Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

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Homemade Cranberry Sauce made with fresh cranberries.

You can’t have Thanksgiving dinner without cranberry sauce – at least that’s true in my house.  Whole berry cranberry sauce is my favorite and it’s easy to make.  I always think anything you can make from scratch is so much better and healthier than what you can buy, already prepared in the store.

What ingredients do I need to make whole berry cranberry sauce?

• Fresh Cranberries
• Granulated Sugar
• Fresh Orange Peel
• Cinnamon Stick
• Water

How do I make the sauce? 

You won’t believe how easy this cranberry sauce is to make:

1. Place all ingredients in a pot
2. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool
4. Remove cinnamon stick and orange peel
5. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate

Most recipes call for equal amounts of fresh cranberries and sugar.  I’ve played around with this recipe a bit to see if I could reduce the sugar.  The first go round, I reduced the sugar by half!  Can you say perfection?  Yes, indeed!  Perfection!  

I didn’t miss the extra sugar and neither did my kids, hubby and guests we had for dinner. Everyone loved this cranberry sauce!

Can I make this cranberry sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this sauce ahead of time. You can make this classic cranberry dish 3 days ahead of time. 

Can I freeze cranberry sauce?

Yes, my mom makes this every year and freezes it up to two weeks. To use, remove from freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator. 

How does the sauce thicken?

Cranberries have natural pectin in them. As the cranberries cook, the pectin is released. The pectin thickens the sauce. 

Other great holiday recipes

When planning for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner you might also want to include Green Bean Almondine, Sweet Potato Gratin and Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls. 

If you end up with any leftover cranberry sauce, it is perfect in this Baked Cranberry Brie.

A few additional recipes with cranberries include this Cranberry Swirl Bread, Cranberry Pecan Bars,  Cranberry Swirl Cookies, Cranberry Muffins, Cranberry Scones Cranberry Apple Bread, Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad and Cranberry Jalapeno Bites.

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If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Check out all my holiday recipes!

This recipe was originally published in November of 2015. The pictures and content have been updated. 

5 from 6 votes

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Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Whole berry cranberry sauce

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce reduced sugar, whole berry cranberry sauce

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 150 kcal

Author: Kathy

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 strips orange peel

Instructions

1. Place everything into a pot
2. Bring to a boil
3. Boil for 5 minutes
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool
5. Remove cinnamon stick and orange peel
6. Cover and refrigerate

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 150 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 3mg0%

Potassium 37mg1%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 35g39%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 37IU1%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 15mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.