5-Ingredient Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
4.8 out of 5 stars
(137)
Ingredients
2 cups
- 12 ounce bag cranberries, rinsed
- 3/4 cup (150g) water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh orange juice (about 1/2 large orange)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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Preparation
Step 1
Read before you begin: You need fresh orange juice and orange zest. It's recommended to zest the orange first, set aside the zest, then cut the orange for the juice.
Step 2
After rinsing the cranberries, set 1/2 cup cranberries aside. You will stir these in at the end for extra texture.
Step 3
Combine the remaining cranberries, water, orange juice, and brown sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally as the mixture comes to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to low-medium. While stirring occasionally, continue to cook until liquid has reduced and cranberries have burst and thickened, about 15 more minutes.
Step 4
Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup reserved cranberries, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Step 5
Sauce is excellent served warm or at room temperature. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Step 6
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Chef's notes
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions:
You can prepare the sauce 3 days ahead of time. Cool completely, cover tightly, then refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature or warm on the stove/in the microwave, if desired, before serving. To freeze, cool sauce completely. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm on the stove/in the microwave before serving.
Cranberries:
One 12 ounce bag is usually between 3 and 4 cups. You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. No need to fully thaw. Rinse the cranberries with water in a colander before using. No need to pat dry—some water droplets are fine.
Brown Sugar:
I usually use 3/4 cup brown sugar, which makes a moderately sweet cranberry sauce. You can increase to 1 cup (200g) if you prefer your cranberry sauce extra sweet.
