Holiday classic jellied cranberry sauce recipe! Here’s how to make perfectly smooth cranberry sauce at home for your Thanksgiving table.
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Hi, Rhubarbarians! Gather 'round, because today we are diving into how to make jellied cranberry sauce!
For many of us, cranberry sauce is a MUST HAVE on our Thanksgiving or holiday tables. But, do you know how easy it is to make it at home from scratch?
If you love the classic can ridges on store bought cranberry sauce, try making it yourself and see the difference. Making jellied cranberry sauce is so easy and only uses 3 ingredients: cranberries, sugar, and water. That's it!
Jump to:
What is jellied cranberry sauce?
Picture this: It's Thanksgiving, and you're gazing at a bowl full of ruby-red cranberry goodness. That's jellied cranberry sauce in all its saucy glory.
At its heart, jellied cranberry sauce is the smooth version of traditional whole berry cranberry sauce. It's a thick sauce made from simmering cranberries, sugar, and liquid that can retain it's shape.
As the cranberries burst when simmered, they release natural pectin. This magical pectin is what gives the sauce its jellied texture. After a little sieving action, you're left with a smooth and tart sauce that's ready to grace your holiday table.
When is cranberry season? Cranberries are in season from September to November here in the cooler, Northern US states.
Don't forget to try these Thanksgiving recipes:
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Ingredients and equipment
Here is everything you need to make homemade jellied cranberry sauce. Full ingredient amounts with instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.
Ingredients:
- fresh cranberries (frozen are great too)
- sugar
- water
Equipment:
- Medium sized sauce pan. We love our Green Pan saucepan!
- Measuring cups.
- Wooden spoon or spoonula. We use this spoonula for everything.
- Heat safe container. This one is the perfect size!
- Fine mesh sieve. Here's the sieve that we have.
- Large mixing bowl.
How to shop for fresh cranberries
Right around October, you will usually start to see bags of fresh cranberries popping up at your supermarket. They are fairly inexpensive and sold in twelve ounce bags, which is the exact amount needed to make this recipe. You'll need one twelve ounce bag to make one cup of jellied cranberry sauce. Go ahead and get two if you need to double it!
To make the best tasting cranberry sauce, you will want to find cranberries that are still very firm and have not been damaged. Look for bags of berries that don't have any smashed or broken cranberries and have mostly round, firm berries. The color will range from light, bright red to a dark, deep red. Both are very normal.
Get yourself an extra bag and try some of these ten best fresh cranberry recipes!
Step by step instructions
Here is a visual step-by-step guide to making perfectly smooth cranberry sauce. Full instructions with ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.
- First, figure out how much cranberry sauce you will need to make. The recipe is written for 1 cup of cranberry sauce. Go ahead and double or triple the recipe if needed.
- Combine the cranberries, sugar, and water in a medium sauce pan over medium heat on your stove top.
- Give everything a good stir and bring to a low simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After about 5 minutes, the berries will start to burst, and you will need to stir more often to keep the berries from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- After 15-20 minutes, your berries should be completely broken down and resemble whole berry cranberry sauce.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce cool a bit.
- Grab a fine mesh sieve and place it over a medium bowl.
- Spoon your cranberry sauce into the sieve and start to press the sauce through the sieve with the back of a large spoon. Do this until all of the sauce is in your bowl and the skins are left behind in the sieve.
- Spoon the strained sauce into a serving container and evenly flatten out the top a bit. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Refrigerating gives the sauce time to set, so refrigerating overnight is best.
Serving suggestions
For Thanksgiving: We love to serve cranberry sauce in a fancy bowl on the Thanksgiving table! Be sure to include a large spoon or a small knife so that guests can scoop (or slice) some onto their plates. It's the perfect, colorful side dish that serves as a bright contrast to all that brown and rich Thanksgiving food.
Serve it chilled: We prefer to eat cranberry sauce cold rather than hot, especially the jellied sauce, as it can get thinner as it warms up. Serving the sauce cold will result in that thick, jelly like consistency that we all love.
Fancy presentation: For an elegantly colorful presentation, sprinkle some orange zest on the top of the sauce!
