My homemade cranberry sauce starts with frozen cranberries, straight from the bag. I like them because they’re picked at peak season and they cook the same way every time. Plus, I’m usually more likely to find them in the store and it’s more cost-effective. It’s cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water and a little zest, and done in 20 minutes!
Cranberry sauce from frozen cranberries, on purpose
The first cranberry sauce I ever made was in Italy. The only cranberries I could find were frozen ones at the US commissary, so that’s what I used.
I still buy frozen. They go into the hot orange syrup straight from the bag and burst in 8 to 12 minutes. Then I mash them as smooth or as chunky as I want.
No cranberries in the freezer? No problem. My cranberry sauce made by plumping dried cranberries works from the pantry, and I also have a quick fix for canned cranberry sauce with orange juice and zest.
What goes into my cranberry sauce
Full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the recipe card.
- Frozen cranberries go in straight from the bag, no thawing. One 12-ounce bag is the 4 cups you need. Got a second bag? Use it in my cranberry muffins made with frozen cranberries. Fresh cranberries work too. Just rinse and drain them first.
- Orange juice and zest balance the tartness. Fresh-squeezed juice tastes brighter, but store-bought is fine, and lemon zest works in a pinch.
- White sugar dissolves into the juice before the cranberries go in. Brown sugar works the same way, and I’ve had friends use maple syrup.
Shruthi’s Top Tips
Tips for cranberry sauce with frozen cranberries
It thickens as it cools, so take it off the heat while it still looks loose.
- Stop cooking once most of the cranberries have burst. It sets up in the fridge.
- Leave some berries whole for a classic sauce, or use a potato masher if you want it smooth.
- Make it up to 2 days ahead. It keeps for a week, but any longer than 2 days and it gets too thick for the table.
How to make homemade cranberry sauce
- Add the sugar, orange juice and water to a large pot over medium-low heat. Bring it to a gentle boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the frozen cranberries and orange zest. If you’re using fresh cranberries, rinse and drain them first.
- Simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, until most of the cranberries have burst.
- Mash with the flat edge of a spoon, then let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate in an airtight container.
How to serve homemade cranberry sauce
Serve it cold or at room temperature next to my vegan turkey roast, stuffing and the creamiest mashed potatoes. Need a main for the table? Here’s what to serve as the main at a vegetarian Thanksgiving, plus the rest of my Thanksgiving recipes. Outside of Thanksgiving, I love spooning this cranberry sauce on any of my high protein overnight oats as a sweet topping.
Variations
I’ve made it with maple syrup, with rosemary, and with a cinnamon stick in the pot. A little grated ginger works too, and a splash of port, brandy or orange liqueur adds depth.
Storage and reheating
It keeps in the fridge for a week and freezes for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge, or warm it in a pot or the microwave.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce (Fresh or Frozen!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup water
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries , one 12-oz package
- 2 teaspoons orange zest, optional
Instructions
- If using fresh cranberries, rinse and drain.
- To a large pot over medium-low heat, add 1 cup of sugar, ¾ cup of orange juice, and ¼ cup of water. Bring to a gentle boil to dissolve the sugar for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add 12 oz of cranberries and 2 teaspoons of orange zest and simmer for 8 to 12 minutes until cranberries have burst. Mash with the flat edge of a spoon.
- Let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Adjust level of flavor: Increase or decrease the amount of orange juice (compared to water) to make the cranberry sauce more zesty!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could i use a small can of crushed pineapple and juice in place of the orange juice and zest? How about the amounts?
Hi Ann – yes, you absolutely can. I’d recommend using about ½ cup of crushed pineapple (with juice) and ¼ cup of water to replace the ¾ cup orange juice. This keeps the overall liquid balance the same while adding that tropical flavor.
If you like your cranberry sauce a little tangier, you can start with ½ cup pineapple + ¼ cup water, then taste and adjust (add more pineapple juice if you want it sweeter). Let me know how it goes!
Shruthi:
Hope you had a happy holiday meal. I did the cranberries following the recipe on the
back of the package – 1 cup water, 1 bag cranberries, but I only used 1/2 cup sugar. After the berries popped, I did as you suggested and added a half can of crushed pineapple with juice. They were a little runny, but tasted great. Next time I will try to cut the amount of sugar down to 1/4 cup and also adjust the liquids accordingly. Thank you for your assistance.
Thank you for sharing back!
Thanks for the recipe. I needed one for some bags of frozen cranberries. What about adding walnuts to the sauce…seems like that would add another texture? Thanks
Hi! You totally can – did you end up doing this?
I keep cranberries on hand in the freezer to make this all year round. Love cranberry sauce for so many things and refuse to let it be seasonal! This recipe makes it so easy to enjoy with almost any meal.