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    Home » Recipes » Christmas

    Classic Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce (Easy)

    Published: Nov 10, 2022 by Nicole · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    a bowl of cranberry sauce.

    This classic Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce recipe is super easy, fresh, homemade, and the very best! Made from whole cranberries, water, and sugar, it's simple and perfect to serve at a holiday meal. Done in less than 20 minutes, this recipe can be made ahead of time or served warm.

    cranberry sauce in a bowl.

    We love Cranberry Sauce all winter, but it's especially popular for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other holiday meals. It's the perfect side and no Thanksgiving is complete without it!

    This pairs great with our Roasted Maple Brussels Sprouts and Paula Deen Sweet Potato Casserole and Paula Deen Green Bean Casserole at a holiday meal. And if you're a cranberry lover like me, we HIGHLY recommend our Cranberry Cheesecake for dessert.

    Jump to:
    • What I Love About This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • What to do with leftovers
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Recipe
    • Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce
    • FAQ
    • Food safety

    What I Love About This Recipe

    I absolutely love the simplicity of this homemade fresh cranberry sauce recipe. Everyone raves about how amazing it is, yet it's so easy and simple to make! I also love how it's naturally gluten free, dairy free and vegan so most can enjoy it! It's also easy to dress up and try different things with. See our variations below for directions on how to make it with orange, jalapeño, orange juice, spiced, and even a healthy low sugar option and more!

    Ingredients

    cranberries, water and sugar on a table.
    • Ocean Spray fresh whole cranberries- found in the refrigerated produce section of most grocery stores. Other brands are fine too.
    • water
    • sugar

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    water and sugar in a saucepan.

    1. Rinse cranberries and pick out any that are yucky. Place water and sugar in a saucepan. Place on medium heat.

    cranberries sugar and water in a saucepan.

    2. When the sugar is dissolved, add the cranberries and bring to a boil.

    cranberries sugar and water boiling in a saucepan.

    3. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until all or most of the berries are popped, about 10-12 minutes. As they start to pop (about 8 minutes in) start pushing the berries against the side of the pan to pop them.

    cranberry sauce on a spatula.

    4. It may be foamy, which is fine. Remove from heat and stir for about a minute. Allow to cool, then refrigerate or serve immediately (can also serve hot).

    Hint: The sauce will thicken as it cools. It is quite runny while hot. It can be served hot or cold. I like to make it about 50-60 minutes before dinner, so that it has about 30-40 minutes to cool down to about room temperature and thicken up.

    Substitutions

    • Orange Juice - substitute ½-1 cup of the water with orange juice for that yummy cranberry orange flavor.
    • Maple Syrup - use 1 cup maple syrup for a granulated sugar free version that has a nice maple flavor. Reduce water to ⅔ cup.
    • Keto- check out this sugar free keto cranberry sauce if you are on a low/no sugar diet.

    Variations

    • Healthy/ Low Sugar - reduce sugar to ½ cup. Also reduce water to ⅔ cup. It will be very tart!
    • Jalapeño - this is my absolute favorite way to eat this! Finely chop up ½ jalapeño (with seeds for extra spice). You can put it in with the berries to boil, or add later.
    • Spiced- when adding the cranberries, add ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon all spice, ⅛ teaspoon ginger and ⅛ teaspoon cloves.
    • Orange zest- add the zest of one orange at the same time as adding the cranberries. For another fun one, try adding the spices from the "spiced" option above too!
    • Apple- finely chop 1 granny smith apple and add it and ½ teaspoon cinnamon at the same time as the cranberries.
    • Pineapple- Add 1 cup of chopped pineapple (fresh or canned) at the same time as the cranberries, and substitute half of the water for orange juice. Some also like to add ½ chopped banana, but we have not tried that variation!

    What to do with leftovers

    This is actually one of my favorite questions! We love Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce so much and I always make extra to ensure leftovers because they are so yummy! Here are things that we love to do:

    • dip- put the leftover sauce on a brick of cream cheese for the easiest and tastiest cracker dip! I love adding finely minced jalapeño to it for some extra flavor.
    • sandwich - we love to make leftover turkey (or ham) sandwiches and add on cranberry sauce. It's SO yummy!
    • cheesecake - make our insanely delicious Cranberry Cheesecake
    • meatballs- make these yummy Cranberry Sauce Meatballs.
    • muffins - try these yummy Muffins with your leftovers.

    Equipment

    You need only 2 simple tools to make this recipe!

    • saucepan
    • wooden spoon or spatula

    Storage

    Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, because of the sugar content of the sauce, it takes a long time to go bad and will crystalize before going bad. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

    Top tip

    The cranberries have natural pectin in them, which acts as a thickener. Don't worry if your sauce seems runny, it will thicken as it cools.

    cranberry sauce in a bowl.

    Recipe

    cranberry sugar substance in a bowl.

    Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce

    This yummy homemade cranberry sauce is quick, easy and so simple to make! Done in under 20 minutes, it can be served hot or made ahead of time!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    Total Time 17 mins
    Servings 8 people
    Calories/serving 116 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 saucepan
    • 1 spatula or wooden spoon

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 cup water
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 12 oz cranberries fresh or frozen, whole

    Instructions
     

    • Place water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Once sugar is dissolved, add cranberries and bring to a boil.
    • Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until all or most of the cranberries have popped. Around minute 8, once they start popping, help them pop by pressing them against the side of the pan.
    • Remove from heat and serve warm or allow to cool. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

    Notes

    • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months
    • See above for a lot of fun variations and ways to make it!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1large scoopCalories: 116kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.004gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 35mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 26IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was in the comments below
    Tag us on Instagram!We love seeing people make our recipes. Mention @simplyscrumptiouseats_

    FAQ

    How to Serve Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce

    Serve in a crystal bowl or dish with a nice spoon.

    How to Make Fresh Homemade Cranberry Sauce from scratch?

    Simply combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Once sugar dissolves, add the cranberries. Simmer for 10 minutes until berries start to burst. Allow to cool and serve.

    Can you freeze Cranberry Sauce?

    Yes! Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.

    What to do with leftover cranberry sauce?

    Place it on a brick of cream cheese for cracker dip, add to turkey sandwiches, make meatballs, muffins or cheesecake!

    How long does cranberry sauce last?

    it lasts 10-14 days in the refrigerator. Due to the high sugar content, it will likely crystalize or become a weird texture before going bad.

    How to thicken cranberry sauce?

    Cranberries are naturally high in pectin, which is a natural thickener. If you like your sauce thicker, add 1 Tablespoon corn starch to the cold water before beginning the recipe.

    Food safety

    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Nicole

      November 11, 2022 at 9:46 am

      5 stars
      This Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce was absolutely delicious. The perfect classic recipe to make homemade from scratch. So easy to make! I've tried a lot of cranberry sauces over the years, and this one is the best!

      Reply

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    nicole and andrea

    Hi, we are Nicole and Andrea! As busy moms our favorite meals are easy, healthy and delicious. While we love eating nutritious meals, we also strongly believe in moderating them with yummy desserts! We love hiking, going to the beach and doing Spartans.

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