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Homemade cranberry sauce in a white serving dish with a wooden spoon.
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Homemade Cranberry Sauce

This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is a quick and easy way to elevate your Thanksgiving menu. It makes approximately 2.5 cups of cranberry sauce, which should be enough for 10 guests.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 75kcal
Author: Elcy Wang
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INGREDIENTS

  • 12 oz cranberries
  • ¼ teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 large Navel orange juiced
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup honey maple syrup works as well
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt or just a pinch
  • ½ cup water
  • 3 whole star anise

INSTRUCTIONS

PREP

  • Using a colander, rinse the fresh cranberries under running water and set aside.
  • Using a grater, zest the orange rind and set aside. You can optionally reserve the extra zest to sprinkle over the sauce when serving to add a pop of color.
  • Cut the orange into quarter-sized wedges and press them through a lemon squeezer to make about ½ cup of orange juice.

MAKE THE CRANBERRY SAUCE

  • In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients, except for the cranberries and star anise, and bring to a boil.
  • Add the cranberries and star anise, then stir to combine.
  • Simmer on medium-low heat while stirring often, until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens. This takes 5-10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and discard the star anise.
  • Let cool before transferring to an airtight container. Refrigerate to chill. Serve chilled, at room temperature, or reheat. Top with reserved orange zest for an extra pop of color.

NOTES

To keep the extra orange zest from oxidizing and turning brown, store it in the freezer until ready to use.

NUTRITION

Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.3mg