Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

You are going to love this easy recipe for Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce. It comes together in minutes and is an easy way to make your dinner taste like Thanksgiving or Christmas without all the fuss.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Love This Recipe
• Key Ingredient Notes
• How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
• Storing and Freezing
• BruCrew Tips
• FAQs
• Ways to Use It
• Recipe

Holiday dinners just are not the same without some type of cranberry sauce or salad. Growing up, we always had canned cranberry sauce at our Thanksgiving dinner. It was just tradition.

In fact, I never really questioned the canned stuff until years later when my mother-in-law served homemade cranberry Jello salad for dinner. I realized that it was quite easy to make cranberry sauce from whole berries.

You can have this delicious side dish ready in minutes. It can even be made ahead of time. So, when you are ready to serve dinner, simply pull it out of the fridge.

This berry cranberry sauce is so delicious that you might never need to buy canned again!

Other great side dishes for the holiday are this Red Hot Jello or this cranberry fluff salad! For a tasty drink, try this sparkling cranberry punch.

Key Ingredient Notes

With just a few simple ingredients you can make this homemade cranberry sauce recipe. It's quick to prepare, and it tastes delicious!

• Whole Cranberries: To make this recipe, you will need one bag of berries rinsed and dried. Stock up on bags of cranberries from the fresh produce section during the fall and winter months. Use frozen berries if you can't find fresh.
• Granulated Sugar: A little sugar helps sweeten the tart berries. You can also use brown sugar or honey.
• Orange Juice: Adds a great orange flavor to the sauce. I like to use real juice (not from concentrate) with the pulp. Apple juice and apple cider are other great options.
• Cornstarch: Helps to thicken the mixture and to create a silky smooth texture. It is optional, though, because the berries will thicken as they cook down.

How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce

You can have a batch of whole berry cranberry sauce cooling on your counter in just 20 minutes! It's so easy, you may never go back to the canned stuff again.

1. Stir together the berries, sugar, cornstarch, and juice in a large pan. Heat until the berries burst and the liquid becomes foamy and bubbly.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.
3. Once the mixture thickens, remove it from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and salt, and spoon into a glass container.
4. Press a piece of Saran Wrap directly onto the surface of the hot sauce. This will prevent a "skin" from forming as the cranberry sauce cools.
5. Once the sauce is room temperature, refrigerate until chilled.

Storing and Freezing

Refrigerator - You can store this whole berry cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days. It's a great dish to make ahead of time, so you don't have to worry about another recipe on holidays.

Freezer - Spoon the cooled cranberry sauce into freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

FAQs

Will cranberry sauce thicken without sugar?

Yes, it will. Cranberries have enough natural sugar and pectin in them that they will thicken as they cook and cool.

Can you use frozen cranberries?

Yes, you can. Add the frozen berries to the pan with the other ingredients and follow the directions. You may need to simmer it for a few extra minutes because of any extra liquid from the frozen berries.

Ways to Use It

Fresh cranberry sauce is a delicious addition to any holiday dinner. It pairs well with turkey, stuffing muffins, and homemade hash brown casserole. It is also great spread on sandwiches or stirred into oatmeal. Here are a few other ways to serve it.

• Apple Waffles
• Eggnog Cheesecake Bars
• Puff Pancakes
• Cranberry Coffee Cake
• Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

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