Jellied cranberry sauce recipe

Holiday classic jellied cranberry sauce recipe! Here’s how to make perfectly smooth cranberry sauce at home for your Thanksgiving table.

Course condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword homemade cranberry sauce, smooth cranberry sauce, thanksgiving

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Cooling time 1

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 116kcal

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.

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.