Cranberry sauce is a classic Thanksgiving dish, but if you want something easy without eating from a can, you'll love this cranberry sauce made from dried cranberries! It's sweet, juicy, and ready in just minutes.
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Anybody else start day dreaming and planning their Thanksgiving meal months in advance? I have a few staples I need to see on the table every year, but I also like to have a couple new things to try.
I hope you'll try my cranberry sauce this year. Even if you're not eating turkey I think you'll still enjoy it on it's own, with a bite of stuffing or potatoes, or spread on your favorite dinner roll.
The best cranberry sauce using dried cranberries
Dried cranberries may be easier for some people to find than fresh cranberries. You're also able to order them online, making them a good choice for people who can't or don't want to leave their home.
I always have dried cranberries on hand for adding to salads or for snacking (the kids love them!), which makes this recipe super easy to throw together any night of the week, but especially on a holiday. The ingredients list is simple, the cooking only takes a few minutes, and the taste can't be beat!
Cranberry sauce ingredients
- Dried cranberries
- Cranberry juice
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
- Orange juice and zest
- Salt
- Cornstarch
- Water
How to make cranberry sauce with dried cranberries
- Bring everything except cornstarch and water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the cranberries have plumped up, 3-5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Add this mixture to the cranberries, stir, and cook another minute.
Top tips
Sweetened vs unsweetened dried cranberries
I used sweetened, but if you prefer a more tart sauce you could use unsweetened dried cranberries. You could also add more sugar to taste if using unsweetened.
A tip for your Thanksgiving planning
If you're making homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving or another holiday, I suggest testing it out before hand to make sure you enjoy it and know how to make it on the big day. It can be really stressful making a new recipe on Thanksgiving, especially since you're probably keeping an eye on a number of other dishes as well.
Making cranberry sauce ahead of time
You can make this easy cranberry sauce ahead of time, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. It will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, or 3 months in the freezer.
Tips for customizing
- If you prefer a more tart cranberry sauce, use unsweetened dried cranberries or less sugar.
- Want a smoother sauce? Use an immersion or regular blender to blend some of the sauce.
- Use this sauce as a topping for vanilla ice cream.
- Spread leftovers on toast with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Spread on top of a wheel of brie and wrap in puff pastry to make a brie en croute appetizer
FAQ
Dried cranberries are sometimes sold under the name Craisins. It's like a cross between a cranberry and a raisin since the cranberries are dried similar to a raisin. You can use dried cranberries and craisins interchangeably.
I chose to use a naturally sweetened cranberry juice blend to help lower the sugar content of this recipe, but feel free to use regular sweetened or unsweetened cranberry juice. Just keep in mind you may need to adjust the sugar to accommodate your juice preference.
Yes, you can make cranberry sauce with dried cranberries. The liquid in the recipe gets absorbed by the dried berries which plumps them up, and the cornstarch thickens it into a thick, sweet sauce.
More vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes
- Mashed Potato Bake
- Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
- Simple Vegetarian Stuffing
- Vegetarian Cornbread Stuffing
- Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
- Thanksgiving Baked Tempeh
- Creamy Mushroom Tempeh
- Vegetarian Lentil Meatloaf Muffins
- Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad
- Fall Cheese Board
- Apple Cider Cocktail
- Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Oven Roasted Carrots with Thyme
- Pecan Pie Bars
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cranberries
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sweetened dried cranberries, (Craisins)
- ¾ cup cranberry juice, preferably naturally sweetened with other fruit juices
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- Juice and zest of 1 orange
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small pot over medium heat, combine cranberries, juice, brown sugar, white sugar, orange juice and zest, and salt and bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce the heat, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the cranberries have plumped up a bit.
- In a small bowl, combine water and cornstarch. Add this mixture to the cranberries, stir, and allow to cook 1 minute more.
- Serve warm or at room temperature and garnish with orange zest or peel.
Notes
Tips for customizing
- If you prefer a more tart cranberry sauce, use unsweetened dried cranberries or less sugar.
- Want a smoother sauce? Use an immersion or regular blender to blend some of the sauce.
- Use this sauce as a topping for vanilla ice cream.
- Spread leftovers on toast with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Spread on top of a wheel of brie and wrap in puff pastry to make a brie en croute appetizer.
Franny says
Hi Lindsay! Excellent recipe and a real life-saver for me at Thanksgiving this year. I wasn’t able to find fresh cranberries at my local markets, but then realized I could substitute dried cranberries and found your recipe. I had a bag of apple-juice-sweetened dried cranberries in the pantry (equaling 1 cup, so I had to reduce the rest of the ingredients a bit). I didn’t have cranberry juice or a fresh orange on-hand, so I used bottled orange juice and maple syrup to sweeten. Turned out beautifully! My partner is delighted that he gets his favorite cranberry sauce this year. Whew, thanks so much! I will print your recipe for future use. Happy holidays from Franny 🧡
Lindsay Moe says
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I'm so glad it helped make your holiday special!
Sue says
I plan on making this for Christmas but want to know how far ahead I can make this in advance
Lindsay Moe says
I apologize for the delayed response, you could make this up to 3 days ahead.
Serena says
Great recipe. I blended half of the sauce when cooked to reduce the whole cranberries.
Tastes really good!
Allison says
Our new favorite cranberry sauce hands down. Everyone loved it.
Lindsay Moe says
That's great to hear! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.