Make Ahead Cranberry Sauce

5 from 12 votes

This easy 5-ingredient cranberry sauce is sweet, tart, and full of bright orange flavor with a hint of nutmeg. Make it ahead of Thanksgiving for one less thing to worry about on the big day!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Side Dish, sauce

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
4 cups fresh cranberries
2 teaspoons orange zest
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

In a large pot, combine equal parts water and sugar and bring to a boil until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the fresh cranberries, turn the heat to medium-low, and let simmer until the cranberries start to gently pop, about 10-15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the orange zest and nutmeg. Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool. The cranberry sauce will thicken as it continues to cool.

Notes

Fresh or frozen cranberries both work. Fresh cranberries are great when they're in season, but frozen cranberries are an easy substitute. There's no need to thaw them first.
Dissolve the sugar before adding the cranberries. Bring the water and brown sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Keep the heat at medium-low. Once the cranberries go in, let them simmer gently rather than boiling aggressively.
Watch for the cranberries to pop. Once most have burst and the sauce starts looking jammy, it's ready to come off the heat. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Add the orange zest and nutmeg at the end. Stir them in after removing the pot from the heat for that fresh citrus flavor and warm spice finish.
Make it ahead. I love making this cranberry sauce several days before Thanksgiving. It's one less thing to worry about when the holiday arrives.
Refrigerate promptly. Transfer the sauce to shallow containers to help it cool, then refrigerate within two hours of cooking.
Serve it slightly less chilled. Take the sauce out of the fridge shortly before serving if you prefer it closer to room temperature.

Nutrition (estimated)