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You are here: Crunchy Creamy Sweet / Recipes / Side Dish

Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Published: Nov 8, 2017 · Modified: Oct 26, 2020 by Anna 20 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

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Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce is a classic Thanksgiving side dish made from scratch with just 4 ingredients! Perfectly sweet and tarty!

I always stock up on cranberries during the season. My Cranberry Bread is on rotation all through winter, my Cranberry Crumb Bars are perfect for guests and my Cranberry Orange Cheesecake is always the star on our Christmas dinner table.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce in a white elegant serving dish.

Cranberry sauce is hands down my favorite side dish to make and eat on holidays. I make it for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am always so excited to see cranberries show up in our grocery stores. This easy homemade classic Cranberry Sauce recipe is my go-to because it's easy and absolutely delicious. All thanks to the combination of cranberries and ground cloves! This Cranberry Sauce calls for only a handful of ingredients: fresh or frozen cranberries, water ( or orange juice or a combo ), sugar and ground cloves.

Ingredients:

  • fresh or frozen cranberries
  • water
  • sugar
  • ground cloves
Fresh cranberries for Homemade Cranberry Sauce in water in a pot.

How to make Cranberry Sauce?

  • Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring to boil, then simmer until the sauce thickens.
  • You can mash the cranberries or even puree the sauce if that's the texture you prefer. I love a chunky cranberry sauce with some berries whole.
  • If you have any cranberry sauce leftover, you can use it to make my Cranberry Crumb Bars for a dessert or layer it with brie and leftover turkey to make a fantastic grilled cheese.

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My secret to the best homemade cranberry sauce:

I know that most recipes for cranberry sauce call for cinnamon. It's good but it's not my favorite. The best spice for a cranberry sauce, in my opinion, are ground cloves. You don't need much, just ¼ teaspoon so they are not overwhelming. The cranberry and cloves combo is so perfect, sweet and tarty, warm and spiced.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Absolutely! I always make it the day before. Prepare as directed in the recipe below and store in a container with lid, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.

Cranberry sauce in white dish.

More holiday side dish recipes:

  • Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
  • Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
  • Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing
  • Instant Pot Turkey Breast
  • Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
  • Candied Sweet Potatoes
  • Turkey Gravy

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

Homemade Cranberry Sauce in an elegant serving dish.

Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Author: Anna
A classic Thanksgiving side dish made from scratch with just 4 ingredients! Perfectly sweet and tarty!
5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 people
Calories 147 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
 
 

  • 12 oz. bag of fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup water see note
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients, stir well.
  • Bring to boil. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 to 12 minutes. Smash cranberries, leaving some whole.
  • Remove from heat and cool. It will thicken even more as it cools.

Notes

This sauce can be made 3 days ahead.

Nutrition

Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 9.1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!

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Comments

    5 from 10 votes

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Laura Reese says

    November 19, 2020 at 5:17 pm

    5 stars
    This was just what I was looking for! It is so delicious.

    Reply
  2. Kristyn says

    November 13, 2020 at 6:55 pm

    5 stars
    Such an easy & delicious recipe!! This is the way to go...no more buying!

    Reply
  3. Stephanie says

    November 13, 2020 at 5:23 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely the best cranberry sauce I've ever made! Such a great recipe.

    Reply
  4. Alli says

    November 19, 2018 at 6:29 pm

    5 stars
    Homemade sauce is the best. This is our favorite!!

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      November 20, 2018 at 1:32 am

      Thank you so much, Alli!

      Reply
  5. Sommer says

    November 19, 2018 at 8:42 am

    5 stars
    This is such a brilliant perky cranberry sauce. We love it!!

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      November 20, 2018 at 1:33 am

      Thank you, Sommer!

      Reply
  6. Lori says

    November 19, 2018 at 8:28 am

    5 stars
    Cloves are a nice addition- yum!

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      November 20, 2018 at 1:33 am

      I agree! Thanks, Lori!

      Reply
  7. Kimberly says

    November 19, 2018 at 3:32 am

    5 stars
    Nothing beats homemade cranberry sauce, SO much better than the store-bought stuff!

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      November 20, 2018 at 1:33 am

      Absolutely! I don't remember the last time we had store-bought sauce! Thanks, Kimberly!

      Reply
  8. Aimee Shugarman says

    November 18, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    5 stars
    Such an easy recipe, and perfect for the holidays!

    Reply
  9. Rachael Yerkes says

    November 18, 2018 at 6:28 pm

    5 stars
    I can't even do thanksgiving anymore without homemade cranberry sauce, thanks for the great recipe.

    Reply
  10. Krista says

    November 09, 2017 at 11:42 pm

    Homemade sauce! Count me in!

    Reply
  11. Amy says

    November 09, 2017 at 11:32 am

    Everyone needs to make this for the Holidays! Love homemade!

    Reply
  12. Dee says

    November 09, 2017 at 11:03 am

    5 stars
    I love homemade cranberry sauce, and yours looks perfect!

    Reply
  13. Catalina says

    November 09, 2017 at 6:50 am

    This would go fast in my house! Yummy!

    Reply
  14. Patricia says

    November 08, 2017 at 10:18 pm

    I love cranberry sauce and all that you can pair with it - Thanksgiving or not! I want to make this soon -- before the big day -- and will add the nutmeg!

    Reply
  15. Amanda says

    November 08, 2017 at 10:12 pm

    Cranberry sauce is such an underrated holiday side dish... this looks tasty!

    Reply
  16. Kimberly says

    November 08, 2017 at 9:10 pm

    Absolutely NOTHING compares to homemade! I won't touch the canned stuff but THIS, I'll eat it by the spoonful! 🙂

    Reply
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Hi! I'm Anna!

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