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Best Ever Cranberry Sauce

Best ever cranberry sauce made with a quick stovetop simmer until most berries burst and the sauce turns glossy and thick. Finished with orange zest curls and vanilla, then chilled for a firmer spoonable texture.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 206
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
  • 0.1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the sauce
  1. Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, water, cinnamon stick, and salt in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high until it comes to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and look for clear syrup-like bubbles.
  2. Add fresh cranberries and return to a boil. Keep stirring as bubbles break across the surface, showing the berries are fully submerged.
  3. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10-12 minutes, stirring often. The sauce should thicken as most berries burst and look glossy with some split skins.
Finish and chill
  1. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in orange zest and vanilla extract. Discard the cinnamon stick and stir until evenly speckled with zest.
  2. Cool to room temperature, then chill until the sauce thickens further. The texture should become spoonable and more set as it cools.

Notes

Pro tip: Stir often during the simmer so the sugars don’t catch on the bottom, and aim for most berries burst for the best thick texture. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days; freezing is not recommended because the berries can become softer after thawing. For a lower-sugar option, replace granulated and brown sugar with a 1:1 sugar substitute designed for cooking while keeping the simmer time the same.