This easy Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce recipe will be your go-to condiment for Thanksgiving turkey, grilled meats, sandwiches and appetizers.
With just six ingredients, it’s easy to make in less than an hour and soooo tasty. It’s always one of our family’s favorite holiday recipes.
You can use organic ingredients and tweak the recipe with any flavorings or spices you like. I add a little fresh lemon zest, and hint of citrus nicely compliments the sweet tartness of the cranberries.
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This recipe originally appeared in my Berries: Sweet and Savory Recipes cookbook (Gibbs Smith, publisher), and the lovely photo above is by Stacey Cramp; used with permission.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own homemade cranberry sauce:
1 cup cranberry juice – If you can find it, use real 100% cranberry juice. Otherwise, you can use cranberry juice cocktail like Ocean Spray.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
A pinch of salt
1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries
Equipment
You don’t need any fancy equipment to make this recipe:
- Lemon zester
- Saucepan
- Spoon
10 Ways to Use Cranberry Sauce
If you have leftover cranberry sauce, here’s what to do with it:
- Serve it on hot, buttered biscuits.
- Swirl it in Greek yogurt.
- Use it to glaze Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies appetizers.
- Top a toasted bagel with cream cheese and cranberry sauce.
- Serve it with warm oatmeal.
- Use it to top waffles or pancakes.
- Add it to a smoothie.
- Use it as a sandwich condiment; it’s great on turkey sandwiches and grilled cheese.
- Add it to your favorite barbecue sauce.
- Use it in the classic Cranberry Sauce Meatballs appetizer recipe.
Here’s the easy, printable recipe:
Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 12 ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Combine cranberry juice, sugar, honey, lemon zest, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Add cranberries and return to boil, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat, cover and cool to room temperature. Makes about 2 1/4 cups.
Notes
Nutrition
Save for Later
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Eliza Cross is the creator of Happy Simple Living, where she shares ideas to help busy people simplify cooking, gardening, holidays, home, and money. She is also the award-winning author of 17 cookbooks, including Small Bites and 101 Things To Do With Bacon.
I love these, you are just the best!
This blog post made me think of family feasts growing up… now I am hungry but not for anything from a store. For the old time cooking of the family members who did culinary wonders pretty much three times a day!