Spiced Cranberry Sauce is one of those "must-have" side dishes on the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table. It pairs well with Southern Cornbread Dressing, smoked turkey, ham or beef and adds a bit of texture and flavor to the usual holiday menu! You'll love this seasoned cranberry dish with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger and a hint of orange!
This homemade cranberry relish recipe uses fresh cranberries and has hints warm spices and a dash of sugar and orange juice. Most people don't like cranberries because they're so tart, but the sugar, cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg and allspice combat the natural bitterness of the berry, and the orange adds a nice touch of citrus!
This Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish is so much better than canned or jellied cranberry sauce and it takes only a few minutes to prepare! It also tastes great on a leftover turkey sandwich!
Feel free to adjust the spice amounts in this recipe to your liking; however, I strongly urge you to not omit the ground ginger. It really adds a nice spin to the dish and makes the fresh cranberry sauce even more scrumptious!
How to Make Cranberry Sauce with Fresh Cranberries
- Rinse cranberries and place in large saucepan
- Add water, sugar; bring to boil
- After cranberries begin to pop and thicken, add remaining ingredients
- Cover and refrigerate
When you're cooking the cranberries, bring them to a boil, then lower the heat a bit and cook them until they're thick and all the water has been absorbed.
Can I Make This in Advance?
Luckily, this spiced cranberry sauce can be made in advance! Just one less thing to prepare on a busy holiday! Simply place it in a covered container and refrigerate. It should last up to three days, if not more, but I rarely keep food older than three days.
Can Diabetics Eat Cranberry Sauce?
While cranberries are naturally low in sugar, this recipe calls for added sugar, so you might use a lesser amount of stevia or other plant-based alternative like monk fruit.
If you're curious about the cranberry, check out 10 interesting facts about cranberries.
Craving More? Try Homemade Southern Cornbread Dressing!
Spiced Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz. pkg. cranberries
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup orange juice fresh (about 1 1/2 navel oranges)
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger dried, not fresh
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon dried
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves dried
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg dried
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice dried
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Pour cranberries into medium saucepan; add water and sugar; bring to boil; stirring occasionally
- Allow cranberries to "pop"; cook until the mixture begins to thicken
- Add orange juice, spices and salt; combine well
- Place in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
- Garnish with orange zest or chopped pecans
Notes
- Cranberry sauce can be made in advance; just make sure it's covered and refrigerated until it's served
Nutrition
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