Sweet, tangy, and full of holiday spices, this whole-berry cranberry sauce is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving and Hanukkah menu and other dinner parties of the season!
Maybe it is just me, but cranberry sauce makes me think of cold winter nights, family times, sweaters, mugs of apple cider, and a fire in the fireplace. Perhaps the association is simply the warming spices of cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom mixed with the tart cranberries, but whatever it is, I absolutely love it. I definitely associate cranberry sauce with the holiday season– especially Thanksgiving and Hanukkah!
In addition, this cranberry sauce is super easy to make because it only uses six ingredients (three of which are spices!), and it is ready in thirty minutes, which means that it can be made right before it is needed to be placed upon the table for the meal! However, if you like your cranberry sauce cold, this recipe stores perfectly in the refrigerator for up to a week, so it can be made at your convenience up to a week before the day of the party.
Although this recipe starts with whole cranberries, the cranberries cook down and pop while the cranberry sauce simmers. This means that the final product is a thick, spreadable, almost jam-like consistency, which is perfect on your Thanksgiving plate next to the cornbread and as a topping for potato latkes at Hanukkah!
I hope you enjoy this cranberry sauce as much as I do and that you are able to use it in your holiday menus! Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah to all!
If you try this recipe, let me know! I would love to see your comments and ratings on this recipe. In addition, you can tag photos of your dishes for me to see on Instagram using #shalomhomestead.
Best wishes and shalom, friends!
- 2 (12oz) packages fresh cranberries
- 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- ⅔ cup agave nectar
- ½ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high.
- Heat the cranberry sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries have popped and the sauce is a deep red color, about 30 minutes. If the sauce begins to bubble and pop too much, you can slowly turn the heat down, just make sure that the cranberry sauce continues to simmer. I usually end up at a very low setting.
- Once the cranberry sauce is finished, the sauce will be a thick, red consistency; however, it will not be smooth like a store-bought, canned version because the skins from the berries will not completely blend. If you want the sauce smoother, allow it to cool and blend it until smooth.
- Serve immediately or make ahead of time and serve cold!
Lindsey H. says
November 23, 2017 at 9:13 pmLoved this recipe for Thanksgiving this year! The spices were just perfect. I used maple syrup instead of agave nectar because I didn’t have any on hand, still turned out great. I also ended up adding mandarin oranges and chopped walnuts at the end of the cooking because that’s my favorite way to eat cranberry sauce, but this recipe was also delicious as is!
Gwyn Clemons says
November 30, 2017 at 2:21 pmI am so glad that you liked the recipe! Your substitutions sound delicious, and I am so glad that the recipe turned out well! Thank you so much for trying my recipe! <3