Cranberry Sauce

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This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is a fresh, flavorful twist on the Thanksgiving classic, featuring bright orange, fragrant rosemary, and the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Easy to make in just 20 minutes with 4 ingredients.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings:

Author: Jamie Vespa MS, RD

Equipment

Small saucepan

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed (sub frozen - see notes)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh orange juice + 1 tsp. orange zest, divided (from 1 orange)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Instructions

Zest and juice orange. Start by zesting the orange (set zest aside) and juicing. (Depending on how juicy the orange is, you may get anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 cup juice. You only need 1/4 cup for the recipe, but reserve extra incase you want extra orange flavor.)
After rinsing cranberries, set aside 1/2 cup to add to the sauce after simmering.
Simmer. Combine cranberries, water, orange juice, maple syrup, and 1 rosemary sprig in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer until liquid has reduced and cranberries have burst and thickened, about 15 minutes.
(Be sure to keep the cranberries at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. Boiling can cause the rosemary leaves to break away from the sprig and the cranberries to break down too much.)
Remove rosemary sprig and stir in reserved 1/2 cup whole cranberries and orange zest. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. (Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.)
Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cranberry sauce is best served at room temperature, in my opinion!

Notes

Frozen cranberries: If using frozen, add them directly to the saucepan (no need to thaw or rinse) and simmer as instructed.
Make-Ahead: You can prepare the cranberry sauce 3 days ahead of time.
Store: Cool sauce completely, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature or warm on the stovetop (or in the microwave) before serving, if desired.
Freeze: Cool sauce completely and store in a freezer-safe storage bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm on the stovetop before serving. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in a splash of water or fresh orange juice to loosen.

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