Canned Cranberry Sauce That Tastes Homemade
Wondering how to make boring canned cranberry sauce taste homemade? Look no further! This recipe will make that canned stuff *SHINE BRIGHT* on your holiday table! Just a few simple ingredients and about ten minutes is all it takes to make a can of cranberry sauce taste fresh and homemade!
Five Star Review…
“This is the first year all the cranberry sauce was eaten. This is SO awesome, I couldn’t get enough of it with my turkey!”
– LEAH
What makes this canned cranberry sauce so special?
When I first met my husband, he swore by the classic Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce…you know, the kind that slides out of the can with the ridges still showing?! His taste buds have come a long way, but I still buy him a can every holiday season for nostalgia’s sake. We laugh about it now, because while canned cranberry sauce isn’t fancy, with just a little doctoring it can taste totally homemade!
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this kicked-up easy canned cranberry sauce recipe:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Canned cranberry sauce: You have two choices when you buy a can of cranberry sauce: whole berry cranberry sauce and jellied sauce. EITHER will work in this recipe! I prefer whole berry, but honestly, there isn’t a lot of difference in taste between the two! Just sayin’.
Maple syrup: Canned cranberry sauce on its own is always sweetened. But the maple syrup adds a deeper, rich flavor. All you need is a touch!
Fresh oranges: The juice of one big orange + the zest is the perfect tartness to balance out the sweetness of the cranberry sauce.
HOW TO MAKE CANNED CRANBERRY SAUCE TASTE BETTER: STEP-BY-STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with the exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!
Casey’s Top Tip: Don’t be afraid to TASTE your homemade sauce as it cooks. Too sweet? Add a little lemon juice. Too tart? Add a bit more maple syrup. Adjust the flavors until they are just how you like! That is the beauty of cooking at home!
STORAGE & REHEATING
- Storage: If you are making this cranberry sauce recipe ahead, store it in an air-tight container in the fridge OR cover it tightly with plastic wrap for up to 5 days. Store leftover cranberry sauce the same way.
- Reheating: If you want to reheat your cranberry sauce, place it in a saucepan over the stove and heat through.
- Freezing: Cool completely. Then transfer cranberry sauce to a large zip-top bag and freeze flat for up to 6 months.
How to Serve
- Holiday side: This is a no-brainer. Serve this canned sauce with your holiday meal alongside your turkey, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, and these amazing crack green beans! It’s also divine on leftover turkey sandwiches!
- Breakfast: Mix with a bit of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for a delicious, easy breakfast.
- Ice cream: Mmmm…this semi-homemade cranberry sauce is so good on vanilla ice cream with a bit of cinnamon on top!
OTHER WAYS TO MAKE CANNED CRANBERRY SAUCE TASTE BETTER
Here are a few other things you might want to add to your homemade canned cranberry sauce to doctor it up a bit:
- Chopped nuts
- Ground ginger
- Port
- Brown sugar
- Honey
- Apples
- Raisins/dried fruit
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know your thoughts this canned cranberry sauce recipe by leaving a star rating below or sharing it on Instagram!
Thank you! ~ Casey
Canned Cranberry Sauce That Tastes Homemade
Ingredients
- 2 14 oz. cans cranberry sauce Jellied or whole berry cranberry sauce are both fine! You can also use a mix of the two.
- 2-3 tbsp orange juice (juice of one orange) + 2-3 tsp orange zest (zest from one orange)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (See Note 1) you can also use brown sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat, combine canned cranberry sauce and all other ingredients. Stir well to combine. You can use a wooden spoon to break up the canned sauce or use a whisk if you want more of a smooth cranberry sauce.
- Bring to a boil, then let the sauce simmer 1-2 minutes over low heat. Serve warm or transfer to a serving dish and chill until you are ready to enjoy.
Notes
Casey’s Top Tips:
- Don’t be afraid to TASTE your homemade sauce as it cooks. Too sweet? Add a little lemon juice. Too tart? Add a bit more maple syrup. Adjust the flavors until they are just how you like! That is the beauty of cooking at home!
- If you are making this cranberry sauce recipe ahead, store it in an air-tight container in the fridge OR cover it tightly with plastic wrap for up to 5 days. Store leftover cranberry sauce the same way.
perfect recipe! I give this a 5 out of 5 stars!
This recipe looks great. I live in Australia and can not get fresh cranberries, so doctored-up ones will have to do. I tried using dried cranberries, but, just not a nice taste. Question, how long will it keep in the fridge? I would like to make it a few days ahead of Christmas. Will it freeze?
Thank you
This is a perfect make-ahead dish!
Storage: If you are making this cranberry sauce recipe ahead, store it in an air-tight container in the fridge OR cover it tightly with plastic wrap for up to 5 days. Store leftover cranberry sauce the same way.
Reheating: If you want to reheat your cranberry sauce, place it in a saucepan over the stove and heat through.
Freezing: Cool completely. Then transfer cranberry sauce to a large zip-top bag and freeze flat for up to 6 months.
This is the first year all the cranberry sauce was eaten. This is SO awesome, I couldn’t get enough of it with my turkey!
Hahaha! That is so awesome, Leah!! XO ~ Casey
This is the best cranberry sauce I have ever eaten and the recipe was so easy!
Thank you for posting!
Seriously the best cranberry recipe ever! really does taste homemade.
Thank you so much! The flavors are perfect and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Love how easy this recipe is. It’s perfect for our family!
Such an easy and delicious cranberry sauce; love the addition of the cinnamon to i!
Such a great cranberry recipe! And it is hubby approved!!
Oh, I love how it turned out! Seriously amazing!
This is a great recipe for the winter months. I want it on all roasts from now until spring.
This is great! I know how to make my own cranberry sauce, but the canned sauce is so much easier when I’ve already got a million other things going for Thanksgiving! I’ll definitely be using this recipe to spice it up!
I’ve never been into the canned cranberry stuff, but this recipe has made me change my mind!
Love the idea of saving on time and dressing up canned cranberry sauce! So smart!
This is such a genius way to make the canned stuff taste better!
Thanks for this very easy recipe!! I really can’t wait to try it!
Wao! that was super easy and soo good! Thanks for your cranberry sauce recipe; I’ll make it again for the holidays!