Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Looking for a simple to make homemade cranberry sauce recipe for Thanksgiving? This quick and easy cranberry sauce with a twist of orange liqueur delivers the best balance of tart and sweet. Made with fresh cranberries and a citrus twist, this holiday side dish comes together in minutes—and you can easily skip the liqueur for a classic, traditional cranberry sauce.
In this video, I’ll show you step-by-step how to make cranberry sauce from scratch so your Thanksgiving dinner is stress-free. Whether you’re hosting the whole family or bringing a side to a Friendsgiving potluck, this recipe is a festive must-have!
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*• Recipe Information •*
Makes about 4 cups (1 L)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
You can refrigerate the cranberry sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
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*• Ingredients •*
4 cups (400 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup (250 mL) water
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup
1 Mandarin orange, cut in half (or 1 Tbsp grated orange zest)
Pinch of ground cinnamon or cloves
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*• Directions •*
1. Place the cranberries, water, sugar, maple syrup, orange and cinnamon or clove maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low for a gentle simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
2. Remove the orange halves, transfer to a container and chill until ready to use.
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Excerpted from Anna Cooks by Anna Olson. Copyright © 2025 Anna Olson. Photographs by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Looking for a simple to make homemade cranberry sauce recipe for Thanksgiving? This quick and easy cranberry sauce with a twist of orange liqueur delivers the best balance of tart and sweet. Made with fresh cranberries and a citrus twist, this holiday side dish comes together in minutes—and you can easily skip the liqueur for a classic, traditional cranberry sauce.
In this video, I’ll show you step-by-step how to make cranberry sauce from scratch so your Thanksgiving dinner is stress-free. Whether you’re hosting the whole family or bringing a side to a Friendsgiving potluck, this recipe is a festive must-have!
--------
*• Recipe Information •*
Makes about 4 cups (1 L)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
You can refrigerate the cranberry sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
--------
*• Ingredients •*
4 cups (400 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup (250 mL) water
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup
1 Mandarin orange, cut in half (or 1 Tbsp grated orange zest)
Pinch of ground cinnamon or cloves
--------
*• Directions •*
1. Place the cranberries, water, sugar, maple syrup, orange and cinnamon or clove maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low for a gentle simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
2. Remove the orange halves, transfer to a container and chill until ready to use.
--------
Excerpted from Anna Cooks by Anna Olson. Copyright © 2025 Anna Olson. Photographs by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
