Homemade whole berry cranberry sauce made with fresh cranberries. This delicious sauce is made with fresh cranberries, sugar, orange and cinnamon.
Perfect for all your holiday meals.
Why make this recipe
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.
This simple recipe is made with just four ingredients and it's easy to adjust the amount you make to fit the number of people you're serving.
Make this cranberry sauce ahead of time and it's one less thing you need to do for your holiday dinner.
Key ingredients
- Fresh cranberries
- Sugar
- Cinnamon Stick
- Fresh orange peel
Step by step directions
- Place all ingredients in a pot
- Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes
- Remove from heat and allow to cool
- Remove cinnamon stick and orange peel
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate
Recipe tips
- Use just the orange peel and try to avoid getting the white pith that's just under the peel. The pith can be bitter. Use a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler to remove the peel.
- Keep an eye on your cranberries while cooking and stir often to avoid scorching
- If berries become too thick, you can a touch more water
- The berries will begin to pop while they are cooking. This is normal!
Recipe Faqs
Yes, you can make this sauce ahead of time. You can make this cranberry dish 3 days ahead of time. Just cool after making and then place in a container, cover and refrigerate.
Yes, this sauce freezes well. Once the sauce is made, allow it to cool and then place in a freezer safe container. The sauce will maintain its quality in the freezer for up to two months.
To use, remove from freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
More great holiday recipes
When planning for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner you might also want to include Green Bean Almondine, Sweet Potato Gratin, Wild Rice Salad and Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls.
Stuffed Cornish Hens with a Wild Rice Stuffing make an elegant meal for a smaller gathering.
You'll also want to check out this recipe for Jellied Cranberry Sauce! Another great way to enjoy those cranberries!
If you end up with any leftover cranberry sauce, it is perfect in this Baked Cranberry Brie.
More cranberry recipes
- Cranberry Swirl Bread
- Cranberry Pecan Bars
- Cranberry Swirl Cookies
- Cranberry Muffins,
- Cranberry Scones
- Cranberry Apple Bread
- Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
- Cranberry Jalapeno Bites.
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!
Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 strips orange peel
Instructions
- Place everything into a pot
- Bring to a boil
- Boil for 5 minutes
- Remove from heat and allow to cool
- Remove cinnamon stick and orange peel
- Cover and refrigerate
Video
Notes
- Use just the orange peel and try to avoid getting the white pith that's just under the peel. The pith can be bitter. Use a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler to remove the peel.
- Keep an eye on your cranberries while cooking and stir often to avoid scorching
- If berries become too thick, you can a touch more water
- The berries will begin to pop while they are cooking. This is normal!
- This cranberry sauce is tart. If you like it a bit sweeter, add additional sugar (½ cup - 1 cup)
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in November of 2015. The pictures and content have been updated.
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext says
I love cranberry sauce! This looks perfect, Kathy! I love that you've reduced the sugar content. Really like the addition of orange peel and cinnamon. Delicious!
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
I love homemade whole berry cranberry sauce, Kathy. Yours looks delicious! Love the cinnamon stick.
Kathy says
The cinnamon definitely adds a little extra!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
I love all the effort you put in here for so many options! So glad you finally found PERFECTION! Woot!
Kathy says
I'll save all that extra sugar for my dessert....not my cranberries.
Meghan | Fox and Briar says
Yum, I love homemade cranberry sauce! And I love that you added a cinnamon stick to it, what a nice touch!
Danielle @ So Munch Love says
Growing up, my mom made a huge Thanksgiving dinner from scratch, but when it came to cranberry sauce, it always comes from a can. Go figure. Only in my adult life have I begun eating homemade. This recipe looks absolutely perfect!
Kathy says
That was the same in my house growing up. My sister still prefers the canned jellied cranberry sauce...I need to convert her!
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says
I love homemade cranberry sauce. Never thought of putting an orange peel in it though!!
Kathy says
It adds just a little extra touch!
Amy (Savory Moments) says
I love homemade cranberry sauce. This looks perfect.
Kathy says
Thanks!
Senika @ Foodie Blog Stalker says
I love homemade cranberry sauce! And completely agree that less sugar is better!
Kathy says
There is so much sugar in so many foods already....time to cut back!
Lindsey says
I love that your recipe uses less sugar!! Totally agree that most recipes call for a crazy amount of sugar, great call and can't wait to try!
Kathy says
I hope you love it as much as I do!
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden says
I have no clue why, but my kids favorite food is cranberry sauce. They absolutely gobble the stuff down. It's in their top 5 foods so I guess I should learn to make! Thanks.
Kathy says
You'd better get cooking! Your kids will think you are their hero, cooking one of their favorites!