Made with whole berries and fresh orange juice, this sweet and tart cranberry sauce recipe is so much better than the canned stuff you’ll find on store shelves. I love its beautiful, garnet-colored hue, how easy it is to make, and how lovely the texture is.
Seriously, if you’ve never tasted cranberry sauce made with whole berries, you’re in for a treat. It can be whipped up in advance to make meal prep easier on the bid day, and it’s so good with gluten-free stuffing or spreading on leftover turkey sandwiches later on.
Of course, if your family prefers jellied cranberry sauce made with wholesome ingredients, I’ve got that covered, too.
Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh cranberries (about 12 ounces)
- ½ cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- ⅔ cup honey
Instructions
- Place cranberries, orange juice, and honey in a small pot or saucepan. Bring to a simmer and then reduce to low/medium heat for 15 minutes, or until the cranberries burst and the sauce starts to thicken.
- When your mixture has been simmering for about 15-20 minutes, draw a large spoon across the bottom of the pan. What you're looking for is "lag time" – if it’s ready it should take a couple of seconds to refill after you draw your spoon through. When the homemade cranberry sauce is ready, remove it from heat and transfer to an airtight container (preferably glass). Refrigerate until it sets. It will thicken more as it cools.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can add 1 teaspoon when you add all the other ingredients to the saucepan if you’d like to accentuate the orange flavor. My family prefers it without orange zest so I leave it out.
One to two days is best.
Have a question I didn’t cover? Please leave it in the comments below!
Want more delicious Thanksgiving recipes?
Here are a few of my favorites . . .
Gluten-Free “Cornbread” Recipe – This “cornbread” is so satisfying that I that I don’t even miss regular cornbread. Actually, I think I like this recipe better because it’s pretty much mistake-proof.
Broccoli Salad – Although not a traditional side dish, this is one of my personal faves for Thanksgiving.
Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” – I started making these cauliflower mashed “potatoes” when my family was on a healing protocol. We’ve reintroduced potatoes now, but we still LOVE this recipe!
French Green Bean Casserole With Crispy Shallots from The Urban Poser – If you love green bean casserole but can’t do store-bought crispy fried onions (which are made with wheat flour), Jenni’s recipe has got you covered.
Whole berry cranberry sauce or jellied – which one is your favorite?
Can this be frozen?
Can you use frozen cranberries? If so, would the directions be any different?
We don’t like the feel of the cranberry skin in our sauce. Can I strain the mixture out at the end?
It will probably be too thick to strain once it’s finished cooking.
Hi Heather I don’t know how you do it all but I’m grateful for all your recipes. I made this last year and it was simple and delicious. Do you serve it cold or let it sit out a bit before serving?
I”m so happy you liked it! I have served it both cold and room temp and it disappeared from the table pretty quickly both ways.
This is such a good cranberry sauce recipe! Super easy and delicious! My children ask for these cranberries.