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    Home » Recipes » Thanksgiving

    Apple cranberry sauce with bourbon and cinnamon

    Nov 6, 20196 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    bourbon and apple cranberry sauce
    apple cranberry sauce

    Easy bourbon apple cranberry sauce recipe! An elevated twist on Thanksgiving cranberry sauce spiked with bourbon and spiced with cinnamon.

    apple cranberry sauce on cutting board with spoon

    Cranberry sauce is the stuff that Thanksgiving dreams are made of!

    It's tart, it's tangy, and it pairs so well with all of those goodies on your Thanksgiving plate. It's not Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce, right?

    But, what if we added BOOZE!? And apple cider. And some apples for some natural sweetness. OH YEAH! Now we're talkin.

    Jump to:
    • An elevated holiday classic
    • How to make it
    • How to serve it
    • Recipe

    An elevated holiday classic

    This recipe is so much more than your classic holiday cranberry sauce. Classic cranberry sauce is usually made with just cranberries, sugar, and water. But this elevated version replaces the water for apple cider and adds just enough bourbon to make it feel oh so fancy.

    This version is a little chunkier than your average cranberry sauce because of the apple. But, that apple gives it a sweetness that allows you to use less sugar than you normally would.

    So, your guests will be totally wowed. By the cranberry sauce!

    Have you seen our beginner's guide to cranberry?

    Cranberry sauce with wooden spoon and apples

    How to make it

    You guys, It's so easy. All you do is toss some fresh (or frozen) cranberries in a pot with the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer. Those cranberries burst and turn into a thick sauce. The apples soften and add to the flavor.

    Be sure to stir the sauce often while it's cooking to help those cranberries burst and keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. This should take about 20 minutes and that's it!

    Let it cool down and serve immediately or store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

    How to serve it

    We all know that cranberry sauce is great as a side dish on your Thanksgiving plate! But there are so many other great ways to serve it.

    • Go with tradition and serve it as a side dish
    • Use it as a sauce or chutney over your favorite protein
    • Use the leftovers to make cranberry crescent rolls
    • Stir it into oatmeal or yogurt
    • Top it on some ice cream
    cinnamon cranberry sauce

    Recipe

    apple cranberry sauce on cutting board with spoon

    Apple cranberry sauce with bourbon and cinnamon

    Trish Bozeman
    Easy bourbon apple cranberry sauce recipe! An elevated twist on Thanksgiving cranberry sauce spiked with bourbon and spiced with cinnamon.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 ¼ cup servings
    Calories 66 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups fresh cranberries
    • 1 cup spiced apple cider
    • 1 cup fuji or honeycrisp apple, peeled and chopped into ½" cubes
    • 2 tablespoon bourbon or whiskey
    • 4 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    Instructions
     

    • Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium to medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often.
    • Remove from heat when all the cranberries have burst and the apples are very soft. Let cool before serving. 

    Notes

    This cranberry sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. It's great served cold or warmed up.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.25cupsCalories: 66kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 68mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 23IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword christmas, holiday, thanksgiving, vegan
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    If you make this recipe, please let us know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag us on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians.

    Thank you so much for reading and supporting Rhubarbarians. If you’re looking for a group of people cooking vegetarian recipes through the seasons, join us on Facebook in our vegetarian and vegan recipes group!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

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    « Ingredient feature: cranberry
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara

      September 16, 2015 at 8:32 am

      These photos are really beautiful! This looks like a wonderful Fall/Thanksgiving sauce!

      Reply
      • Patricia Bozeman

        September 17, 2015 at 10:30 am

        Thank you so much Sara!

        Reply
    2. Patricia Bozeman

      August 22, 2015 at 9:57 am

      Thanks Kathryn! I could eat cranberry sauce ALL YEAR! It's one of my favorite foods. 😉

      Reply
    3. Patricia Bozeman

      August 11, 2015 at 8:58 am

      ha! Oh man, I STILL haven't nailed the action shot! Thank you so much Aggie!

      Reply
    4. jasmincookbook

      July 30, 2015 at 4:21 am

      5 stars
      Maybe your first "action" shot turned out nice - but the rye whiskey apple sauce turned out perfect 😉

      Reply
      • Patricia Bozeman

        July 30, 2015 at 9:15 am

        Oh wow, thank you!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Trish, a vegetarian mom with a passion for cooking meatless meals with seasonal produce. I'll help you create vegetarian recipes that your whole family will love. Welcome!

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