One of our favorite sides for Thanksgiving dinner is homemade cranberry sauce. An easy holiday menu staple, that’s also a breeze to make, coming tougher in under 20 minutes. With warm notes of cinnamon, orange and vanilla, the homemade cranberry sauce, made with fresh cranberries will pair wonderfully with nearly every holiday dish, sweet and savory, and will surely be enjoyed by all who try it! Consider it a must addition to your festive Thanksgiving and Christmas menus. Grab the quick recipe below!

Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Bright & flavorful homemade cranberry sauce made with fresh whole cranberries,  fresh squeezed orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon vanilla and a touch of sweetness. A simple and delicious side for your Thanksgiving table.

this recipe

 Ingredient List

Below is a list of all the items needed to make a quick batch of cranberry sauce at home:

• Fresh cranberries rinsed
• Granulated sugar (or sugar of choice)
• Zest from 1 orange
• Juice from zested orange 
• Water
• Cinnamon Sticks
• Vanilla bean

How to Make the Homemade Cranberry Sauce

This cranberry sauce will come together quickly and easily with just a few steps.

First pour water, orange juice and sugar in a pan and bring to a simmer, then add cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean and cranberries and stir until cranberries begin to break down. Then cook the sauce on medium heat covered with a lid for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. Next, remove lid and use a potato masher to break down any whole cranberries. Remove from heat and cool. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

I recommend making the homemade cranberry sauce in advance, for even more flavor and for easy serving on Thanksgiving Day!

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Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

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Bright & flavorful homemade cranberry sauce made with fresh whole cranberries,  fresh squeezed orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon vanilla and a touch of sweetness. A simple and delicious side for your Thanksgiving table.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 4.5 cups of fresh cranberries (rinsed)
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar or sugar of choice (increase sugar by 1/4 cup for a sweeter sauce)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Zest from 1 orange.
• Fresh squeezed orange juice from the zested orange (about 1/4 cup)
• Half a vanilla bean pod (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)

Instructions

1. Place water, orange juice and sugar in a pan and bring to a simmer.
2. Add cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean and cranberries and stir until cranberries begin to break down.
3. Cook on medium heat covered with a lid for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Remove lid and use a potato masher to break down any whole cranberries if desired.
5. Remove from heat and cool to room temp before transferring to the fridge. The sauce will thicken even more as it cools..
6. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
7. Enjoy!

Notes

Make the cranberry sauce up tp 3-4 days in advance. Store in the fridge until ready to enjoy!

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This cranberry sauce is the perfect pairing for your favorite holiday dishes and appetizers. It’s also a customizable side that can be adjusted based on your favorite herbs and spices. 

Bookmark and save the seasonal cranberry recipe for the holiday season and enjoy alongside your ext holiday feast! Thanks for reading!

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