The Thanksgiving table isn't complete without Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Honey. This version is naturally sweetened with honey instead of sugar, and flavored with orange juice for the easiest 3 ingredient side dish, in only 15 minutes!
- Easy and Homemade! - Making your own Cranberry Sauce with Honey might be the easiest task on the holiday to-do list! Just simmer fresh cranberries with orange juice and honey (way less than the usual cup of sugar)! It thickens itself to perfection in less than 15 minutes!
- Versatile and can be Made Ahead! - This quick cranberry sauce can be made a few days in advance or even frozen to make the holiday that much easier!
- Try my other Thanksgiving Recipes like this Sweet Potato Casserole and this Pear Arugula Salad! Get them all - 25 Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Made with fresh cranberries, orange juice, and honey instead of sugar, this Cranberry Sauce is super simple and delicious!
- Fresh Cranberries - Fresh cranberries are everywhere this time of year! They are known to be pretty intensely sprayed with pesticides, so buy organic if you can. Frozen cranberries, or fresh cranberries that you have frozen are fine for this recipe. Just rinse well in a strainer under cold water.
- Honey - A natural sweetener, honey takes the place of sugar. Cranberry sauce recipes often use 1 cup of sugar, so ½ cup of honey will give you a slightly more tart sauce. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, you could add a bit more honey, such as ¾ cup. You can also make the recipe with ½ cup of honey, taste and decide to add a bit more at the end. Maple syrup or sugar could be substituted.
- Orange Juice - Orange juice gives this cranberry sauce a little extra flavor and sweetness. You can use bottled orange juice, or squeeze a fresh orange or two. If you do use a fresh orange and don't get the full ½ cup, just add water for the rest. Cranberry sauce could also be made with apple juice or water in place of the orange juice.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The easiest homemade item on the menu, just simmer your cranberry sauce, it thickens on it's own as the cranberries burst!
Step 1 - Rinse the cranberries and add them to a sauce pot with honey and orange juice.
Step 2 - Simmer over medium low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust the heat lower to keep it at a gentle simmer.
Step 3 -Stir often. You'll know it's done when the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens.
Helpful Tips
- Make Ahead - Cranberry Honey Sauce can easily be made up to 3 days in advance, and really it will keep in the fridge for a week. You can also make it weeks ahead and freeze it. Thaw overnight in the fridge a day or 2 before you need it.
- Serve Warm, Room Temperature, or Chilled - Your choice, cranberry sauce can be served warm right from the stove, sit on the side dish table awhile, or be served cold from the fridge. It will thicken as it cools and especially if it is refrigerated. If you do make it ahead and refrigerate, you can always warm it back up in a pot or even in the microwave before serving.
- Adjust the Sweetness - The amount of sweetness people like in their cranberry sauce varies wildly! This recipe uses a half cup of honey, which is about as low as most people would want to go, for a sauce a bit on the tart side. You can easily adjust this to your liking by adding anywhere from a half to a full cup of honey. You can even start with a half, make the sauce, taste it and add a bit more if you like. Cranberries are very tart so need the sweetness, but remember you're usually only eating a few spoonfuls with your meal!
- Storage and Freezing - Leftover sauce will keep in the fridge for a week and can be frozen for 3 months. Allow to cool in the fridge before freezing. To use, thaw overnight in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, cranberries are great to buy a few extra bags for the freezer! You can use frozen cranberries for this recipe, no need to thaw, just rinse them in a strainer under cold water.
This recipe makes about 2 cups of cranberry sauce. Depending on how many spoonfuls your guests are taking, this can serve anywhere from 8 to 12 people.
Yes! If serving 14 to 24 people, or if you just want leftovers, you can easily double the recipe.
No, cranberry sauce thickens on its own! Cranberries contain pectin that is released into the sauce as they burst open.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
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Cranberry Sauce with Honey
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries (about 3½ cups)
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup orange juice
Instructions
- Rinse cranberries in a strainer. Add all ingredients to a sauce pan over medium low heat and simmer about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir often, you can lower the heat to keep it at a gentle simmer as the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens.
- Taste the finished sauce, you can add more honey if you like it sweeter!
Notes
- Make Ahead - Cranberry Sauce can be made up to 4 days in advance and kept in the fridge. It can also be made ahead and frozen, thawed overnight in the fridge a day or 2 before you need it.
- Recipe Makes 2 Cups, which can serve about 8 to 12 people. The recipe can be doubled!
- Serving Temperature - Can be served warm, room temperature, or chilled.
- Nutrition info is for about ¼ cup of sauce.
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