Homemade & Yummy
menu icon
subscribe
search icon
×
You are here: Home / Recipes / Ultimate Cranberry Sauce

Ultimate Cranberry Sauce

*Updated* / By: 51 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qaulifying purchases. Disclosure Policy.

Ultimate Cranberry Sauce with the flavours of bourbon and maple syrup is sure to be a hit on your holiday table.

In under 15 minutes, with 5 ingredients, you can create fresh cranberry sauce. Once you try this, you will never buy canned again!

The ultimate cranberry sauce made with maple syrup and bourbon.

I love adding bourbon to recipes. Have you tried my Boozy Bourbon Fudge? A must on the holiday treat tray.

Caramelized Onion Jam also contains the pairing of bourbon and maple. The ultimate topping for burgers and more.

Join Our Mailing List

You will receive a FREE PANTRY STAPLES PRINTABLE and easy recipes to make with them.

We all need some easy, stress-free recipes for the holidays. I have the perfect gravy recipe, easy roasted squash slices, and now this cranberry recipe too.

RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for this gourmet cranberry sauce can be found at the bottom of this post.

A dish of cranberry sauce on the holiday dinner table.

This Cranberry Recipe Needs:

  • Whole Cranberries
  • Water
  • Bourbon
  • Sugar
  • Maple Syrup
Ingredients to make a holiday cranberry recipe.

You will be amazed at how easy this whole cranberry recipe comes together. This is the perfect dish to take to a holiday potluck. It makes a great food gift.

It doesn’t only have to be eaten with turkey.

  • Enjoy it with some brie and crackers.
  • Add it to a sandwich.
  • Use it to make muffins.
  • Perfect on pancakes and waffles.
  • Add it to your yogurt.
  • Top your bagels, toast or scones.

Making The Ultimate Cranberry Sauce

This recipe comes together quickly. It can be made well in advance too.

Be sure to check the recipe card for the full instructions.

Rinsing fresh cranberries in a strainer.
  • Wash your whole berries and drain them in a sieve.
Collage of steps involved to cook the cranberries into a sauce.
  • Place all the ingredients (except the berries) in a pot.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Add the cranberries, and simmer.
  • When cooked, mash slightly.
A pot of sauce made from cranberries.

The sauce is done! Cool and place in the fridge until ready to use.

Recipe Tips/Suggestions

Whole Cranberries are used in this recipe. They can be fresh or frozen. I always have bags of cranberries in the freezer.

Bourbon can be swapped out with rum, vodka, brandy, red wine or Grand Marnier.

Orange Juice is a great replacement to make this recipe without alcohol.

Sugar is easy to control, you can choose to use more or less. I do love a tart cranberry sauce.

Maple Syrup can be replaced with honey or agave nectar.

Do not overcook, as the sugar will start to caramelize and possibly burn. Once the berries start to burst, remove the pot from the heat.

A spoonful of homemade sauce with cranberries.

FAQ

Does homemade cranberry sauce freeze well?

Yes, it sure does. Place it in a sealed container or freezer bag. It will last for several months. Note, the store-bought canned sauce does not freeze well.

How to defrost it?

Thaw in the fridge or defrost in the microwave.

How long will fresh cranberry sauce last?

This will last for 10-14 days in the fridge. There are lots of delicious ways to use the leftovers.

I promise, once you make cranberry sauce from scratch, you will be hooked. I have been making this for many years, and it is a holiday hit every year. With all the variations, you can make it just the way you like. ENJOY!

Be sure to CLICK THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON located in the TOP MENU. You will get a FREE PRINTABLE and recipes! FOLLOW ME on social media too.

More Holiday Recipes

Just in case you are in need of a few more recipes, here are a few suggestions:

Holiday Boozy Cranberry Sauce
The ultimate cranberry sauce made with maple syrup and bourbon.

Ultimate Boozy Cranberry Sauce

Homemade cranberry sauce with maple syrup and bourbon. You can't buy this in a can. Holiday pefect!
5 from 17 votes
Pin Recipe Print Rate
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Keyword: Cranberry Recipe, Holiday recipes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 62kcal
Author: Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces cranberries 1 bag, fresh or frozen
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup bourbon
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Rinse cranberries.
  • Place all ingredients (except cranberries) into a pot.
  • Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes making sure sugar dissolves.
  • Add cranberries and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer till berries start to burst.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Press slightly with a potato masher or fork.
  • Place in bowl, cool and place in fridge till ready to use.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 15mg | Sugar: 12g | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Take a picture and tag @homemadeandyummy
Nutritional information on this site is generated via a plugin. I am not responsible for the accuracy of the plugin information.
«
»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Natalie

    Fantastic sauce Gloria. Sounds super delicious. I always buy cranberry sauce in the store. Maybe this year I’ll just cook one at home following your recipe. I love added bourbon.

    Reply

  4. Allyssa

    Thank you so much for sharing this amazing cranberry sauce recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!

    Reply

  6. Andréa Janssen

    Who isn’t in need of a great homemade cranberry sauce for the holidays. This cranberry sauce looks so delicious and I love the addition of bourbon and maple syrup.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Send this to a friend