Ruby Red Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Updated November 11, 2024

By Rebecca St. Clair

Jump to Recipe for muffins

This homemade cranberry sauce is bright and flavourful. Made with only 3 ingredients, you wont believe how easy homemade cranberry sauce is to make!

This cranberry sauce is has a lovely tartness from the fresh cranberries but is mellowed out by the smooth deep flavours of apple cider.

How to store easy homemade cranberry sauce

My family loves cranberry sauce, especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I always make a batch of cranberry sauce and save half of it to freeze for Christmas dinner. It freezes and stores extremely well.

Fridge

To store homemade cranberry sauce in the fridge,

• Allow the cooked sauce to cool to room temperature
• Store in an airtight container
• Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks

Freezer

Homemade cranberry sauce freezes extremely well, I have never found that it gets runny or has any significant change in texture. To freeze homemade cranberry sauce,

• Allow the cooked sauce to cool to room temperature
• Store in an airtight container
• Store in the freezer for up to 3 months

When you are ready to use the sauce, allow it to defrost in the fridge for 24 hours. Stir the sauce before serving or using in recipes.

How to thicken cranberry sauce

This homemade cranberry sauce is thickened by the pectin in the fruit reacting with the sugar in the recipe to form a gel. For the pectin to be released from the cranberries they must be heated to boiling and then boiled for 10 minutes.

Cranberry sauce will also thicken as it cools. If you are looking for a thicker cranberry sauce, make sure to either make the sauce the day before needed and store in the fridge or make it well enough in advance that it has time to fully cool before being served.

Is cranberry sauce gluten-free

Yes, this homemade cranberry sauce recipe is naturally gluten-free. It is made with only a handful of ingredients, fresh cranberries, sugar, and apple cider all of which do not contain gluten.

What is cranberry sauce used for?

Perhaps the most popular use for homemade cranberry sauce is during the Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. However, cranberry sauce pair perfectly with a variety of meats from chicken to pork. So don’t save it just for the holiday turkey!

Since this sauce has a lovely sweet tart flavour it pair perfectly in desserts and baked goods. For a decadent treat try these quick and easy cranberry cheesecake squares.

Mix your cranberry sauce right into muffin batter for the perfect cranberry muffins. (Check out the recipe at the bottom of the post!)

However, my favourite way to use cranberry sauce might just be on top of a rich and creamy baked brie!

Can I use other liquids for making Cranberry Sauce

Yes! In this recipe I like to use apple cider because I love the added flavour and spices it brings to the cranberries. However, you can change up the taste by using a variety of liquids,

Orange Juice– Another great choice is orange juice, the intense flavour of the oranges really shines through and gives it a really distinct flavour.

Pomegranate juice– Amazing flavour and just adds to the gorgeous ruby red colour!

Cranberry juice– Obviously!

Water– Cranberries are super flavourful. Sauce made from just simple sweetened cranberries is amazing!

If you want to replace the apple cider in this recipe you can use any of these options interchangeably.

Ingredients

1 340 g bag Fresh Cranberries

¾ cup brown sugar 150 g

1 cup apple cider 250 ml

Method

1. Pour cranberries into a sauce pot on med-high heat.
2. Add sugar and apple cider. Stir.
3. Cover, leaving a little space for steam to escape.

4. Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes. When you start to see (or hear) the cranberries pop, stir and mash the cranberries up a bit with the back of your spoon.

5.Remove from heat. Serve warm or cold.

Need more holiday side dishes try From-Scratch Herb Stuffing Bread, plus stuffing recipe or Family Favourite Mashed Potato Casserole

Bonus: Left-overs recipe- Cranberry Sauce Muffins

Cranberry Sauce muffins are a great way to use up left over sauce. Simple and delicious. Just a few ingredients to a perfect grab-and-go breakfast or a great festive snack to pack in a lunch!

Ingredients for Muffins

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 260 g

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder 17 g

½ teaspoon salt 2 ml

¼ cup white sugar 50 g

1 egg

1 cup milk 250 ml

1/3 cup melted butter 80 ml

2/3 cup cranberry sauce 160 ml

¼ cup brown sugar 50 ml

2 teaspoons cinnamon 10 ml

¼ cup melted butter 60 ml

Method for Cranberry Sauce Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C)
2. Line muffin tin.
3. In a large bowl blend together flour, baking powder, salt, and white sugar.
4. In a separate bowl, mix egg, milk, and 1/3 cup melted butter.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix.
6. Fold in the cranberry sauce. Mix until just combined.
7. Spoon batter to fill the muffin cups half way.
8. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and ¼ cup melted butter to form a paste.
9. Spoon a small dollop in the middle of each muffin.
10. Cover each with the remaining batter, to just under the top.
11. Bake for 20-25 mins
12. Cool slightly and serve.

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