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    Cranberry Sauce

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    Cranberry sauce pinterest banner.

    Super simple cranberry sauce recipe made with fresh cranberries, maple syrup, and freshly squeezed orange juice! Delicious and fat-free. A great side for Thanksgiving or any other holiday meal.

    Cranberry sauce topped with pecans.

    Don’t you dare serve any of that red corn syrup crap from a can! You and yours deserve better for the holidays.

    What you need to do is make your own cranberry sauce! Relax. It couldn’t be easier. It’s also much healthier and will make you look like a boss.

    HOW TO MAKE FRESH HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE

    Start with 2 ½ – 3 cups of fresh cranberries(12-ounce bag). Nothing from a can!

    Fresh cranberries on burlap.

    Rinse and drain the cranberries. Then, pick through and get out all the squishy ones. Blah!

    You don’t want one bad cranberry spoiling the whole bunch!

    Fresh cranberries in sauce used for cranberry sauce.

    Next, throw the cranberries in a sauce pan with the water and your chosen sweetener.

    Get everything boiling over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. But, stir occasionally because you don’t want your cranberry sauce to burn. That would really suck!

    Because you’d have to start all over and that ain’t cool. I speak from experience.

    Cranberry sauce in sauce pan on table with orange peels.

    Now, it’s time to reduce the heat down to medium-low. Let your mixture simmer for about 10 minutes or so. You want to allow the cranberries to pop and thicken until it’s the way you like it. But, remember to keep stirring every now and then.

    Once it thickens and looks like cranberry sauce, remove from the heat, stir in the orange juice, and let cool until it’s room temperature.

    This would be a good time to taste and add more sweetener if you like. But, remember. Cranberry sauce is supposed to be a little tart and twangy. Not a freaking sugar blob. So, go easy. You don’t want to send your pancreas into shock.

    Plain cranberry sauce on table cloth with wooden spoon.

    That’s it! You just made cranberry sauce.

    Now, all that’s left is to let it chill in the fridge for a couple hours. But, it’s even better if you let it sit overnight.

    And, when you’re ready to impress your guests, sprinkle with pecans, serve, and be prepared for many compliments.

    Plain cranberry sauce in bowl.

    Trust me. This cranberry sauce is so much better than that pre-made crap. Why? Because it’s…

    Fast & easy
    Tangy
    Sweet
    Vegan (make with maple syrup)
    Fresh
    Fat-free
    Wholesome
    Healthy
    The perfect Thanksgiving or holiday side dish
    & Absolutely delicious

    Looking for more holiday dishes? Check out my Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole, Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, & Homemade Vegan Creamed Corn.

    If you’re looking for more Fall, Winter or holiday meal inspiration, you can check out my 7 Easy Delicious Plant-Based Thanksgiving Recipes.

    Cranberry sauce with pecans on barn wood table.

    Did you make this dish? Be sure and let me know! Leave a comment, RATE IT, and tag a photo #shaneandsimple on Instagram. Happy Fall, everyone!

    Print
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    Cranberry Sauce

    ★★★★★ 5 from 7 reviews
    • Author: Shane Martin
    • Prep Time: 5
    • Cook Time: 15
    • Total Time: 20 minutes
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
    • Category: Side
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe

    Description

    Super simple cranberry sauce recipe made with fresh cranberries, maple syrup, and orange juice! Delicious and fat-free.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 ½ to 3 cups fresh cranberries. Or use a 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries.
    • ¾ cup water
    • ¼ cup maple syrup
    • Juice from one orange (optional).

    Optional add-ins and toppings

    • ¼ –½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon (add-in)
    • Chopped pecans (topping)

    Instructions

    1. Rinse cranberries. Pick out all the nasty, squishy ones. Blah.
    2. To a medium sauce pan add cranberries, water and maple syrup. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally!!!
    3. Reduce heat to medium-low, add orange juice and let cook until the cranberries pop and mixture thickens. Usually, about 10-12 minutes. REMEMBER TO STIR OCCASIONALLY!
    4. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking. But, don’t over sweeten. Cranberry sauce is supposed to be a little tart not a sugar blob.
    5. Store in a container and chill for a couple hours in the fridge before serving. For best result, let sit in the fridge overnight.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 43
    • Sugar: 7.3 g
    • Sodium: 1.8 mg
    • Fat: 0.1 g
    • Carbohydrates: 11 g
    • Fiber: 1.3 g
    • Protein: 0.2 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

    Keywords: vegan, cranberry sauce, side, thanksgiving, holiday, winter, fall

    THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen

      November 23, 2022 at 8:34 pm

      Oh my goodness! This is so good! Thank you for another fabulous recipe!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Kate Sullivan

      December 15, 2020 at 4:47 pm

      Made this for thanksgiving and added a little of the orange pulp, my husband and son loved it, no more processed canned for this family. Thank you

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        December 16, 2020 at 12:56 pm

        Kate, that is awesome! So glad you enjoyed it. And, Merry Christmas!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    3. Rebecca E Davidson

      November 25, 2020 at 6:55 pm

      Happy thanksgiving Shane! My first one here in the USA where I get to cook everything! I’m so excited because I have your recipes & I know I can trust they will all taste great! I made this today & it was simply delicious! I gave a few small jars away & kept a big one for myself! Thanks!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        November 26, 2020 at 10:52 am

        Awww, Rebecca! Thank you, welcome to the US, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

        Reply
    4. Sharon

      November 27, 2019 at 3:59 pm

      Hi Shane! Beyond appreciate your recipes!
      Can I defrost cranberries for this recipe?
      Made a batch earlier with fresh and love it…. but only have frozen left and don’t want to run to market again:)
      Sharon

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        November 27, 2019 at 6:59 pm

        Yes! I see no reason why they wouldn’t work. I use frozen blueberries to make compote. This should be no different. Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!

        Reply
    5. Patty

      November 26, 2019 at 6:08 am

      Wonderful, this is my new favorite recipe ! It’s Delicious! Thank You , terrific site ,so happy I found you!

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        November 26, 2019 at 8:19 am

        Thank you so much, Patty. And, so glad you’re here. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with a comment or question. Blessings.

        Reply
    6. Tom

      November 14, 2019 at 6:56 am

      Made this the other day, Shane. I’ve used it a few times now. Confession: one night I ate a small bowl of it for dessert. Thanks for another great recipe.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. mike

      October 29, 2018 at 9:02 am

      WOW! Couldn’t wait until Thanksgiving and made it last night. It’s the perfect blend of tart and sweet. And, I can’t believe how easy it is to make! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. Crystal Wright

      October 28, 2018 at 5:24 pm

      How much water

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        October 29, 2018 at 9:03 am

        Whoa! That would be important. It’s 3/4 cup. I fixed it in the recipe card. Good catch and thanks!

        ★★★★★

        Reply

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