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!
I laugh as I write this because when I first met my husband, he insisted on Ocean Spray canned jellied cranberry sauce for every Thanksgiving dinner….you know, the jellied sauce…the kind you slice that shows the outline of the can?!
His taste buds have evolved since then, but I will say I can’t go through a holiday season without buying him a can of it and putting it– straight from the can–on the holiday table!
We laugh about it, but there is really nothing wrong with canned cranberry sauce! All it needs is a little bit of doctoring up to make cranberry sauce from a can taste like homemade!
Serve this canned sauce alongside your turkey, mashed potatoes, and these amazing crack green beans! It’s also divine on leftover turkey sandwiches!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Such an EASY fix to turn canned cranberry sauce into your own special homemade sauce.
- Only uses FIVE ingredients and takes no time to make!
- The perfect complement to your holiday dinner table.
- SO many other uses for this sauce aside from the holidays!
- You can use whole-berry canned cranberry sauce or the jellied version.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this kicked-up Canned Cranberry Sauce Recipe:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Canned Cranberry Sauce: You have two choices when you buy a can of cranberry space: Whole 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 or texture 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!
Step 1: Add canned cranberry sauce to a medium pan. Using a wooden spoon, break it up a bit. Then, add all other ingredients and stir to combine.
Step 2: Bring to a boil, then simmer 1-2 minutes, stirring, until flavors marry together. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.
⭐️ CONFIDENCE 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.
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
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This is totally a personal preference! Some people like hot cranberry sauce and others like it chilled. My personal preference is serving this cranberry sauce at room temperature.
Canned cranberry sauce is already thick on it’s own. This cranberry sauce recipe with the added ingredients will continue to thicken as it simmers on the stove. No need to do anything further.
Although cranberry sauce is a popular side dish alongside Thanksgiving turkey, you can also use it in so many other ways (not just around the holidays, either!)
* Alongside pork dishes such as pork chops or a pork roast.
* As a topping for ice cream.
* Mixed with yogurt and granola for a quick breakfast.
* A topping for pancakes, waffles, and french toast (also try my caramel apple pie filling for this too!)
* Use it to make overnight oats.
* As a topping on toast or English muffin.
* My favorite…on leftover turkey sandwiches!
In a Dinner Rut?
Grab your 7-Day Meal Plan + 3 Bonus Recipes!
TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
Check out all of my kitchen essentials in my Amazon store!
Citrus Juicer: Super handy!
Wooden Spoon: Love this set.
My favorite medium sized pan: Perfect pan and I love the color! Super easy to clean and doubles as a dutch oven.
Please SUBSCRIBE HERE and follow me on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK and PINTEREST!
OTHER FAVORITE RECIPES FOR THE HOLIDAYS
I hope you love this Canned Cranberry Sauce that tastes homemade! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
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.
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!