Cranberry Sauce
This cranberry sauce is my husband’s absolute favorite Thanksgiving dish, and it starts with the classic recipe printed right on the cranberry bag. But instead of stopping there, I layer in fall spices, orange peel, and fresh ginger to create a version that’s bright, cozy, and totally addictive. It simmers on the stove until the cranberries burst and the liquid reduces into a glossy, flavorful sauce. Strain it or leave it chunky—either way, it will absolutely outshine anything from a can.
Cranberry Sauce
This is probably my husband's all time favorite thing that I make... so much so, that I have to travel with it every Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
- 16 oz cranberries
- 1 cup of orange juice*
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 1"x3" orange peels
- 1 2" piece of ginger. peeled and cut in half longways
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1 star anise
- 1 t salt
Instructions
- Rinse your cranberries and pick out any bad ones
- Add all ingredients to a medium size sauce pot over medium low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved
- Simmer until all cranberries burst, and liquid reduces by 1/3
- Strain into a serving dish**
Notes
*if using fresh oranges for juice and you don't get 1 cup, you can supplement with water
**if you like your sauce chunky, you just need to pick out all of your whole spices, orange peels, and ginger
The nutrition information is based on estimates and is not definitive.
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There are certain things on the Thanksgiving table that feel purely obligatory. Cranberry sauce is one of them—until you taste a version that actually has flavor. I grew up seeing that iconic wiggly, ridged can-shaped blob sitting on every holiday table, and honestly? I never understood the hype. It tastes like sugar and nostalgia, sure, but it doesn’t taste like fruit. And it definitely doesn’t taste like something you’d want to take seconds of.
Then I started cooking my own Thanksgiving meals. And like most things, once you make cranberry sauce from scratch, you never go back. But of course, I couldn’t leave the classic recipe alone. The back-of-the-bag version is a great foundation—cranberries, orange juice, sugar. It works. But it needs a little help to really shine in the way a star Thanksgiving side should.
And that’s where this version comes in.
This is the cranberry sauce my husband begs for every single Thanksgiving. If we’re hosting, it’s non-negotiable. If we’re traveling, he asks if I can make it ahead and pack it in a cooler. It’s honestly one of his favorite things I make for him, period—holiday or not. The flavor is bright, warm, spiced, cozy, citrusy, and just complex enough to feel special without being fussy.
The secret? We let the classic recipe stay the classic recipe—but we turn up the volume with a handful of fall spices and aromatics that transform everything.
What Makes This Cranberry Sauce Special
The recipe still starts with the simple formula printed right on the cranberry bag:
1 bag of cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
It’s tried and true for a reason. But then we add in the magic:
Strips of fresh orange peel
A knob of fresh ginger
A cinnamon stick
A couple whole cloves
One star anise
A pinch of salt (don’t skip—it wakes everything up)
All these ingredients simmer together until the cranberries burst, the kitchen smells like a fall candle but in the best food way, and the sauce thickens naturally thanks to pectin doing its thing. You can’t rush that part—give it time to reduce and concentrate.
Once it’s done, you have two options: leave it rustic and chunky, or strain it into a perfectly smooth, jewel-toned sauce. I’ve done both, but I firmly believe in straining out the whole spices, orange peel, and ginger either way. It keeps the texture clean and the flavors balanced instead of overwhelming.
The Best Part: You Can Make It Ahead
Honestly, this sauce gets better as it sits.
Make it the day before Thanksgiving and tuck it into a container—just pull it out when dinner is ready. If anything, the flavors deepen overnight, and the consistency becomes even silkier.
Serving Ideas (Beyond the Bird)
Don’t let this only hit the table once a year. It’s incredible with:
Roast turkey or chicken
Pork tenderloin
Smear it on leftover turkey sandwiches
Stir into yogurt or oatmeal
Spread onto biscuits or cornbread
Heat up with a splash of water and drizzle over pancakes
Basically: treat it like the sweet-tart fall condiment it is.
Why This Will Outshine the Can
Because it has actual flavor.
Because it’s fresh.
Because it takes maybe 20 minutes of hands-off simmering.
Because it brings brightness to an otherwise heavy holiday plate.
And because once people taste this, they will NOT ask for the can again.
This is the kind of recipe that quietly becomes your signature dish—the thing family members request, talk about, and ask you to bring every year. The one your husband claims before he even sees the turkey. The one people sneak spoonfuls of from the fridge the next morning.
It’s simple, nostalgic, elevated, and exactly what Thanksgiving should feel like.
Now let’s make it.