Our Favorite Cranberry Sauce Recipe

This is our favorite recipe for the Thanksgiving staple: cranberry sauce. Made from 5 ingredients, this easy sauce is ready after 15 minutes on the stove. Flavored with fresh orange juice, brown sugar, and a dash of vanilla– my secret– it’s a cut above the rest.

I’ve been making this cranberry sauce for years. It’s our family’s favorite recipe and whenever I first taste it on Thanksgiving, I always wonder why I wait for the holiday season to make it?! Honestly, this stuff deserves to be a year-round habit.

I’ve never really thought to publish the recipe on my website because it’s not (1) a large side dish, (2) dessert, or (3) baking related. But this year I’ve gotten many requests for a delicious cranberry sauce recipe. And, luckily, this one is my very best.

Why This is My Best Cranberry Sauce

Quick— only 15 minutes on the stove
Easy— no boiling the water and sugar together first
Convenient— just 5 simple ingredients (including water!)
Flavorful— made with fresh orange juice & zest
Texture— moderately thick with whole cranberries swirled in
Make-ahead— make it a few days in advance so it’s ready!
Unlike the rest— I use brown sugar & vanilla

Cranberry Sauce Video Tutorial

I didn’t think there was a way to mess this recipe up, but when I was filming the video, I spaced out and over-boiled the cranberries on high heat. I was literally standing over the pot and before I knew it, the cranberries shriveled up and the sauce thinned out. So, make sure you cook on a lower heat and keep a watchful eye on it.

Also, don’t be like Chandler Bing and rinse your cranberries with dish soap.

Cranberry Sauce Ingredients

No cornstarch or other thickeners needed!

Cranberries: Use fresh or frozen cranberries. Do not use dried.
Water: The cranberries cook in liquid, so we’re using a combination of water and orange juice. I find using all orange juice overpowers the cranberry flavor.
Fresh Orange Juice: Squeeze 1/4 cup of juice from a fresh orange. You need the orange zest anyway, so why not use the juices inside? Orange and cranberry are a natural pairing. Have you tried my orange cranberry bread yet?
Brown Sugar: Why use regular white granulated sugar when there’s brown sugar?! That’s my motto and it definitely applies to cranberry sauce. I usually use only 3/4 cup, but if you want a very sweet cranberry sauce, increase to 1 cup.
Orange Zest: Before you juice the orange, grate some zest off. Add the zest after the sauce comes off heat. Why? When I cook the cranberry sauce with the zest, the end result tastes a little bitter.
Vanilla Extract: I don’t see a lot of cranberry sauce recipes use this ingredient, but I swear by it. A dash of vanilla extract tastes unbelievable with the orange, brown sugar, and cranberry flavors. (And bonus! Smells great too.)

Here’s how to make it: Set 1/2 cup of cranberries aside. We’ll stir those in at the very end, adding even more texture. Put most of the ingredients into a pot and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in orange zest and vanilla extract. That’s it, you’re done. Though I don’t recommend it, you could probably make this with your eyes closed.

If you need to bring a dish to Thanksgiving, bring this cranberry sauce. It’s low maintenance and you can make it ahead of time. You can also freeze the cranberry sauce for up to 3 months. Easy!

Uses for Cranberry Sauce

With a traditional Thanksgiving meal
On biscuits, pancakes, or pound cake
Swirl 3/4 cup into cheesecake batter before baking
Serve with cornbread
On buttermilk waffles
Swirl 1/2 cup into cranberry orange muffins batter (you can skip the whole cranberries in that recipe)
Swap BBQ sauce for cranberry sauce on BBQ chicken pizza (I swear it’s good)
Swirl into yogurt or cottage cheese
Swap the fresh fruit for a spoonful of cranberry sauce on my goat cheese crostini