Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Apples

This easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Apples with a touch of citrus brings a bright, festive flavor to your Thanksgiving table. Tart fresh cranberries, tender apples, a little orange juice and fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon and orange zest, and sugar come together in a simple sauce that pairs perfectly with turkey or any roasted poultry. It's a wonderful side dish for your holiday table. 

This cooked homemade cranberry sauce recipe with apples is simply THE BEST CRANBERRY SAUCE I've ever made. I've been making this recipe for Thanksgiving now for many years and believe I've perfected it. It's the only one my family wants. It's our family tradition!

 It's the perfect sweet-tart combination that pairs beautifully with poultry, pork, or beef. It's so good, it can even stand in as a dessert served over ice cream or eaten straight up! 

I usually double this recipe for homemade apple cranberry sauce, because one batch is never enough for my family.  I like to make this sauce ahead of time, so it has time to sit in the refrigerator overnight and gel.  I've made it up to three days before I need it, making it great choice for busy holidays. You can even make it up to 3 months ahead of your holiday dinner and freeze it. 

Why this recipe works

Inspired by Ian Garten's recipe for cranberry compote, the flavors and textures work very well in this recipe making the most delicious sweet and tart cranberry sauce. This recipe for apple cranberry sauce is perfectly balanced with sweet and tart flavors and isn't overly sweet at all. 

The citrus zest (lemon zest and orange zest) along with the orange juice and the lemon juice give this cranberry sauce a depth of flavor. 

The apples give it a nice sweetness, so you don't have to use too much sugar. I like to use sweet apples (Honeycrisp apples, Gala apples, or Golden delicious apples work well) instead of Granny Smith apples to add to the sweetness of the cranberry sauce and be able to cut back on some of the sugar. 

Although a perfect side dish for your holiday table, this apple cranberry sauce pairs so well with roasted poultry or pork, you'll want to have this on hand in your freezer all year long. And this recipe for homemade cranberry sauce freezes beautifully. So you can even make it up to 3 months ahead of your holiday dinner and freeze it. 

Variations and Substitutions

This easy apple cranberry sauce recipe lends itself to many variations and substitutions so that you can customize it to your tastes. Here's a few ideas:

• Add dried cranberries - Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins) to the pot with the fresh whole cranberries to give the sauce a stronger cranberry flavor. The dried cranberries will plump and become soft in the sauce. 
• Add warm spices - Stir in a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or ground cardamom to the sauce after it's cooked to give it a warm spiced flavor. To give it a more subtle spiced flavor, add a cinnamon stick in the sauce with the apples, juices, and zests, then remove it before serving. 
• Change up the liquid - Substitute the apple juice with water, apple cider (my favorite way) or orange juice. 
• Add some crunch - Add a cup of roughly chopped walnuts or pecans to the sauce once it's cooked, but before refrigerating it. This adds a great texture. 
• Adjust the sugar - Feel free to use a little less sugar or more sugar to your family's taste. You could even swap some or all of the sugar for pure maple syrup. Or use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar for a richer flavor. 
• Booze it up - Add a tablespoon or two of Grand Marnier at the end of cooking for a special holiday meal flair! (For adults 18+ only please!)

How to make homemade cranberry sauce with apples

For full ingredient list and amounts and directions see recipe card below. 

Begin by prepping your ingredients. 

• Peel, core, and chop the apples. Set aside. 
• Rinse and sort the fresh whole cranberries. Discard any deflated ones. 
• If using fresh oranges and lemons, zest and juice them and set aside. 

Now get ready to cook! 

Place the cranberries in a large pot with the apple juice (or liquid of your choice) and sugar. Turn the heat on to medium high and allow the cranberries to cook until you hear the distinct "pop" they make. This could take up to 15 minutes to happen. You can stir the pot occasionally while waiting if you want. 

Stir in the apples, orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, and lemon zest. Cook an additional 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Turn off heat and allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to heat-resistant airtight containers. Allow mixture to cool close to room temperature, then transfer to refrigerator overnight or 24 hours. This will allow the sauce to gel slightly. 

Once completely cooled, this sauce can be frozen for up to 1 to 3 months and defrosted before serving. Store any leftover cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 - 5 days. 

I'm delighted to share one of my family's favorite holiday side dish recipes with you and I hope that your family enjoys it as much as mine does! We can't imagine this wonderful cranberry sauce with apples recipe not on our Thanksgiving table! 

More easy homemade Thanksgiving recipes you might enjoy!

• Classic Sage and Onion Stuffing (Thanksgiving Stuffing) 
• Sweet Potato Souffle Casserole
• Cracker Barrel Copycat Country Style Green Beans

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side dish

American

Yield: 16

Author: Renee Paj

Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Apples

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 22 HourTotal time: 22 H & 40 M

Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Apples with a touch of citrus brings a bright, festive flavor to your Thanksgiving table. Tart fresh cranberries, tender apples, a little orange juice and fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon and orange zest, and sugar come together in a simple sauce that pairs perfectly with turkey or any roasted poultry. 

Ingredients

• 1 - 12 oz. package of fresh cranberries, sorted and rinsed
• 1 cup 100% juice, apple juice (or water or apple cider)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored and small diced
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 1 orange, juiced and zested

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, juice and sugar. Cook over med-high heat until the cranberries begin to "pop".
2. Add the apples, juices from the lemon and orange, and the zest from both. Cook another 15 - 20 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. Refrigerate 24 hours or overnight in an airtight container to allow sauce to thicken. The amount of natural pectin in the fruit will determine how much your sauce gels.

Notes

This sauce can be made up to 1-3 months ahead of time and frozen, then defrosted before serving. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories

70

Fat (grams)

0 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

0 g

Carbs (grams)

18 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

17 g

Sugar (grams)

16 g

Protein (grams)

0 g

Sodium (milligrams)

1 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

0 mg

Nutritional Information provided is an estimate.

https://www.reneeskitchenadventures.com/2010/11/apple-cranberry-sauce.html

Copyright © 2010 Renee's Kitchen Adventures

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This recipe post first appeared on Renee's Kitchen Adventures in November 2010. It has been updated with new photos and a printable recipe card. It remains my family's favorite Thanksgiving side dish over the many years I've made it! 

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