Fresh Cranberry Sauce {Easy} - Two Peas & Their Pod (2024)

I always stock up on fresh cranberries when I see them at the store. I love making my Apple Cranberry Pie, Cranberry Orange Bread, and the BEST Cranberry Sauce.

Cranberry Sauce is a holiday tradition and I love this cranberry sauce recipe because it is sweetened with pure maple syrup. There are no refined sugars here, just fresh cranberries, pure maple syrup, orange zest, orange juice, and a little cinnamon. The flavors are FANTASTIC!

It is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It only takes 25 minutes to make and you can make it in advance. And I promise it is MUCH better than canned cranberry sauce. Fresh is the ONLY way to go!

Simple Ingredients

• Fresh or frozen cranberries– Fresh cranberries will start appearing in stores at the end of October or early November. I like to buy several bags so I can put a few in the freezer. They will keep for up to one year, so stock up!
• Pure maple syrup– to sweeten the sauce. You want to balance out the tart in the cranberries.
• Orange- you will need the juice and zest from a fresh orange.
• Water– to make the sauce
• Cinnamon– a love adding a little cinnamon!

How to Make Cranberry Sauce

• Place the cranberries in a colander and rinse with cold water. Discard any shriveled or damaged cranberries.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, maple syrup, orange zest, orange juice, and water. You are going to bring to a boil and cook until the cranberries have broken down and thickened into a compote, about 20 minutes. The cranberries will pop, don’t be scared:) The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
• Remove the cranberry sauce from the heat and stir in the cinnamon. Let cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to a bowl to chill in the refrigerator.

How to Serve

You can serve cranberry sauce at room temperature or chilled. It is the perfect condiment for holiday turkey. I like to spread it on my dinner roll or toast, SO good! You can also add it to leftover turkey sandwiches for a spread of sweetness.

Variations

• Sweeten with honey instead of pure maple syrup. Of course, you can sweeten with regular granulated sugar too. Sweeten to taste!
• Add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice.
• If you don’t care for orange, you can leave out the orange juice and zest.
• Add ½ cup diced fresh fruit like pineapple, pears, or apples.
• You can also add dried fruit like currants, dried cranberries, or raisins.
• Stir in pecans or walnuts at the end if you want a nutty crunch.

How to Store & Freeze

You can make cranberry sauce in advance, which is SO nice. Get it out of the way so you have one less thing to worry about on the big day!

Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. You can also freeze cranberry sauce in a freezer container or freezer bag for up to 4 months.

More Holiday Side Dishes

• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Parker House Rolls
• Sausage Stuffing
• Roasted Green Beans