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Fresh Cranberry Sauce

October 17, 2023 by Lindsay 37 Comments

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This Fresh Cranberry Sauce is simple to make, ready in 15 minutes and tastes great on everything from turkey to oatmeal! Make a batch and enjoy on your favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner and holiday recipes!

This Fresh Cranberry Sauce is simple to make, ready in 15 minutes and tastes great on everything from turkey to oatmeal! Make a batch and enjoy on your favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner and holiday recipes!

*Originally published 12/2013. Updated Oct 2023*

Hi Friends!

It has officially been almost 10 years since I first shared my family’s homemade fresh cranberry sauce recipe on the blog. It seems there are two camps of people when it comes to cranberry sauce – canned or fresh.

If you like the combination of tart and sweet, you’ll definitely want to try this version.

What Do I Need To Make Cranberry Sauce?

All you need to make this recipe is a few simple ingredients:

  • Fresh cranberries
  • Sugar
  • White wine vinegar
  • Water
  • For optional flavoring you can add orange peel and/or a cinnamon stick

How To Make Quick Cranberry Sauce

To make this recipe, just follow a few simple steps:

  • Combine sugar, water and white wine vinegar in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
  • Stir until the sugar dissolves.
  • Add a bag of fresh cranberries and an orange peel and/or cinnamon stick if you want.
  • Cover the pot, reduce heat and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  • You can use the back of your spatula to smash any cranberries that haven’t burst open on their own.
  • Then remove the flavoring agents, let cool and serve!

Creating this quick and delicious Fresh Cranberry Sauce is a breeze, taking just 15 minutes from start to finish. Its versatile flavor pairs wonderfully with a wide range of dishes, whether you're serving it alongside turkey or drizzling it over a bowl of hearty oatmeal. Whip up a batch and savor its delightful taste in your preferred breakfast, lunch, dinner, or festive recipes!

Gah! Don’t you just want to dive right into that jar?!!

The Best Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe

This recipe has been in my family for years and I’m so happy I get to share it with you! It tastes great on turkey or stuffing but I also use it like jelly on toast or waffles, as a topping to my oatmeal or add it sandwiches!

Print

Fresh Cranberry Sauce Recipe

This Fresh Cranberry Sauce is simple to make, ready in 15 minutes and tastes great on everything from turkey to oatmeal! Make a batch and enjoy on your favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner and holiday recipes!
Print Recipe

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4.7 from 3 reviews

This fresh homemade cranberry sauce is an easy and delicious way to add some fresh fall flavor to your meals! Make it for Thanksgiving and use the leftovers as a topping for waffles, oatmeal and sandwiches.

  • Author: Author: Lindsay L
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2/3 – 3/4 c sugar
  • 1 bag fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 c white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 c water
  • 1 Tbsp orange peel
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

  1. Combine the sugar, vinegar and water in a saucepan. Heat to a boil, then reduce to simmer and stir until sugar dissolves.
  2. Add cranberries, cinnamon stick and orange peel.
  3. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until cranberries burst.
  4. Remove from heat and fish out the cinnamon stick and orange peel.
  5. Cool and eat!

Notes

The amount of sugar you use depends on whether you want it more sweet or tart. I like tart so I typically use 2/3 cup.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @theleangreenbean on Instagram

I’m pretty much incapable of eating my Thanksgiving turkey without it being smothered with this sauce.


Fresh Cranberry Sauce FAQs

How long does fresh cranberry sauce last homemade?

This sauce should stay good in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Does homemade cranberry sauce need to be refrigerated?

Yes. This sauce can be kept at room temperature up to 2 hours but after that it needs to be refrigerated and kept in the fridge when you’re not using it.

Can I use frozen cranberries?

Yes! This is one of my best tricks for enjoying this fresh cranberry sauce all year long. Stock up on cranberries when they go on sale around Thanksgiving and throw them in your freezer.

When you’re ready to make this sauce, you can thaw them before using or just throw them in frozen. If you use them straight from frozen it just may add a few more minutes to your cooking time.


Recipe For Cranberry Sauce

Crafting this Fresh Cranberry Sauce is a cinch, requiring only 15 minutes of your time. Its delightful flavor complements a variety of dishes, from turkey to a comforting bowl of oatmeal. Prepare a batch and relish its delectable taste with your favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner, or holiday creations!

Need more recipes using fresh cranberries? Try these:

Lightly sweetened and bursting with tart fresh cranberries, these Cranberry Corn Muffins are the perfect dinner side dish. Serve them with a hearty chili or make a batch for your holiday dinner.

Cranberry Corn Muffins

These Cranberry Corn Muffins are lightly sweetened and bursting with tart fresh cranberries. They make the perfect dinner side dish. Serve them with a hearty chili or make a batch for your holiday dinner.

Grab the recipe!
These easy Cranberry Meatballs are a great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce and make the perfect appetizer for a holiday party.

Cranberry Meatballs

These easy Cranberry Meatballs are a great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce and make the perfect appetizer for a holiday party.

Grab the recipe!
Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Crumble on a Thanksgiving plate

Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Crumble

This Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Crumble is the perfect addition to your holiday dinner. Make it for a quick and easy Thanksgiving side dish or pop it in the oven while eating and serve it with ice cream for dessert!

Grab the recipe!
cranberry sweet potato muffins copy

Cranberry Sweet Potato Muffins

This recipe for Cranberry Sweet Potato Muffins makes a great breakfast or grab-and-go snack. Use fresh or dried cranberries or swap chocolate chips

Grab the recipe!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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Filed Under: Side Dish Tagged With: Cranberry, Sugar

About Lindsay

Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ana says

    December 3, 2013 at 12:57 AM

    I do love cranberry sauce, but have never attempted my own! Maybe I’ll give it a shot!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:41 PM

      definitely give it a try!

