Homemade spiced cranberry sauce puts those tinned canned jelled versions to shame especially when you add in a spiced version. And you wouldn’t expect anything less than from scratch cranberry sauce pioneer woman style on a homesteading blog and podcast entitled Pioneering Today, am I right?
This easy from-scratch cranberry sauce only uses 5 ingredients and is ready in less than 30 minutes!
You’re in for a treat today because Anna is sharing her best homemade cranberry sauce recipe today with a fun twist of spices.
I never used to like cranberry sauce. I didn’t even bother to put it on my plate most of the time at Thanksgiving and Christmas. But then again, like most modern families, we always ate it out of a can from the store, and I found it a bit boring.
To be honest, for most of my life I wasn’t a huge fan of holiday dinners. I’ve never been a big turkey fan and I don’t love plain ol’ mashed potatoes or boiled brussels sprouts either.
But after my husband and I took over hosting holiday dinners a few years ago, I’ve been on a mission to recreate traditional holiday dishes with a twist. When we do a turkey, now we use a smoker to cook it, giving it a distinct flavor and a crispy skin. Otherwise, we do a clove-studded ham basted in apple jelly.
We’ve upgraded the mashed potatoes to a scalloped potatoes recipe that is to die for, and I now char my brussels sprouts in my cast iron pan and top them with a little lemon juice and parmesan cheese, which is definitely an upgrade on the traditional boiled recipe.
All of these “upgrades” on the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas meals have made holiday dinners something we truly look forward to all year in our house now and let’s just say our extended family is happy to let us host each year.
But the cherry on top (or should I say cranberry) is this upgrade on traditional cranberry sauce.
The Best Cranberry Sauce Twist (with spices)
This homemade cranberry sauce is made with cinnamon and vanilla, giving it a subtle twist that compliments and helps to balance the tartness of the cranberries. It’s beyond easy to make, requiring just 5 ingredients total (one being water), and takes just half an hour total to cook with next to zero prep time.
You can also omit the cinnamon and vanilla if you’re just looking for a traditional, simple cranberry sauce recipe. Or omit the vanilla but keep the cinnamon or vice versa.
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I actually made this for the first time last year and I made it with just vanilla. I LOVED it because it tasted sweeter, like jam. But my husband thought the vanilla flavor was too strong (learn how to make your own homemade vanilla and other extracts here). So this year I reduced the amount of vanilla by half and added a couple of cinnamon sticks. He gave me a big thumbs up:)
I like this version better too because the cinnamon adds just the right balance of spice, which is always reminiscent of warm family gatherings on chilly fall and winter nights over the holiday season.
How long will fresh cranberry sauce last in the refrigerator for
It will also keep well in the fridge for a week, which means you can definitely make this ahead of time and save time cooking on the big day without sacrificing homemade taste and quality.
Cranberry sauce also freezes well. Or you can try fermented cranberry sauce which stays good in the refrigerator for several months.
Homemade Spiced Cranberry Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- two cinnamon sticks or 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- one vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
How to can homemade cranberry sauce
Cranberries are a high acid food making this a great sauce to preserve.
This recipe can also be canned so you could make it ahead of time, or make a big batch for Thanksgiving and preserve some for Christmas. I also recommend doubling the batch for canning as the recipe below is enough to fill just one-pint jar or two jam jars.
- Make cranberry sauce per below instructions.
- Prepare water bath canner (or steam canner) while sauce is simmering.
- Pour hot prepared sauce into clean and warm half-pint or pint sized jars to a 1/2 inch head space. Remove air bubbles.
- Wipe rims clean, place lid on, screw down band to finger tip tight.
- Place jars in 180 degree F water bath.
- Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes.
- Turn off heat and remove lid. Wait for 5 minutes.
- Remove jars to folded towel and let cool for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals, if sealed, remove bands, wipe down jars and store on shelf.
Did you know that cranberries weren’t included in the original Thanksgiving fare? Check out the Traditional Thanksgiving Foods & Recipes starting from 1621 here
What are your favorite twists to add to homemade spiced cranberry sauce?
Homemade Spiced Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- two cinnamon sticks or 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- one vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan and turn heat on to medium high. Stir well to combine ingredients and simmer on medium/medium high until sugar is dissolved and cranberries begin to burst (about 10 minutes).
- Turn down to medium low and simmer gently, stirring frequently until mixture begins to thicken up like jam (about another 20 minutes).
- Remove cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean if using and discard in compost. Let cranberry sauce cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Make cranberry sauce per instructions.
- Prepare water bath canner (or steam canner) while the sauce is simmering.
- Pour hot prepared sauce into clean and warm half-pint or pint sized jars to a 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles.
- Wipe rims clean, place the lid on, screw-down band to fingertip tight.
- Place jars in 180 degrees F water bath.
- Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes.
- Turn off heat and remove the lid. Wait for 5 minutes.
- Remove jars to a folded towel and let cool for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals, if sealed, remove bands, wipe down jars, and store on the shelf.
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Thanksgiving Must-Have Recipes
- From Scratch Green Bean Casserole
- Best Easy Flaky Pie Crust Recipe
- Homemade Condensed Cream of Soup
- Grandma’s Best Easy Dinner Rolls
- How to Make a Pumpkin Roll
- Quick & Easy Candied Kumquats Recipe
Delicious and so easy. I had made it last year and it was so good that I made 2 1/2 batches today. I’m getting ready for Christmas!
Do you think it would be safe to can with diced jalapeno?
No, there is no added acid and jalapenos are a non-acidic ingredient.
I made this for the first time 2 years ago, and my entire (all 16 of them) family loved it! It’s become a tradition that I bring this for Thanksgiving (and maybe Christmas!)
I made this cranberry sauce last year and just came back to print it for this year. It’s amazing!!!
Do you think this recipe could be used and canned using lingonberries?
I like cranberry sauce which I make each Fall
I enjoyed reading your recipe. My recipe included grated fresh orange rind and a couple tablespoons of fresh squeezed orange juice.
Voila ..a little more tsnge
Can you make this into a jelly type Cranberry sauce?
I wonder if honey or maple syrup would work as well (probably in a slightly reduced quantitiy).
Another yummy twist on the cranberry sauce/relish is to add a tangerine or an orange. Separate the segments and either whir briefly in a blender or just smoosh them up as it heats with the cranberries, sugar, water, etc. OR… substitute with apple juice or orange juice for the water.
I love making cranberry sauce I will add a bit of lemon zest to brighten it up