This simple homemade cranberry sauce recipe is made with three ingredients and is ready in 15 minutes! It is an easy, traditional, must-have dish for your holiday dinner.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce makes the perfect complement to Thanksgiving dinner favorites of turkey and cornbread dressing. It is made with frozen or fresh whole cranberries and just two other simple ingredients for a flavorful, classic cranberry sauce.

Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Sauce Recipe

• Quick and easy. Ready in 15 minutes with three ingredients.
• Flavorful. It’s the perfect combination of slightly sweet and tart.
• Serve hot or cold. Excellent served hot or cold.
• Make ahead ease. Make it in advance and store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Leftover favorite. It is delicious on leftovers, like turkey sandwiches!

How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Don’t be intimidated about making homemade cranberry sauce from scratch. It is a simple recipe that you’ll turn to time and again.

Ingredients for Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.

To make this easy, fresh cranberry sauce, you’ll need:

Cranberries – Use a 12-ounce bag of fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups). If you use frozen cranberries, there is no need to thaw them first – just follow the recipe as written. If you can’t find frozen or fresh berries, see my recipe variation below for how to make cranberry sauce with dried cranberries.

Fresh orange juice – The fresh cranberries and orange juice combination is delicious. I think this recipe has an excellent balance of the two. Use more orange juice and less water if you’d like. Add orange zest to the sauce or garnish for even more flavor. You can also substitute the fresh orange juice with your favorite store-bought orange juice.

Sugar – I use granulated sugar, but you can substitute it with another sweetener, like honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, or a sugar substitute. Sweetening with a substitute may slightly change the taste or consistency. Remember, the cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Water – Combine the water and orange juice and water to cook the cranberries. 

How Do You Know When Cranberry Sauce is Done?

Cranberry sauce generally takes between eight and ten minutes. Place a little cranberry sauce on a wooden spoon. Pour the cranberry sauce back into the saucepan. The cranberry sauce is done when some of it sticks to the wooden spoon. If not, continue to cook and retest every few minutes. Remember that cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

What Do I Serve with Cranberry Sauce? 

This cranberry sauce certainly tantalizes your taste buds when you serve it along with roast turkey or roast turkey breast, southern cornbread dressing, turkey gravy or giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, and more! It’s delicious served alongside our favorite sweet potato casserole. It’s a must-have dish at our family Thanksgiving meal and other times throughout the year!

It is so simple that you may decide to make it year-round and not save only for the holiday season. It not only tastes fantastic on slices of leftover turkey in turkey wraps and turkey sandwiches when Thanksgiving is over, but leftover cranberry sauce is delicious on top of buttermilk pancakes or oatmeal for breakfast, too!

Can You Make-Ahead Cranberry Sauce?

Yes! You can make this cranberry sauce in advance. It will make your busy holiday a little easier! See my Make-Ahead Instructions below.

Can You Make Cranberry Sauce from Dried Cranberries?

If you have difficulty finding fresh or frozen cranberries, you can also make cranberry sauce using dried cranberries. You’ll substitute 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries for the cranberries and 1 cup cranberry juice for the water called for in the recipe. Add all ingredients to the saucepan and boil for 8 to 10 minutes. If the cranberry sauce needs to be thickened more, you can make a slurry of 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup water and slowly stir it into the sauce while it is on the stove. Remember that it will continue to thicken as it cools.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Cool Completely. Follow the recipe instructions and set aside to cool completely.

Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Freeze: Place in freezer-safe, airtight containers and freeze for up to a month.

Serve: If frozen, you can thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. You can serve it cold or reheat it and serve it if you prefer it warm. So easy!

Want More Cranberry Recipes?

If you want to make more cranberry dishes, give Cranberry Orange Muffins or Cranberry Orange Scones a try for a winter brunch. We also love sweet and spicy Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs and Cranberry Salsa, which are great appetizers for your next tailgate or holiday party.

More Thanksgiving Favorites

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Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

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Make Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe

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Easy Green Bean Casserole Recipe

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If you are planning for your Thanksgiving meal, I’ve made it easier for you with my Make Ahead Thanksgiving meal plan and more!

Here’s my Homemade Cranberry Sauce recipe. You will love how easy it is to make from scratch and want to add this to your holiday menu!

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Originally posted November 2014. Updated with step-by-step photographs.