As a jelly: Cranberry sauce is for so much more than a side dish on your holiday table! Try using it as a jelly on your morning toast, stirring it into yogurt, topping on ice cream, spreading it on your sandwiches (hello leftover Thanksgiving sandwiches), or using it to make baked goods and appetizers.
Recipes that pair well with cranberry sauce:
Recipe tips and variations
- Fresh vs. Frozen Cranberries: While fresh cranberries are fantastic, you can absolutely use frozen ones too. The sauce may need a few extra minutes to thicken due to the excess water.
- Sugar Swap: Try swapping brown sugar for white sugar for a richer flavor. You can reduce the amount of sugar if desired as well. I don't recommend using maple syrup, honey, or artificial sweeteners for jellied cranberry sauce unless you are using pectin.
- Add orange: We're all about that orange flavor! Feel free to swap the water for orange juice or add orange zest to the sauce. It's your cranberry sauce, so make it your own.
- Add warm spices: Elevate your sauce with a pinch of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, or a sprinkle of cloves. These warm spices add a cozy holiday vibe to your cranberry creation.
- Chill it: Don't skip chilling the sauce! This makes sure that it thickens and provides that smooth consistency. Go for a minimum of one hour, but overnight is best.
- Make extra: Hosting a crowd or want to make sure you have leftovers? Double or triple the recipe; it's super easy to scale up. Just make sure you have a roomy saucepan to accommodate all those cranberries.
Storing and freezing
You've made a ton of jellied cranberry sauce so that everyone has leftovers, and now it's time to ensure you can enjoy it beyond your festive feast. Here's how to store it and freeze it, so that delightful cranberry goodness doesn't go to waste.
Storing Your Sauce: Once your homemade jellied cranberry sauce has cooled down, place it in an airtight container and pop it in the fridge. It will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Freezing Your Sauce: First, make sure your sauce has cooled to room temperature. Then, transfer it to an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag. Leave a little space at the top to account for expansion as it freezes. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you're ready to use it, simply thaw it in the fridge overnight or give it a gentle warm-up on the stovetop.
How to use leftover cranberry sauce:
- Use it as a glaze for vegan cranberry cocktail meatballs
- Make cream cheese cranberry crescent rolls
- Try easy cranberry orange hand pies
- Use it in some leftover cranberry sauce muffins
- Make cranberry coffee cake to go with your morning coffee
You can find all of our favorite easy recipes with cranberry sauce here!
FAQs
Absolutely! The sauce may need a few extra minutes to thicken due to the excess water.
Sweetness is a personal thing, and cranberries can be quite tart. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, you can add a bit more sugar to taste during the cooking process. Start with the suggested amount in the recipe and adjust from there.
Absolutely! Jellied cranberry sauce is a make-ahead champion. In fact, it's better to let it chill at last overnight before serving. You can whip it up a few days before your big feast and keep it in the fridge.
If you're refrigerating it, your sauce will stay fresh for about 10 days.
You sure can! Freeze it in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag for up to six months.
No panic needed! If your sauce ends up thicker than you'd like, simply add a bit of hot water and stir until you reach your desired consistency. On the flip side, if it's too thin, simmer it a bit longer until it thickens up. Remember that it will thicken quite a lot as it cools.
Absolutely, go wild! Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves can add a cozy holiday vibe. You can also experiment with different extracts or even a splash of brandy for a unique twist. It's your sauce; make it uniquely yours.
More cranberry sauce recipes to try:
Did you make this recipe? Leave us a review and star rating in the comments below! We read every single review and appreciate your feedback.
Recipe
Jellied cranberry sauce recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.12 oz fresh cranberries, 1 cup sugar, ¾ cup water
- Gently simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally at first, then stirring constantly once the berries start to burst.
- When the berries have burst, and you have a thickened sauce (see photos), remove from heat. Let the sauce cool until it can be handled.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Pour the sauce into the sieve, and press the sauce against the sieve with a wooden spoon or spatula until all of the berry skins are separated from the sauce. Remember to scrape the bottom of the sieve to get the last bit of sauce into the bowl. Discard the skins or reserve for another use.
- Pour the cranberry sauce into your desired serving container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Fresh vs. Frozen Cranberries: While fresh cranberries are fantastic, you can absolutely use frozen ones too. The sauce may need a few extra minutes to thicken due to the excess water.