      Reply
  2. Linz @ Itz Linz says

    December 3, 2013 at 6:19 AM

    i do like cranberry sauce, but definitely don’t eat it nearly enough! i love ordering it on turkey sandwiches when places provide that option! and honestly i’ve always been intimidated to buy fresh cranberries, but your recipe seems so simple!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:40 PM

      you could def handle it!

      Reply
  3. Kierston @candyfit says

    December 3, 2013 at 6:53 AM

    Yum! Nothing like fresh cranberry sauce. Love the tartness of it.

    Reply
  4. Coco says

    December 3, 2013 at 7:18 AM

    That sounds like my mom’s recipe. I love it! I bought some plain yogurt just so I can have some with cranberry sauce. It’s also fantastic on peanut butter toast!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:40 PM

      oooh yum!

      Reply
  5. Rachel @ Undercover Diva: A Sitcom says

    December 3, 2013 at 7:53 AM

    I made my own cranberry sauce this year! I LOVED it! So easy, so tasty. I didn’t use a ton of sugar, either, so it was very tart. Definitely good 🙂

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:38 PM

      love it!!

      Reply
  6. Sam @ Better With Sprinkles says

    December 3, 2013 at 8:10 AM

    I don’t think I’ve ever made fresh cranberry sauce, to be honest…it’s more of an afterthought at my family holidays, so we always go for the canned variety. It might be fun to make a homemade version though!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:38 PM

      yes! you should try sometime for sure!

      Reply
  7. Jody - Fit at 56 says

    December 3, 2013 at 9:33 AM

    Never made it but I keep seeing delicious recipes – yours included!!! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Sara @ LovingOnTheRun says

    December 3, 2013 at 9:41 AM

    Yumm!! I ended up buying mine for Thanksgiving because the husband is not a fan BUT this looks like a great recipe to try sometime! It probably tastes a lot better than what I bought too!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:37 PM

      yay! hope you get to try it!

      Reply
  9. Running Hutch says

    December 3, 2013 at 11:23 AM

    Yum. I do basically that, but no water or vinegar. Sometimes less sugar and a bit of orange juice. My mom does it this way now also instead of buying the can, thank heavens!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:35 PM

      woohoo! love the from the can converts!

      Reply
  10. Kelly @ Kelly Runs for Food says

    December 3, 2013 at 11:36 AM

    Love this! I’ve never made homemade cranberry sauce, but it looks super easy so I definitely pinned this for later. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:35 PM

      yay! let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  11. Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says

    December 3, 2013 at 11:48 AM

    i like cranberry sauce a lot; I made a compote last year.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:34 PM

      ooh that sounds good!

      Reply
  12. Jan @ Sprouts n Squats says

    December 3, 2013 at 3:00 PM

    I love cranberry sauce but I’ve never seen fresh cranberries or even frozen ones here in Australia, we only seem to have the dried ones. This looks yum though.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:34 PM

      such a bummmer!

      Reply
  13. Ashlee@HisnHers says

    December 3, 2013 at 3:49 PM

    I LOVE homemade Cranberry sauce! I made a huge batch for Thanksgiving and have been eating it on everything. I’ve never put vinegar in though! I’ll have to try that and see how it alters the taste.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:33 PM

      yes! try it for sure. Would love to know what you think!

      Reply
  14. Christie @ Kissesandkale.blogspot.com says

    December 3, 2013 at 5:10 PM

    Yum! I love cranberry sauce! I didn’t get any for Thanksgiving this year and I’ve been craving it ever since. I’ll have to save this recipe for sure.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:31 PM

      yes! hope you get a chance to make it!

      Reply
  15. Domi @ Eat, Pray, Lift says

    December 3, 2013 at 7:46 PM

    Mmmmm I am all about homemade cranberry sauce! Just made some this afternoon during a frenzy of food prep. 🙂 I’ll have to try this recipe next time!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:31 PM

      yay! hope you like it!

      Reply
  16. Matt @ Runner Savvy says

    December 3, 2013 at 7:57 PM

    Looks good! My mom always serves the nasty canned stuff.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:31 PM

      haha nooooo stay away from that 🙂

      Reply
  17. Christine @ Love, Life, Surf says

    December 3, 2013 at 8:55 PM

    YUM! This looks delicious.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 3, 2013 at 9:30 PM

      Thanks Christine!

      Reply
  18. Purelytwins says

    December 4, 2013 at 7:59 AM

    we need to start making our own cranberry sauce for the family. Since we don’t eat it, we never really think to make one.

    Reply
  19. Tam says

    December 4, 2013 at 9:02 AM

    This year I made it to go with pork tenderloin and served it warm. It was delicious! Love it!

    Reply
  20. Leanne says

    December 10, 2014 at 11:17 AM

    Thinking of making this for Christmas. Curious how many or what weight of cranberries are in “one bag”?

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      December 10, 2014 at 4:37 PM

      i think it’s 8 oz.

      Reply
  21. Roxanne Justiz says

    October 24, 2023 at 6:32 PM

    I love this simple and delicious cranberry sauce. I like eating all year not only during winter! It taste delicious on chicken and turkey. I also like using it with the cranberry meatball recipe you have and the cranberry corn muffins. i have to incorporate it into the other recipes you have. Thanks for sharing. Shalom

    Reply

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Lindsay Livingston The Lean Green Bean Healthy Living Tips and Tricks

I'm a Registered Dietitian and mom of three from Columbus, Ohio. I use this blog to share simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and an honest glimpse of motherhood!

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Questions? Comments? Email me: [email protected]

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