Cranberry Sauce
Updated Oct 15, 2025
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This homemade cranberry sauce is bright, tangy, and so much more than a canned afterthought. Simmer fresh cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and a splash of citrus juice until the berries pop and the sauce thickens to a jewel-toned spread. It’s simple, make-ahead friendly, and brings fresh, vibrant flavor to turkey, roast meats, sandwiches, or maybe even breakfast toast!
If you’ve only ever had the canned jelly version, you’re in for a treat: this homemade cranberry sauce is a revelation. It’s just fresh cranberries, sugar, a splash of orange juice, and a bit of zest. The sauce is cooked until the berries burst it thickens to glossy, deep-red perfection. It’s tangy without being tart, sweet without being cloying, and one of those holiday dishes that is much easier to make than you think.
Make it a day or two ahead, let the flavors meld, and watch it steal the show at the holidays.
What's In This Post?
This sauce is very traditional and classic. It uses fresh cranberries, which are seasonally available in supermarkets in the produce section. You can usually start to find fresh cranberries in mid-October, and sometimes groceries have frozen cranberries year-round. If you are a cranberry fan and use them in quick breads and other recipes throughout the year, then you might want to buy some fresh cranberries and freeze them yourself.
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Ingredients
- Water and sugar – Used the make the simple syrup base for the cranberry sauce.
- Cranberries – Fresh cranberries are preferred, though frozen fruit will work.
- Orange and lemon – You’ll use both orange juice and zest, along with fresh lemon zest, for this recipe.
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
As you can see, citrus like lemon and orange go very well with cranberries, even though they are sweet-tart fruits themselves. Instead of the zest, you might add a cinnamon stick to the mixture as it simmers for a warmer holiday flavor.
Adjust the sugar to your liking – cranberries are very tart, so they definitely need sugar to balance that out, but if you prefer your sauce on the tart side, you might use 1/2 or 3/4 cup of sugar per pound of cranberries.
You could also try using port wine instead of the water for a deeper, slightly boozier flavor.
How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Prep the cranberries: Rinse the cranberries in a strainer, and make sure to pick out any little stems or shriveled or bruised berries.
- Make the syrup: In a large saucepan, combine the water and the sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
- Add cranberries: Pour the cranberries into the syrup and return to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries have burst, about 15 minutes.
- Add citrus: Add the orange juice and zest, lemon zest, and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Make-Ahead and Storage
If you are planning to make it ahead of the Thanksgiving meal, you’ll get the freshest sauce if you make it within a week of serving, and store it covered in the fridge. But in terms of how long cranberry sauce will keep, you can definitely hold it for about two weeks in the fridge, and it will still be delicious and fine to eat.
You can freeze cranberry sauce in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
What to Serve With Cranberry Sauce
- Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
- Traditional Stuffing
- Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
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Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 pound (about 4 cups) fresh cranberries
- Juice and finely grated zest of 1 orange
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Rinse the cranberries in a strainer, and make sure to pick out any little stems or shriveled or bruised berries.
- In a large saucepan, combine the water and the sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the cranberries and return to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries have burst, about 15 minutes. Add the orange juice and zest, lemon zest, and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. You can store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze it in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Cranberry sauce actually tastes much better with 1/3 cup of sugar, rather than a whole cup. Who needs excessive sugary taste to overwhelm the lovely tartness of the cranberry?
I’ve been doing this for years (like 30) and everyone always loves the low-sugar variety best.