- Sugar Swap: Try swapping brown sugar for white sugar for a richer flavor. You can reduce the amount of sugar if desired as well. I don't recommend using maple syrup, honey, or artificial sweeteners for jellied cranberry sauce unless you are using pectin.
- Add orange: We're all about that orange flavor! Feel free to swap the water for orange juice or add orange zest to the sauce. It's your cranberry sauce, so make it your own.
- Add warm spices: Elevate your sauce with a pinch of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, or a sprinkle of cloves. These warm spices add a cozy holiday vibe to your cranberry creation.
- Chill it: Don't skip chilling the sauce! This makes sure that it thickens and provides that smooth consistency. Go for a minimum of one hour, but overnight is best.
- Make extra: Hosting a crowd or want to make sure you have leftovers? Double or triple the recipe; it's super easy to scale up. Just make sure you have a roomy saucepan to accommodate all those cranberries.
Nutrition
If you make this jellied cranberry sauce recipe, please let me know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating and/or review in your comment and don't forget to tag me on Instagram.
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Geri
Turned out perfect! Can’t get over how easy it is. Followed exactly as written. All those years of unneeded preservatives, just to get jellied, is maddening! Thank you so much for this recipe and precise directions! Fabulous!
Trish Bozeman
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Karen Harrison
Can I add frozen raspberries and mke Cran- Raspberry gel, the Ocean spray, used to make, but apparently has retired it! I loved it!
Also, can I can it?
Thanks so much!
Karen
Trish Bozeman
Frozen raspberries would be very tasty, but won't solidify the same way that cranberries will. It will create a thinner sauce and won't resemble Thanksgiving cranberry sauce. You can absolutely can it if you follow safe canning guidelines though!
Tami Hart Clyo Georgia
Absolutely LOVE CRANBERRIES! I can eat the whole berry right out of the can but like it cold more! It used to be alot of the whole berry left on the shelves but NOT this year! Theres none anywhere so I found your recipe here and at this moment they are cooling! My mother made a salad with the canned one and hrr and daddy loved it but now no canned one so my first batch os for them and zi doubled the recipe! I cooked them a few minutes longer and it was thick when I removed them off of the stove! Hoing to put them in the container and place them in the refrigerator...WISH ME LUCK! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
God bless and hope you and your loved ones have a VERY MERRY & BLESSED CHRISTMAS SEASON!
LOVE,
TAMI
Trish Bozeman
I hope it set for you! Have a wonderful Christmas, Tami!
Vicki
Can you add frozen raspberries with the cranberries?
Trish Bozeman
Frozen raspberries would be very tasty, but won't solidify the same way that cranberries will. It will create a thinner sauce and won't resemble Thanksgiving cranberry sauce.
Stefeni
I typically dice or puree apples into my cranberry sauce for the natural pectin. It becomes more of a gel, but I haven't tried it in a mold. I have also used orange juice instead of water for additional sweetness and slightly brighter taste. It gets gobbled up during Thanksgiving festivities, and no one seems to notice the apples, which get dyed in the cranberry sauce. For a small bag of cranberries, I use one large apple or two small to medium apples. The OJ replaces the water in the recipe.
Carole
I make this with fresh cranberries,do not add ANY water or sugar, just out on low heat stir quite a bit to start,when start popping and juice coming out I put lid on turn very low,and all thickens up, when how you want,some berries still have little form to them or all cooked right down I cool and put in the my food processor, whizz for what ever time suits you,(I have the blade in) I made a batch today with my home made apple sauce. Very tiny drop of water put with apples when starting on heat.NO sugar added to anything..
Chris
Can I use frozen if I can't find fresh
Trish Bozeman
Absolutely! You will likely need to cook the cranberries down quite a bit longer to get that thick jelly like consistency due to the increased water content.
Marsha
I used the whole berry recipe. Total failure. Although I cooked the berries almost to a mush it remained runny at room temperature which is not a good thing. How much pectin would you use for one 12 ounce bag and directions on how to do this. Thanks in advance.
Trish Bozeman
That's interesting that it didn't thicken! Did the cranberries burst? I can't tell you how much pectin to use, as I'm not sure what went wrong with your sauce.
