Description
This classic cranberry sauce recipe delivers a perfect balance of tart and sweet, made with fresh or frozen cranberries simmered with your choice of granulated sugar, honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar. Ideal for holiday meals, it’s quick to prepare and can be easily customized with citrus zest or spices.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar, or 3/4 cup honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar, plus more to taste
- 3/4 cup water, preferably filtered
- 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
Instructions
- Rinse Cranberries: Rinse the cranberries in a bowl of water to separate any bad ones that float to the surface. Discard shriveled, squishy, or discolored cranberries, then drain well.
- Melt Sugar: In a large saucepan, combine sugar (or chosen sweetener) and water. Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Add Cranberries: Add cranberries to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.
- Sweeten to Taste: Adjust sweetness by adding more sugar, honey, or maple syrup as desired. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- If using liquid sweeteners like honey or maple syrup, you can combine all ingredients in the saucepan at once and bring to a boil.
- Optional additions at the start of cooking include 2 wide strips of lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 wide strips of orange zest plus 1/4 cup orange juice for a cranberry orange variation, 1/2 cup dried cherries, or 1/2 cinnamon stick.
- To store, refrigerate the cooled cranberry sauce in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
