Cooking and baking for Thanksgiving is hard work. Don't make it any harder than it has to be!! You are going to love how easy this homemade cranberry sauce recipe is to make. Gather a few simple ingredients, this sweet and sour cranberry sauce cooks in just minutes!
Tis' the season for all things cranberry!! If you haven't found that perfect cranberry sauce recipe yet, I am hoping you give this simple recipe a try. There is nothing fancy, no hard to find ingredients...just fresh cranberries, apples, lemon zest, pomegranate juice, sugar, and a hint of vanilla.
My recipe may be simple, but I promise you this cranberry sauce will taste delicious and everyone will love it. Why spend more time in the kitchen than you need? Slather it on this Air Fryer Turkey Breast or onto this Grilled Pork Chop for more fun options!
Why this recipe is great:
This homemade cranberry sauce is not only naturally gluten free, but it is free of the top 8 allergens and vegan too. It has just a few simple ingredients and it cooks in just minutes. It is great to meal prep or make ahead so you can prepare this sauce days before Thanksgiving to save time.
Use the leftover cranberry sauce to make these yummy Gluten Free Cranberry Hand Pies too!
Ingredients you need:
- Fresh cranberries - you can find these in any grocery store. Make sure to wash them well and remove any that look old (dried out) or spoiled.
- Sugar
- Apples - sweeter apples like fuji or red delicious are good for this recipe.
- Pomegranate juice - if you can't find this juice then use orange juice.
How to make this recipe:
One of the things I love about this recipe is that I use a lot of different fruit flavors to balance out the tartness of the cranberries. Are you ready to give this cranberry recipe a try?
Step 1: Open the package of cranberries and wash them in a colander. Add them to a pot and turn the heat on medium-low.
Step 2: Add the lemon zest, pomegranate juice, and sugar.
Step 3: Chop fresh apple and add to the pot. You can leave the skins on or off since the cranberries already add texture to the cranberry sauce.
Step 4: Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy warm or cold.
Fresh Cranberry Sauce vs Canned:
If you are a person who loves canned cranberry sauce, that is okay!! No judging here because you have to do what you can do and every shortcut helps. Talk about a time saver! Which canned cranberry sauce do you like best? I tend to like the sauces with whole cranberries and NOT the jelly-like ones.
If you are someone who prefers to make homemade cranberry sauce, this recipe is for you!!
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
You will hear all sorts of popping sounds coming from your cooking cranberry mixture. That is totally fine. As the cranberries cook they pop.
Each package has an average of 3 cups of fresh cranberries. You will want to wash the cranberries and pick out any that are not good.
This homemade cranberry sauce will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container.
You could freeze it but when you thaw it out, the texture will not be the same, which may not be as good.
More easy cranberry recipes:
Easy Cranberry Apple Sauce
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh cranberries (about 2 packages)
- ½ cup chopped apples peeled
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large pot and cook on medium.
- Stir frequently and bring to a boil. Note, you will hear a lot of popping as the cranberries burst. This is totally normal.
- Turn the heat down to medium low and cook until all of the cranberries are broken and soft.
- Allow to cool and serve.
Notes
- When you wash the cranberries, pick out the bruised and bad ones before adding them to the pot.
- If you want to keep this lower glycemic, you can substitute honey.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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