15 Minute Homemade Cranberry Sauce

The holidays are right around the corner, and along with them come the sides. This includes the famous green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, fried okra, sweet potato casserole, corn salad, and cranberry sauce.

Cranberry sauce is something that always shows up on the table around the holidays. Anytime there is dressing or turkey, you will find cranberry sauce. In my house, you can’t have dressing unless there is cranberry sauce to go with it. I’m not sure who made that rule, but it’s a rule. 🙂

I am guilty of buying the cranberry sauce in the can. It’s good, and it’s so convenient. Plus, it’s decorated so nicely with those little rings around the top. You just refrigerate, open the can, and dump it into a serving bowl. Done!

But, I’ve also found that making Homemade Cranberry Sauce only takes 15 minutes to make, and I now make it fresh. Of course, you will need to add a little time to chill and set up, but this is so much better. Trust me!

Fresh Cranberry Sauce is super easy to make and only requires simple ingredients. This version is flavored with fresh orange juice and a little zest which makes this absolutely delicious.

Ingredients Needed for 15 Minute Homemade Cranberry Sauce

 sugar
water
orange juice (juice from 2 oranges)
orange zest
fresh or frozen cranberries

How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce

*Wash cranberries and pick out bad or bruised ones.
**Bring water, orange juice, orange zest, and sugar to a boil.
***Add cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until cranberries have burst. Mash gently with a spoon.
****Remove from the heat and cool completely.

*****At this point, you can transfer the sauce to an air-tight bowl or a covered serving dish and place it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Tips and Variations for Making Cranberry Sauce

*If you don’t have orange juice, you can certainly use water.
*Use fresh or frozen cranberries.
*Use fresh orange juice when possible.
*You can add pecan pieces to the cranberry sauce at the end of cooking time.
*Feel free to add raisins, cinnamon, or nutmeg to this sauce at the end of the cooking time.
*Use lemon zest instead of orange zest.
*Add some cinnamon to the recipe while cooking.
*If you don’t like the berries in the sauce, you can strain it and remove the berries.

Cooking a Turkey this year? Be sure to check out my recipe for Cooking a Turkey In A Bag. It’s simple and moist every time.

Can I Make Cranberry Sauce Ahead of Time?

You sure can! Go ahead and make this up to a week in advance. This will free up your time in the kitchen during the holidays.

How to Serve Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Serve as a side to turkey, dressing, or ham. Or it’s also incredibly awesome piled high on a leftover turkey sandwich. Yep, just add a little mayo, cranberry sauce, and turkey to bread, and you have a masterpiece of a sandwich.

I believe once you see how easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce is to prepare, you may find yourself making it every year. The taste is so much fresher.

More Holiday Side Dishes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes

Cranberry Stuffing

Easy Corn Casserole

Pineapple Casserole

Holiday Desserts

No-Bake Pumpkin Pie

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Carrot Cake

Chocolate Pecan Pie

9 Southern Thanksgiving Desserts