How to make homemade cranberry sauce (4 Ingredients)
Learn how to make homemade cranberry sauce with a few simple ingredients that can easily be enjoyed as a jam or side dish for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries*
- 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice* (about 1 large orange)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup plus more, if needed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional add-ins: cinnamon stick, 1/2 tsp orange zest, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, chopped nuts, blueberries, etc.
Instructions
- Add your cranberries, orange juice + zest, vanilla extract, cinnamon stick, maple syrup to a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 6-8 minutes. Keep stirring the mixture to ensure it does not burn or stick to the pot. The mixture is done once it has thickened and most of the cranberries have popped.
- Optionally, use a fork to pop the remainder of the cranberries. Let the sauce cool completely before serving.
Notes
- can use fresh or store-bought orange juice. Alternatively, you can skip the orange juice altogether.
- *use fresh or frozen cranberries. If you using frozen, let it simmer 1-2 minutes longer as they releases more liquid and may take longer to thicken up.
- maple syrup can be replaced with equal parts with any sweetener of choice.
- can substitute cinnamon stick for 1 tbsp ground cinnamon