Cranberry Sauce

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Cranberry Sauce is tart with a slight hint of sweetness and packed full of juicy cranberry flavor. It's the perfect side for holiday meals.

A bowl of cranberry sauce in the center surrounded by fresh cranberries and a metal spoon on the right side.

Christmas is just around the corner and that means turkey and all of the fixings in this household. We are definitely team cranberry and a turkey dinner is not complete without cranberry sauce. I used to buy the sauce that comes in cans but I realized they are loaded with sugars. I set out to make my own cranberry sauce and I will never go back to the canned stuff again. This recipe is super simple to make and you can even prepare it ahead of time because there are always a million other things to think about when making a big holiday meal. I hope you enjoy this cranberry sauce as much as we do.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Equipment
Storage
Top Tip
FAQ
Related
Recipe

Ingredients

Cranberries - I used fresh cranberries for this recipe. They can usually be found in the produce section of the grocery store.
Maple Syrup - Used to sweeten the cranberry sauce.
Water - Adds a touch more moisture to the sauce.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Cranberries, water and maple syrup in a medium size pot.

Add cranberries, maple syrup and water to a medium size pot or saucepan.

Cranberry mixture brought to a boil in a medium size pot.

Bring sauce to a boil on medium heat until cranberries start to pop.

Mashed cranberries in a medium size pot with a potato masher leaning on the side of the pot.

Reduce heat to minimum. Use a potato masher to mash the cranberries.

Remove from heat. The sauce will thicken at it cools. Makes 1 cup of sauce.

Hint: If you like a lot of cranberry sauce, feel free to double the recipe.

Substitutions

Cranberries - Frozen cranberries can easily be substituted for the fresh cranberries.
Maple Syrup - Liquid honey can be substituted for the maple syrup.

Equipment

Potato Masher - Used to mash the cranberries. Use a large fork if you do not have a potato masher but be sure to mash all of the cranberries.

Storage

Cranberry sauce keeps best in the refrigerator. Store sauce in an airtight container for up one week.

Cranberry Sauce freezes well. Place sauce in a freezer safe container and freeze up to three months. Thaw the sauce when you are ready to eat it.

Top Tip

Be sure to cook the cranberries until they start to pop because this will make it easier to mash them.

FAQ

Is cranberry sauce healthy?

Yes! This cranberry sauce is healthy because it's made with two simple ingredients: fresh cranberries and maple syrup. We are skipping the processed sugars and preservatives that typically come in the canned varieties.

What should I serve cranberry sauce with?

Cranberry sauce can be served as a side with a turkey dinner or any holiday meal. I prefer to spread mine on top of my turkey. It also works great in leftover turkey sandwiches or wraps.

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