Last updated on November 13th, 2018 at 10:38 pm
World’s Best Cranberry Sauce – Your Thanksgiving table is not complete without this cranberry sauce made from scratch. A hint of nutmeg, lots of orange zest and a bit of vanilla complete this incredible cranberry sauce.
Perhaps it may be a bit presumptuous of me to name this recipe world’s best cranberry sauce, but it wasn’t me that decided upon this name but everyone who has tried this recipe, so that name stuck. And trust me when I say that it is incredibly delicious, and I’m not usually a fan of cranberry sauce, but I can’t stop eating this one. Neither could hubs, and he couldn’t stop boasting about how good it was.
As I said, not a big fan of cranberries here whereas my husband can eat them raw right out of the bag. I simply can’t understand that, I need lots of sugar on my cranberries before I can eat them. For example, I love sugared cranberries, or I love this cranberry sauce but could never eat them raw because of their tartness.
HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY SAUCE
This cranberry sauce is extremely simple to make and it’s made with ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now. We’re talking sugar, you need lots of sugar to balance out the tartness of the cranberries, orange juice, because I just love the combination of cranberries with orange juice and lots of orange zest.
I also added a pinch of nutmeg, because it’s the holidays and nutmeg is a must in almost anything, plus it adds that nice nuttiness to the sauce. Then the last ingredient I added which was almost an afterthought was a bit of vanilla extract, but gives the sauce that homey vanilla smell which again smells like the holidays for me.
You cook this on medium heat for about 10 minutes, and at the end you end up with the perfect cranberry sauce. Of course other ingredients can be added like some chopped pecans, which I have done before and it was really nice, you can also add some raisins or other spices like cinnamon. However, this is my basic cranberry sauce which you can’t go wrong with. It really is delicious and a must on every Thanksgiving table.
CAN I MAKE CRANBERRY SAUCE AHEAD?
Absolutely! Cranberry sauce when stored properly can last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, which is why this is perfect for making ahead. Anything we can do to save time for the big holiday is a bonus!
World's Best Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries (1 bag), rinsed
- 1/2 cup orange juice store bought or freshly squeezed
- 3/4 cup sugar granulated
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg ground
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp orange zest
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a smaller pot and stir to combine. Turn the heat to a medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat to a medium and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will notice the cranberries will burst as they cook.
- Let cool completely at room temperature before serving.
Watch How To Make It
Notes
- Store the cranberry sauce in a bowl wrapped with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Please note the sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Other optional ingredients to add to the sauce are pecans, raisins, cinnamon.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition
heather says
November 22, 2018 at 7:40 pmThis recipe is great! Thanks! I used it this Thanksgiving and the cranberry sauce was a big hit!
Sari says
November 21, 2018 at 6:59 pmIs it a must to store it once made for up to 2 weeks? I’d like to make it and serve it the same day since I waited until the last minute to make dinner.
Nicole Beaulieu says
November 22, 2018 at 10:04 amThat’s just a tip on how long it will last in the fridge before going bad. This recipe is meant to be served right away.
Lisa Nielsen says
November 20, 2018 at 1:41 pmWould you think I would be able to add two apples to this recipe without changing the other ingredients?
Nicole Beaulieu says
November 21, 2018 at 10:42 amThat would taste great! You can add a bit less sugar if you don’t want it to be too sweet with those apples.
Jovita says
November 19, 2018 at 8:12 pmThe recipe turned out amazing, I loved how easy it was. Delicious!
Joanna Cismaru says
November 20, 2018 at 8:09 amI’m so happy you like this! 🙂
Cathy says
November 18, 2018 at 11:41 amEasy AND delicious. thank you!
Emily Alvarez says
November 16, 2018 at 4:53 pmAny suggestion if OJ with or without pulp is best? Looks delicious!
Joanna Cismaru says
November 16, 2018 at 6:35 pmWhatever you prefer, I used without.
Laura says
October 26, 2018 at 12:50 pmHi, I’m really interested in making this but I’m curious where, if there is one, the recipe for the turkey and gravy in the photo is? The gravy looks amazing, I just had to know what was in it.
Nicole Beaulieu says
October 29, 2018 at 11:10 amThat was our Instant Pot Turkey Breast 🙂
Myra says
October 12, 2018 at 10:59 pmOoohhh JO!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH! 🤗This is really a World’s Best Cranberry ever! My husband can’t stop eating it and the whole family loved it! Adding the vanilla extract is just perfect … All the ingredients are good together. Well done. 👍
Joanna Cismaru says
October 14, 2018 at 2:49 amHey Myra!! I’m so happy to hear you guys loved this! 🙂
Pat says
October 4, 2018 at 5:33 pmDelicious!
Sílvia says
November 16, 2017 at 2:19 amDear Jo,
I love your recipes, each one I have made has been a total successful in my family! 🙂
I love the way you explain everything, your recipes are so clear and so foolproof that it is impossible for me to think they will go wrong! Thanks for the confidence!!!
Now I would like to ask you a question… I made recently a pork loin stuffed with dried cranberries and it seems that I waited too much to be cooked in the oven, although I followed the recipe exactly, as I usually do, the first time I make it, I see it was wrong…
The thing is that it came too overcooked for our taste, and a bit dry and tough. Now, I cut it and kept it frozen and wait to see hoe tendereize it a bit before serving it to my family this week-end…
I am thinking about cooking it in this sauce, once defrosted the noght before in the fridge, but I don’t know if it will taste toooooo muuuuuch to cranberries 🙂
Do you think I could improve the slices a bit, trying to make it tender letting it simmer in a more a neutral sauce or some kind of marinate that “breaks” a bit the fibres in the cooked meat?
Please, let me know. Your sauce could be delicious in my stuffed pork loin but I need to tenderize it first…
Can you please help me?
Thanks and a big kiss from Barcelona!
Sílvia. silvia@centromayor.es
Joanna Cismaru says
November 17, 2017 at 3:52 pmThat’s probably the best way to revive dry pork is to cut it up and use it in something like stir fry or fried rice. Cooking it in this sauce will definitely flavor it and might save it a bit. 🙂