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    Home | Recipes | Side Dishes

    Easy Cranberry Sauce (3 Ingredients)

    Published: Nov 17, 2013 · Modified: Dec 15, 2022 by Sarah Mock As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links.

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    This easy cranberry sauce can be made in 5 minutes with 3 ingredients. A delicious side dish to any Thanksgiving meal.

    3 Ingredient Homemade Cranberry Sauce Made in 5 Minutes The easiest cranberry sauce can be made in 5 minutes with 3 ingredients. A delicious side dish to any Thanksgiving meal.

    Cranberry sauce ingredients:

    3 ingredient cranberry sauce
    • Cranberries, fresh
    • Sugar
    • Orange or tangerine

    Fresh or frozen Cranberries?

    I feel fresh cranberries are best but frozen can be used if fresh is not available.

    How to make fresh cranberry sauce:

    1. Empty the fresh cranberries into a sauce pot.
    2. Zest 2 mandarin oranges or 1 large orange. Add the zest to the cranberries.
    3. Slice the oranges or separate the segments. Add them to the cranberries and the zest.
    4. Add ½ cup of sugar to the other ingredients.
    5. Over medium to medium high heat, cook the sauce. It should take less than 5 minutes. Stir from time to time to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.
    6. Allow to cool completely before serving.

    How does this sauce thicken?

    First the juice from the oranges will start to steam, then the cranberries will start to steam, then the sugar will start to melt, the sauce will start to come together.  There is no thickener or gelatin added because the cranberries have natural pectin in them that makes the sauce jell naturally.

    3-ingredient-homemade-cranberry-sauce-made-in-5-minutes-5

    👩‍🍳 Chef Tip

    • I recommend using an organic orange because you are going to be using the zest of the orange. Once again I am putting to work my favorite Microplane Zester. I love that tool!
    • Be sure to zest just the outer, dark orange part of the orange.
    • This sauce will be slightly chunky in texture. If you feel it should be smoother, puree it with an emersion blender or in a food processor.
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    Easy Cranberry Sauce

    Sarah Mock
    This easy cranberry sauce can be made in 5 minutes with 3 ingredients.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe
    Note From Sarah

    There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

    Prep time for the recipePrep Time 1 minute min
    Cook time for the recipeCook Time 5 minutes mins
    total time to prep and cook the recipe.Total Time 6 minutes mins
    Prevent your screen from going dark, toggle to button to the right to turn GREEN
    Course Side Dishes
    Cuisine American
    Makes 4 ¼ cup servings
    Per Serving 155 kcal

    HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS

    Microplane Zester

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries
    • 1 large orange
    • ½ cup of sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Empty 1 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries into a sauce pot.
    • Zest 2 mandarin oranges or 1 large orange. Add the zest to the cranberries.
    • Slice the oranges or separate the segments. Add them to the cranberries and the zest.
    • Add ½ cup of sugar to the other ingredients.
    • Over medium to medium high heat, cook the sauce. It should take less than 5 minutes. Stir from time to time to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.
    • Allow to cool completely before serving.

    Video

    Notes

    Tips:

    1. I recommend using an organic orange because you are going to be using the zest of the orange. Once again I am putting to work my favorite Microplane Zester. I love that tool!
    2. Be sure to zest just the outer, dark orange part of the orange.
    3. This sauce will be slightly chunky in texture. If you feel it should be smoother, puree it with an emersion blender or in a food processor.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 155kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 138mgFiber: 5gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 129IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg

    Nutrition Disclosure

    Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Sharing of this recipe to social media is both encouraged and appreciated. Please share the direct link back to the recipe. Copy/Pasting and/or screenshots of the recipe to any social media is strictly prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected. SavoringTheGood®

    published November 17, 2013

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    About Sarah Mock

    Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sarah Mock

      November 21, 2013 at 4:43 pm

      Ooooh!! Cinnamon would be nice. Great suggestions.

    2. Melanie Clifford Webb

      November 21, 2013 at 3:13 pm

      This is very similar to my family's cranberry sauce recipe. only addition we have is cinnamon and a little bit of orange juice fresh squeezed

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    Sarah Mock

    Sarah Mock of savoringthegood.com headshot 2022

    Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
    Learn More about me!

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