3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce

This simple cranberry sauce has just 3 ingredients and so much flavor. Perfect for when fresh cranberries are in season and the best side to any holiday meal.

This is my family's recipe for an easy cranberry sauce. I use this recipe during the holidays so I don't have to buy the canned cranberry sauce from the stores.

I love this easy recipe because making this 3 ingredient cranberry sauce takes just as much time as driving to the store to make but it tastes so much better. It is made with orange juice and is a more traditional recipe, just the way I like it.

You could make this sauce any time of year if you want to use frozen cranberries. This delicious sauce is very refreshing and easy to make and perfect for a make-ahead side dish at the holidays.

The 3 ingredients needed for this cranberry sauce

There are not many ingredients needed to make this delicious cranberry sauce. Here is what you need (full recipe below):

• Fresh cranberries: I like to buy fresh cranberries for this recipe but you can also make this with frozen cranberries if you prefer or they are not in season.
• Orange: You will need the juice and the zest of the orange.
• Granulated Sugar: You need sugar to offset the natural bitterness of cranberries. If you have tried cranberry juice that has no sugar, you will understand 🙂

How to make

Making this classic 3 ingredient cranberry sauce with orange juice is so simple. Here are the steps:

1. Add ingredients to a pot: Add your fresh cranberries, orange juice, sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan.
2. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the cranberries begin to burst and the sauce thickens. To test for the right thickness of the sauce, dip a spoon into the cranberry sauce and coat it well. remove the spoon from the sauce and run your finger down the back of the middle of the spoon. If the line you made through the sauce on the spoon stays and does not fill up again with the sauce from the sides then it is ready.
3. Cool: Once ready, remove from the stove and allow to come to room temperature. The sauce will thicken a bit at this point.
4. Refrigerate: Once it comes to room temperature, pour your sauce into a container with a lid and place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Tips

Making this ahead of time

The classic cranberry sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Since this is served as a side dish, that makes it an easy one to prepare during the holidays since it frees up your main day of cooking at the holidays.

Ways to enjoy this cranberry sauce all year

Now you probably already know that this classic cranberry sauce goes so well at the Thanksgiving table or any holiday table and you can easily find fresh cranberries during this time for this reason. We also enjoy making this delicious sauce throughout the year with frozen cranberries.

Get creative! Cranberry sauce is for more than just the holidays. Remember that this is not just for the holidays.