Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Name: Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup water; 1 cup white sugar; 1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries (such as Ocean Spray®)

40 Ratings
33 Reviews
8 Photos

A great side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. It can be used as filling for cranberry/cream cheese tarts and also makes a great topping on bagels, corn bread, or cheesecake. Pour into a serving dish or jars and cover. The pectin in the cranberries will make the cranberry sauce gel as it cools. I usually use a fork to mix it up which will make it more pliable.

By Josef Plavjak

Gallery

Recipe Summary

cook:

15 mins

total:

20 mins

prep:

5 mins

Servings:

Yield:

16 servings

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 16 servings

The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries (such as Ocean Spray®)

Directions

Step 1
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan; add sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Mix cranberries into the sugar water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until desired consistency is reached, about 10 minutes.

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Cook's Note:

Up to 2 cups sugar may be used in the recipe if you prefer a sweeter sauce. I use 1 cup because I prefer the tart flavor of the cranberry.

The longer you boil it, the less chunky it will be. I prefer mine with chunks of cranberries, almost like cherry pie filling, so I boil for a bit less than 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

58 calories; protein 0.1g; carbohydrates 15.1g; sodium 0.9mg. Full Nutrition

Margaret Gunderson Bonicelli

11/21/2018

This is the best way to cook cranberries. There is NO need to add orange, or lemon, or zest, or anything! KISS! (Keep It Simple Stupid) Don't mess with perfection!

scrable1

11/25/2015

I used this one and it was good.

40 Ratings

5 star values: 28
4 star values: 10
3 star values: 2
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

Sort by: Most Helpful

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Margaret Gunderson Bonicelli

11/21/2018

This is the best way to cook cranberries. There is NO need to add orange, or lemon, or zest, or anything! KISS! (Keep It Simple Stupid) Don't mess with perfection!

amanda balla TheMrs

11/25/2015

Super simple and came out really yummy. Added orange juice instead of water, and added about 1/4 tsp. of all spice to it. Whisked it so it would mash it a little too.

scrable1

11/25/2015

I used this one and it was good.

Nicole Besancon

11/20/2015

Try boiling in orange juice instead of the water. It's a delicious twist.

Mary

01/17/2018

My husband is diabetic so I used 1 1/2 cups of Spenda instead of sugar. It was excellent.

Lksmith

11/25/2018

I used half white and half brown sugar. I also used the zest of one orange. Rather than waste the orange juice, I added the juice of the orange and water to make 1 cup. Delicious!

Kristenindenver

11/25/2016

I would add only a 1/2 cup of sugar if you use orange juice, and zest and squeeze the same fresh orange for a wonderful orange cranberry sauce. 1/2 cup o sugar cuts down on needless sweet and calories and you can actually taste the cranberries. Wonderful natural sweet-tart!

Elizabeth Griswold

11/26/2015

I used orange juice, orange zest, and half the sugar. Simple, tasty and excellent with cranberry chunks (not over cooked)!

Annette

12/13/2017

All I can say is the canned sauce was left in the dish and the girls were fighting over this fresh sauce. It was totally amazing!!! The only change was substituting OJ for part of the water. Yummy

MomMomG

11/21/2018

So easy to make. love it

Franco

11/25/2016

This has been the go to recipe for my family for 50 years, but its so simple not sure I call it a recipe LOL. Its a condiment that we use over turkey and dressing at thanksgiving. I especially like it over bread sage dressing that is savory and a little extra salty, the two make an great combo. I also use it over ice cream, and over pita meat and also mix it in cream cheese to make a spread. Simple but so good!

Lauren Teasle

11/25/2015

Delicious! Made this with my Mom for Thanksgiving tomorrow, and it's the best cranberry sauce I've ever tasted! :-D

Karin

12/17/2015

Loved it! Added in an apple and grated ginger yumo:)

Brenda

11/27/2015

I used the orange juice instead of water and added ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. A little too sweet will make it with water next time but beautiful consistency

Hamo

11/26/2017

No changes it was great, All who ate it loved it

ZUZU

12/28/2014

Really liked this recipe. Added about 4 tbls. of frozen strawberries. Yum.

debi

12/27/2019

the only cranberry recipe a person needs. perfect tart to sweet!

Amy Arnold

12/14/2014

An easy cranberry sauce to use in the Cranberry Maple Syrup that pairs perfectly with Sweet Potato Waffles.

Lisa Raulston

11/20/2015

I have made it the basic way, but I've also used orange juice instead of the water....delicious! It adds another layer of flavor while still keeping it simple.

GTJ

11/24/2018

Easy to make and delicious! I did use orange juice instead of water. I was pleasantly surprised.

kris

11/23/2017

I followed the directions exactly and it turned out to perfection. Thank you for such an easy recipe. I have always wanted to make it fresh and thanks to you I will forever use this recipe for Thanksgiving!!

Baking Nana

Allstar

11/04/2014

Classic recipe.

BubuBerry

10/18/2015

this recipe pairs well with some orange zest as well delish!

Donald

11/26/2015

I left this in to boil slightly longer for less chunks. It tastes great! In hindsight I should have follwed the receipe for more chunks. Still a simply great receipe.

Amy Arnold

12/14/2014

An easy cranberry sauce to use in the Cranberry Maple Syrup that pairs perfectly with Sweet Potato Waffles.

Janet Weeks

12/28/2019

This was so easy and yummy- tart but nice side dish and so much better than canned !

keribell

12/11/2015

Very easy and delicious! I will never eat canned cranberry sauce again. Definitely will make again.

Kevin

11/28/2019

Great and simple recipe. Two suggestions: 1. Rinse the cranberries before adding to the sugar water. 2. I usually make the night before if possible. Gives plenty of time to completely cool and thicken prior to serving.

Joan Dodge

07/10/2020

It was very easy to make. Very tasty.

Mary Marler Ewing

11/27/2016

Loved this recipe. The only change I made was I added a couple of cinnamon sticks to the recipe while it simmered for 10 minutes. Made the kitchen smell great and was wonderful in the cranberry sauce.

tml06

11/27/2016

I made no changes. made this for a thanks giving dinner at kids house, it was loved my all.

Kathleen Chenelle

12/08/2019

I followed the reciepe, and it turned out weel. Personally, I would add more sugar..... It was very tart.

Michele Kiernan

12/19/2016

Only way I'll make it from now on.