 2020 at 3:06 pm

    5 stars
    I will never use canned cranberry again….ever! I love all your recipes and everytime I hesitate thinking one might not turn out ok, I’m wrong and they are always amazing. Thank you so much for all the wonderful recipes

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On

What's for Dinner?

Close up of beef enchiladas in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Beef Enchiladas

Butter Chicken served over basmati rice in a bowl, ready to be served

Butter Chicken

Overhead photo of 2 black bowls with Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Dressing, ready to be eaten

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salisbury Steak recipe in skillet.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Fast prep. Big flavours!

Never miss a recipe

Back to Top
  • Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Center
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • Image Use
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Maintained by Zao Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled © RecipeTin Eats 2023 · All Rights Reserved Back to Top