This Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce with Maple Syrup is sure to be a hit with your family and friends. With only 7 ingredients, this quick cranberry sauce is sweet, tangy, and slightly spiced.
Elevate your holiday table with Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce! As the holiday season approaches, it's time to start thinking about those comforting dishes that make gatherings so special.
You'll love the bright, sweet, tart flavors wrapped around a slice of my Sous Vide Thanksgiving Turkey, Sous Vide Ham, or spread on these Air Fryer Dinner Rolls.
If you're like me, you want a cranberry sauce that’s simple and quick. This recipe uses just 7 ingredients and takes only 15 minutes to make!
My cranberry sauce is so easy to make that it puts that canned stuff to shame. I like to use it as a topping on my Air Fryer Baked Brie.
You can serve this sauce warm or cold in your favorite dish. Make it 3-4 days ahead of Thanksgiving or Christmas, so you can focus on more important tasks like roasting the turkey!
Cranberry sauce and our Almond Toffee make the perfect gift for co-workers, family, and friends!
P.S. Don’t forget to share your beautiful cranberry sauce creations with me on Instagram! Tag me @thefrizzledleek so I can see and share your festive spreads.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Whole Berries: Cranberries are bursting with juice, creating a rich, thick sauce with bits of whole berries throughout.
- Perfect for gatherings: Cranberry sauce puts smiles on people's faces, especially around the holidays.
- Quick and Easy: With only 7 ingredients and minimal cooking time, you can whip this up in less than 15 minutes.
- Versatile: Not just for Thanksgiving turkey! Cranberry sauce is great with my Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin, meatballs, and baked brie.
Key Ingredients
Here is a list of the cranberry sauce ingredients you'll need to make the recipe. I like to buy 4-6 bags of fresh cranberries and freeze them, so I can make cranberry sauce all year!
Cranberries
Fresh or frozen cranberries both work great. To test how fresh your cranberries are, drop them on your table and the higher they bounce the fresher they are. Cranberries are tart and acidic but become incredibly delicious when sweetened with maple syrup or sugar.
Did you know cranberries make a delicious simple syrup? Try my Christmas Gin Cocktail made with cranberry simple syrup to find out!
Maple Syrup
Traditional cranberry sauce is made with granulated sugar, but maple syrup has a natural sweet flavor and makes this recipe paleo-friendly. Also, when you think of the holidays, don't you think of maple syrup?
Apple Juice
Instead of using water, I wanted to use apple juice (apple cider works too) for its sweetness, and apples and cranberries are a delicious combination. Even some cranberry sauce recipes use fresh sliced apples in them.
Orange
We use both the orange zest and juice in this recipe. The zest of the orange has more orange flavor than the juice. Use a microplane to zest the orange and only remove the bright orange peel and not the white pith.
Spices
Star anise and a cinnamon stick are toasted in a dry pan to release those holiday aromas. Fresh ginger is then grated into the cranberry sauce for that delicious taste.
Substitutions + Variations
- Sliced Apples - add one peeled, cored, and sliced apple to the sauce
- Dried Fruit - adding dried fruit like apricots or figs, contribute a nice flavor and texture
- Nuts - chopped pistachios blend perfectly with sweet and tart fruit like cranberries
- Wines and Spirits - A splash of port wine or Grand Marnier will elevate your sauce.
How To Make Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
Step 1. In a medium saucepan, add star anise and a cinnamon stick, and toast over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until the spices become fragrant.
Step 2. Add the maple syrup and bring it to a simmer.
Step 3. Simmer the spices and maple syrup over medium-low heat for 5 minutes to let the flavors infuse.
Step 4. Add in fresh cranberries and ginger and cook for 5 minutes or until cranberries begin to pop.
Step 5. Use a microplane to zest one orange, removing only the bright orange peel and avoiding the bitter white pith.
Step 6. Sprinkle the orange zest over the top of the cranberries.
Step 7. Pour in the apple juice and the juice of the zested orange.
Step 8. Cook the cranberry sauce for 8-10 minutes, or until it begins to thicken. Serve immediately, or let it cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Chef Tips
- Make a big batch. You will be enjoying this quick homemade cranberry sauce from the beginning of fall through the new year. Block out one evening and make a large batch of cranberry sauce, and CAN it all! Not only will you have this delicious condiment all holiday season, but it's also the perfect stocking stuffer or gift basket addition.
- Don't overcook the sauce. Too much pectin is released, making your sauce way too thick. The skin of the cranberries becomes hard to eat.
- Spice it up! Sure all you need to make cranberry sauce is sugar, water, and cranberries, but that is boring. Orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamon can make your Thanksgiving topper delicious!
- Stock up on cranberries. Buy 4-6 bags of fresh cranberries and freeze them to make cranberry sauce all year.
- Prep cranberry sauce ahead of time. The more things you can prep in advance for Thanksgiving and Christmas the better.
Storage
Refrigerator: Cool sauce down to room temperature and transfer to an air-tight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days.
Freezer: Transfer the cranberry sauce to an air-tight container or ziplock back to prevent freezer burn. Store in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
Cranberry Sauce Canning Instructions
- Boil water in a large 8-12 quart pot.
- Boil mason jars and lids for 10 minutes to sanitize
- Spoon the HOT cranberry sauce into mason jars, and fill to the top
- Secure with lids, and place jars gently back into the large pot of water. (The jars must be completely covered with water)
- Boil for 15 minutes
- Remove the jars from the hot water and place them on the counter. You will hear a popping sound indicating your jars are sealed.
- Now you are ready to give away as gifts or store away for the holidays!
FAQ's
Excellent condiment for turkey, ham, pork, and chicken. Top oven-roasted squash or top your meatloaf with cranberry sauce.
You can serve cold or at room temperature. If you are using it as a glaze, serve it hot.
Let the sauce cook and reduce more. Cranberries release a natural thickener called pectin with its fiber. If your sauce still won't thicken add pectin, gelatin, or a cornstarch slurry.
The day after Thanksgiving I take the leftover rolls, turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce and make an epic sandwich.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review below and tag @thefrizzledleek on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
📖 Recipe
Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise pods
- ⅔ cup maple sryup Grade A or B
- 12 ounces cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1 orange zest and juiced
- ½ cup apple juice
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
Instructions
- In a medim-size saucepan toast the star anise and cinnamon for 2 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Pour in maple syrup and bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in cranberries and ginger and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Pour in apple juice, orange juice, and zest. Cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat stirring to help the cranberries break down.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise. Transfer to a serving dish or refrigerate.
Notes
- Use good quality maple syrup. When buying your syrup, either buy grade A or B. Grade A is the highest rating because it's the sweetest. Grade B has a darker color and is less sweet.
- Make a big batch. You will be enjoying this quick homemade cranberry sauce from the beginning of fall through the new year. Block out one evening and make a large batch of cranberry sauce, and CAN it all! Not only will you have this delicious condiment all holiday season, but it's also the perfect stocking stuffer or gift basket addition.
- Don't overcook the sauce. Too much pectin is released, making your sauce way too thick. The skin of the cranberries becomes hard to eat.
- Spice it up! Sure all you need to make cranberry sauce is sugar, water, and cranberries, but that is boring. Orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamon can make your Thanksgiving topper delicious!
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