Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Jeff the Chef

This homemade spiced cranberry sauce recipe is so easy to make, and yet it’s so spectacular. Perfect for the holidays.

Spiced Cranberry Sauce
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Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Recipe by Serious EatsCourse: Condiments, Holidays, Thanksgiving
Makes

2

cups

Hardly much harder than opening a can, but worlds better.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries

  • 1/2 cup water

  • Zest and juice of one orange

  • 3/4 cup white sugar

  • 3 Tbs brown sugar

  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1/8 tsp salt

  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice

  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves

  • 1 tsp spiced rum

Directions

  • Place everything but the rum into a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat (setting 4 out of 9), 5 minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally until berries start to pop, 3 minutes. Reduce heat (setting 2), and continue cooking until it’s thick, saucy, and reaches 180°F, 7 more minutes.
  • Remove from heat, stir in rum, and let cool for 30 minutes. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
"Cranberry Sauce," from Make It Like a Man!

Social Learning

When it’s ready, the texture will resemble a chunky applesauce, in a way. It will continue to jell as it cools. If it winds up too loose or too thick, you can reheat it and either let it simmer for a few more minutes, or stir in some water.

How many servings is two cups? That’s a good question. Maybe 8-12 if you’re using it strictly as a condiment. But Thanksgiving is nothing without leftovers. That’s right … nothing! So you’ll want to make enough to have leftovers for that epic Black Friday sandwich that you’re going to spend all day building. You also have to consider that if you invite someone like me over for Thanksgiving, that I will probably eat a cup of cranberry sauce all on my own. The only thing stopping me from “just give me all the cranberry sauce, all the pumpkin pie, and all the whipped cream, and all the rest of y’all can have everything else” is a fraying shred of human decency. And maybe my desire for stuffing and gravy.

The Backstory

This recipe comes from Serious Eats. I thought it would be too sweet, and too heavily spiced, but I wanted to try it nonetheless. It’s fantastic! Somehow, all the spices seem to make the cranberry taste even more cranberryish. It seems so perfect for the holidays. I think I might like it better than my usual cranberry sauce recipe. Maybe! I haven’t modified the original recipe in any significant way, although I’ve rewritten the instructions in my own style.

Some people eat their cranberry sauce warm. Yes, warm. I’ve had it at room temperature, but more often than not I’ve had it cold. Until just this year, I’d never heard of it being served warm. “I’ve never heard of” could seem a bit judgy, and if it does, well then I guess I’ve gotten my message across effectively. 😉 I have to admit that you do taste the flavors in a different way when the sauce it just a bit warmer than room temperature. I’m just not used to it, but I could be swayed.

"Cranberry Sauce," from Make It Like a Man!
Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man!, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you, Kesor. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. References: Serious Eats. Make It Like a Man! has been ranked by Feedspot as #14 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs. Keep up with us on Bloglovin’

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42 thoughts on “Spiced Cranberry Sauce”

  1. I love the spices and rum. It’s a nice switch from what we usually make. Yeah, what’s with warmed cranberry sauce? Room temp is our M.O. Okay, now that I have said that, one year I did served a tiny bit of it warm with seared foie gras on brioche toasts. Thanks for this recipe, Jeff — saving it to my file!

    Reply

  2. Now this sounds amazing. I may have to try it this year instead of my usual recipe which is identical to yours. Thanks for sharing and Happy Thanksgiving.

    Reply

  4. This sounds delicious, and I think I could do warm. 🙂 An old fashioned store that’s been here since 1869 has a sandwich on the menu called a Pilgrim It has two slices of home made bread of your choice, white turkey breast, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and then it is heated. Oh my goodness, can I say this is a great sandwich! Your cranberry sauce would fit perfect on that sandwich. Happy holidays, and I won’t worry about you having really ‘good’ food to eat. 🙂
    Judy@NewEnglandGardenAndThread recently posted…Nostalgia

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  8. this is delightful Jeff. I remember making this many years ago when we lived in Philly for a few months with our Quaker friend. We don’t grow cranberries here in Aus so it was lovely to use them. That brings back the memories of massive turkeys and chickens roasted in an outside BBQ kettle …

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  12. Hi Jeff, I hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving. Thursday was just another day here, but tomorrow (Saturday) we’ll be hosting our annual American Thanksgiving in Sweden dinner. We made your cranberry recipe for tomorrow’s dinner last night and it tastes fantastic. We did have to substitute frozen lingonberry for the cranberries as cranberries are not easy to find here. I must report that I think the lingonberry worked very well, but the final test will be tomorrow when our Swedish friends dig in.
    Ron recently posted…Sweden’s Pizza Culture…

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    • Oh, how exciting! I wish I were there to celebrate with you, or you were here with us! Maybe one day. (And if so, I’ll bring cranberries!) I have a feeling lingonberries would be delicious!

      Reply

  16. Hi Jeff. Spices I’ve done, but rum!? brilliant. Definitely trying that before the holiday season is over this year. Sounds dreamy. 🙂 ~Valentina

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  17. Warm cranberry sauce? What in the woozle? I do love homemade cranberry sauce, and I’m digging the bit of cloves as well as splash of rum in this version. I’ll have to grab some more cranberries while they’re in season – and probably on sale since we’re after Thanksgiving now. Win-win!
    David @ Spiced recently posted…Pecan Bourbon Balls

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    • You better believe I always grab an extra bag of cranberries to keep around! This’d be a great way to make use of one. It was a big hit at Thanksgiving this year – except of course with those who will eat only jellied sauce from a can … but I’ll continue working on them.

      Reply

  19. I love cranberry sauce and your version looks really good. I may try this before the holidays – it would be a pretty, spicy addition to my Christmas table 🙂

    Reply

  20. This recipe looks very different and unique. We make Cranberries jam, marmakade and syrup alot. I would like to try it. Thanks.

    Reply

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