Our favorite Cranberry Sauce Recipe! Easy cranberry sauce flavored with apple cider, diced apple and maple syrup. Lightly spiced, mildly sweet and slightly tart – this is the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving table.
Let’s get a head start on Thanksgiving! The holiday is much more enjoyable if we’re not doing everything the day of. Some dishes are just as tasty when made in advance… like cranberry sauce! I’ve already made it and stuck it in the freezer, and it’s waiting to be defrosted for the big day.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: RHUBARB SAUCE – BLUEBERRY SAUCE – PEAR SAUCE – APPLE CRANBERRY CRISP
Jump to:
Have you made homemade Cranberry Sauce before? It’s unbelievably easy. Making your own cranberry sauce allows you to control the quality of ingredients, the flavor and the sugar content.
This here is the best Cranberry Sauce recipe I have ever made. I come back to it year after year. You will LOVE the combination of tart cranberries and sweet apple cider.
Prefer relish? Try our no-cook Cranberry Orange Relish.
Recipe overview
- Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
- Granulated Sugar
- Maple Syrup (or swap for more granulated sugar)
- Diced Apple
- Apple Cider
- Cinnamon Stick
Combine the ingredients and simmer on the stovetop for 10-15 minutes. Allow most of the cranberries to burst, with some still left whole. Taste the sauce as it’s cooking and adjust the sweetness to suit your taste. Note: The sauce will thicken as it cools, so don’t be alarmed if it seems a little thin. Cool the cranberry sauce and it is ready to serve!
This cranberry sauce is mildly sweet and a bit tart. The chopped apple and fresh apple cider impart a delicious hint of apple flavor.
Can cranberry sauce be frozen?
YES! I always make my Cranberry Sauce in advance of the holidays. It freezes beautifully, and no one will know that it isn’t freshly made.
Once completely cool, place the cranberry sauce in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to two months. I typically thaw it in the fridge over a day or two.
What to serve with cranberry sauce
- Thanksgiving Turkey
- Ham
- Roast Chicken
- Spread it on a turkey or ham sandwich
- Top oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, waffles french toast or ice cream
- Put it in a smoothie
- Use it in this White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake
Use this recipe as a base and make it suit your tastes. You can sweeten it more, throw in some orange zest, increase the cinnamon, even stir in some chopped pecans. Whatever you like!
More Thanksgiving recipes
- SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
- MAPLE PECAN PIE BARS
- CREAM CHEESE PUMPKIN PIE
- PUMPKIN CUPCAKES
- CHOCOLATE COCONUT PECAN PIE BARS
- CRANBERRY SALAD
- MAPLE PECAN PIE
NEVER MISS A RECIPE! SUBSCRIBE to our free EMAIL LIST – LIKE us on FACEBOOK – Follow on INSTAGRAM
Recipe
Apple Cider Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- Two 12-oz bags fresh cranberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup pure maple syrup, (or replace with ½ cup additional granulated sugar)
- 1 small sweet apple (not granny smith), peeled and finely diced
- ¾ cup apple cider, plus more, if needed
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the apples are tender. Taste it, if you’d like it sweeter add more sugar or maple syrup and cook a little longer.
- Remove the cinnamon stick. Cool slightly, then refrigerate. Once chilled the sauce will thicken up. If you’d like it thinner you can stir in additional apple cider (I usually add a couple tablespoons) to thin it out and increase the cider flavor.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
Oh my goodness, this looks so delicious! Adding to my list of must makes!
Catalina
This sauce look so delicious! Love how packed with apple flavor is!
Katerina @ diethood .com
Such a gorgeous cranberry sauce!! A must try!
Toni | Boulder Locavore
This is such a great way to make cranberry sauce! Thanks for sharing!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
I’m in love with the apple cider twist on this.
Joan Kovach
Oh my Goodness, some people do make homemade cranberry sauce, as I have for over 50 yrs. I must try this New ingredient- Apple Cider, the fresh cranberries are waiting to be cooked. Blessed Thanksgiving All.
Celebrating Sweets
Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!
Jillian
Looking forward to making this! I froze fresh cranberries that I purchased from a farm stand last month. Do you think they should be thawed first before cooked or doesn’t it really matter?
Celebrating Sweets
It shouldn’t matter. They will thaw fast once you put them on the stovetop. Enjoy! Happy holidays!
Jen
I just made this #amazing
Celebrating Sweets
Yay! Glad you like it. Thanks for stopping by!
Andrea
This recipe was so easy to make and tasted absolutely delicious! I added more sugar than the recipe calls for to sweeten up the cranberries. Definitely printing this recipe to keep for next thanksgiving!
Celebrating Sweets
Glad you liked it! Happy Thanksgiving!
Sarah
If we don’t have a cinnamon stick can we add cinnamon powder?
Celebrating Sweets
Yes! Just stir in a pinch or two at the end of cooking (or more, to taste). Enjoy!