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Best Ever Cranberry Sauce

Best ever cranberry sauce made on the stovetop with a quick simmer until most berries burst and the sauce turns glossy and thick. Bright orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla give a clean sweet-tart flavor that chills into a spoonable gel.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 220
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry sauce
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.75 cup orange juice
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 0.0625 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Make the sauce base
  1. Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, water, cinnamon stick, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Visual cue: the liquid should look clear and uniform before adding the cranberries.
  2. Add fresh cranberries and return the mixture to a boil. Visual cue: you should see rapid bubbling all over the surface.
Simmer and thicken
  1. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until most berries burst and the sauce thickens. Visual cue: the sauce will look glossier and coats the back of a spoon.
Finish and chill
  1. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest and vanilla extract, then discard the cinnamon stick. Visual cue: the sauce should smell bright and look slightly thicker than right after simmering.
  2. Cool to room temperature, then chill until it thickens further as it cools. Visual cue: the sauce should hold its shape when spooned.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, stir more often during the 10-12 minute simmer so fewer berries stay whole. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 5 days; re-stir before serving. Freezing is not recommended because the texture can loosen after thawing. For a less-sweet version, reduce granulated sugar to 1/2 cup and keep the brown sugar the same for a balanced sweet-tart profile.