Brandi
Could you put the whole berry into a mold while it's cooling down?
Trish Bozeman
Yes you can. But this cranberry sauce won't shape to a mold like the canned. You will need to add pectin for that.
Cindy
Can you make this with Truvia?
Trish Bozeman
I haven't tried this with an artificial sweetener, but I don't see why it wouldn't work! You will probably need to adjust the amount of sweetener to your liking.
Becci
I’ve made this recipe with stevia with only partial success. The artificial sweetener doesn’t dissolve the way sugar does. The sauce comes out grainy.
Nancy
Did you try powdered?
old_MK
According to Scientific American, the pectin interacts with the sugar, so another sweetener may not do it. Or, it may be fine. I would love to know the answer to this question, too! Also, will replacing some of the white sugar with brown sugar affect the jelling? My cranberry sauce barely gels, every year, and I don't want it to be liquid-y. I want it the consistency of the canned stuff, minus the high fructose corn syrup... 🙂
Trish Bozeman
This definitely isn't gelled like the canned stuff. More of a sauce than a jelly. You would need to add pectin to do that. I'll work on testing a recipe for it for Thanksgiving!
old_MK
💋
Karen Schumann
I AM FOR SURE GOING TO TRY THIS WHEN CRANBERRIES COME AVAILABLE. IT SOUNDS SO YUMMY. I HAVE A QUESTION CAN YOU CAN THESE CRANBERRY SAUCE? I WOULD LIKE TO CAN THEM IF ITS POSSIBLE. THANKS
Trish Bozeman
Hi! I haven't tried canning this, but I don't see why you couldn't if you followed proper canning guidelines.
Jessa
Can I refrigerate the night before serving?
Trish Bozeman
Yep!
Freida
This came out very good! I just made the Jellied and one with the berries in it. I'll be making both for Thanksgiving. Thanks for publishing this!
LouAnn
Instead of a strainer I have always used a Foley food mill to make the jellied sauce. My husband's grandmother gave me one when we were married 40 years ago after a visit of picking cranberries in October while visiting her. We make cranberry sauce, cranberry juice, cranberry bread and cranberry cookies. A lot of cranberries! We harvested 6 gallons this year from a small bog we planted.
Trish Bozeman
Wow that's awesome! We don't have a Foley food mill, but someday I would like to try this method. Send me some of those cranberries, LOL!
Jean
I just cook it to the jellying point. You can look it up online. I think cranberries have a lot of pectin, so I don't think you need gelatin. Just try cooking it longer, til it kind of "sheets" off the spoon.
Patricia Bozeman
Hi there! There isn't actually gelatin in this recipe.
Trish 2
I have been making this for 40 years from my Mom's recipe which is basically the same, except the bags of cranberries used to be 16 oz. I've been having trouble getting it to jell. Any suggestions to solve my problem?.
Patricia Bozeman
Hi Trish. If you want it to the consistency of the canned stuff, you might try to add some pectin to the mix. You could try cooking just a bit longer and see if it thickens up too. Good luck!
Patricia Bozeman
You definitely should!
Susie Queue
I love this sauce with the cranberries left in. That's how I make it every year. Sometimes I add orange zest, and I always add a bit of Port..I'm from the UK and we don't get it in cans!
Patricia Bozeman
I love it both ways! I usually leave the berries in because it's easier. Such good stuff!
Marissa @ OMG FOOD
I love your photos on the cooking process from berry to jelly! I started making cranberry sauce a couple years ago and it's one of my favorites. I'm also a huge fan of the canned stuff; it's a guilty pleasure. I make a cranberry-habanero jelly I'm hoping to post by next week, but busy schedules are dumb, so we'll see. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yay, Thanksgiving time!
Patricia Bozeman
Thanks Marissa! I love spicy pepper jelly!
Theresa Butterbaugh
The habanero cranberry sauce sounds really good, a good kick to it. I'll have to try that idea some time.
Lindsey (LouLouBiscuit)
Although I'm all about homemade, from scratch, wholesome ingredients, I too have trouble enjoying cranberry sauce in any other form, besides straight from a can! I'll have to give this a go! It looks delicious!
Patricia Bozeman
Thanks Lindsey! You should definitely try it out!