This recipe for Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce uses simple ingredients and is simmered with a cinnamon stick for the most deliciously warm and sweet sauce with tart bursting berries.

I love to use Sparkling Rose wine in this recipe but you can easily use water. I always have Rose wine on hand and it just feels so fancy to use it in this beautiful berry recipe.

Not everyone uses cinnamon sticks in their cranberry sauce, but I cannot imagine it without them.  This sauce tastes like the holidays and smells amazing while it is cooking.

Ingredients

*homemade sauce with simple ingredients

My recipe uses orange juice for a fresh and bright flavor. Cranberries and oranges work perfectly together. Have you tried my recipe for Glazed Cranberry and Orange Bread?

1 cup orange juice
¼ cup rose wine or water
1 ½ cup brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 lb whole cranberries (fresh or frozen)

As soon as grocery stores bring out fresh cranberries in October, I start buying them.  Cranberries freeze wonderfully so you can enjoy them all year long.

Instructions

This easy recipe will be the perfect complement to your holiday table. Homemade cranberry sauce is so simple to make and takes very little time. It's made all in one saucepan and thickens as you let the cranberry sauce cool. If you want it thick like jam or preserves, stick it in the fridge for 24-48 hours.

In a medium saucepan, bring orange juice, wine (or water), and brown sugar to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes while stirring.
Add in cinnamon sticks, lemon juice, and whole cranberries. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the cranberries pop, turn the heat to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until most of the berries have popped open.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce sit for about an hour to come to room temperature.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for 2+ hours before serving. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Homemade cranberry sauce freezes well for up to 4 months in a ziplock bag.  Enjoy this year-round with Swedish Meatballs.

The "Leftover Sandwich"

If you are making Thanksgiving sliders, the cooled cranberry sauce is perfectly thick for the sandwiches..

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Cranberry sauce is a holiday classic. I didn't grow up eating homemade cranberry sauce. I loved the store-bought stuff, the cranberry jelly. The texture and tartness were addicting to me.

In high school, my mom started making this recipe and I cannot get enough of it.  I still love the canned stuff, you will see both on my plate each year.