Made with fresh cranberries, citrus and warming spice, this homemade small batch cranberry sauce recipe is everything you love about cranberry sauce, just in a smaller amount. This fragrant and flavourful recipe is ideal for a smaller gatherings of 4-6 people with some leftovers for the next day. Makes ~1 cup (250ml).
Yields 12 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes | Cook Time 15 minutes | Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Why this recipe works
Not unlike pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce is a favourite at the thanksgiving table. It's tart sweetness and ruby colour uplifts and balances all those comforting "brown" foods. And a mere tablespoon effortlessly revives next day leftovers stuffed into a sandwich or reheated in the microwave.
Yet, amidst the leftovers, cranberry sauce seems to linger once the party is over....sometimes excessive amounts go to waste. In my home, we often celebrate with a gatherings of about 6-7 people; most recipes for classic cranberry sauce make way too much for that small a group (plus, it's usually too sweet).
But, why not freeze the leftovers for the next holiday? Well, freezing the leftovers would take up space in my freezer and the flavour and texture would degrade considerably after about 3 months, anyway. So, homemade small batch cranberry sauce is my answer.
Like traditional cranberry sauce, this recipe is flavourful, easy to prepare with minimal ingredients and, bonus, less likely to go to waste. Prominent cranberry flavours are evenly tempered with moderate sweetness, citrus and warmth from cinnamon sticks simmered in the mix. To obtain the best flavour, I recommend adding the orange zest after the elapsed cooking time which will prevent the peel from tasting bitter.
This recipe is ideal if:
- You want to reduce food waste.
- You have a smaller gathering of ~4-7 people.
- You want a smaller amount of cranberry sauce with leftovers that have a better chance of getting used up. This recipe makes 1 cup.
- You want a moderately sweet and tart sauce that isn't cloying or "jammy".
- You want the bright flavour and aroma of homemade cranberry sauce instead resorting to store bought.
Give it a go for your smaller gathering this year. And by all means, if you need to double it up for a larger crowd, feel free to do so. I hope you enjoy making this recipe for your family and friends this holiday season.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
For the full list and amounts of each ingredient, please see the recipe card further down, or use the Jump to Recipe button back at the top.
- Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries work here, just don't use dried. If using frozen cranberries, add an additional few minutes to the cooking time. For fresh, rinse and dry, pick over and remove any wrinkled, bruised or damaged berries. Here on Vancouver Island, there is a stellar cranberry farm just minutes from my home; they produce for Ocean Spray as well as for local residents so I often buy them packaged fresh from the farm whenever I can.
- Granulated sugar: granulated sugar adds sweetness without adding too much of it's own flavour profile, like brown sugar does. However, this recipe does use a small amount of brown sugar for subtle depth. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, adjust the amount of sugar to your liking, but note that more sugar means a thicker sauce once cooled.
- Brown Sugar: This adds a slight depth of flavour with subtle caramel notes. Feel free to replace this with more granulated sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
- Orange zest: You will need roughly 1 medium navel orange for ~2 teaspoon of zest. Wash and dry the orange rind before zesting as well. Wash and dry the orange rind before zesting as well. Be sure to zest first before juicing—it's much easier to zest an uncut orange.
- Fresh orange juice: Fresh orange juice is better here because store bought tends to be more acidic and less flavourful. You need about 2 medium navel oranges for this recipe, although the amount of juice in any given orange may vary, so have some extras to be safe.
- Cinnamon sticks: this adds warmth and flavour to the recipe. Use 2 small or 1 large cinnamon stick or use ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Salt: some salinity is necessary to help enhance the flavour of the sauce and, surprisingly, brings out some of the natural sweetness of the cranberries.
How to Make Small Batch Cranberry Sauce
The following is a brief overview of the steps involved. For the full detailed instructions, please see the recipe card further down the post or use the Jump to Recipe button back at the top.
STEP 1: To a medium saucepan, add the cranberries, sugars, orange juice, water, cinnamon sticks and salt (don't add the zest, yet).
STEP 2: Stir everything together.
STEP 3: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Once the mixture is simmering, reduce heat and continue to cook until most of the cranberries have burst and the liquid has reduced and thickened.
STEP 4: Remove from the heat and discard the cinnamon stick(s).
STEP 5: Stir in the orange zest.
STEP 6: Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature and thicken. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Helpful Tips
- Source the best cranberries. Fresh cranberries should be firm and brightly coloured with a smooth skin that is free of wrinkles, bruises or blemishes.
- If using frozen cranberries, don't defrost them. Just add an additional few minutes to the cooking time.
- Wash the oranges before zesting. This isn't so much a success tip as it is just good practice.
- Zest your orange before juicing it. Again, it's much easier to zest an intact orange.
- Add orange zest after the sauce is done simmering. This steps yields a flavourful and fragrant sauce without any bitterness.
- Simmer, rather than a boil. Otherwise, the sauce could easily bubble over and or thicken too quickly before the cranberries have a chance to burst.
Make Ahead & Storage Guide
Storage: Store leftover cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Make Ahead: you can prepare the sauce up to 3 days in advance of serving. After cooking, allow the sauce to come to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the fridge until ready to use. To reheat, transfer the sauce to a saucepan and heat on low, stirring regularly until evenly warmed through. If the sauce is too thick from the fridge, stir in a small amount of water to loosen it up while it reheats.
Freezing: cool the cranberry sauce completely before transferring to an airtight freezer-safe container and placing in the freezer. It will last up to 3 months this way.
Defrosting: place the frozen cranberry sauce in the fridge overnight, then allow it to come to room temperature or transfer the sauce to a saucepan and heat on medium low, stirring regularly until evenly warmed through as per the make ahead directions above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Stored in the crisper in your fridge, fresh cranberries will last several weeks or they can be transferred to an airtight freezer-safe container and frozen for up to 6 months.
Fresh cranberries are usually available in the fall and winter months, and can be found packaged in the produce section of your local grocer or from from local cranberry farms. You can also buy frozen cranberries from the freezer section of your local grocer.
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Homemade Small Batch Cranberry Sauce (One Cup)
Special Equipment
- Zester (fine grater)
- Citrus Reamer or Squeezer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (189g or 6.5oz) fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over (see notes)
- ½ cup (120g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (45g) brown sugar, unpacked
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice, (approx 2 large navel oranges)
- 1-2 small cinnamon sticks , or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, finely grated, (approx 1 medium navel orange)
Instructions
- To a medium saucepan, add the cranberries, sugar, water, orange juice, cinnamon and salt. Stir together, then bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.1 ½ cups (189g or 6.5oz) fresh cranberries, ½ cup (120g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (45g) brown sugar, ½ cup water, ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 1-2 small cinnamon sticks , ¼ tsp salt
- Once the mixture is simmering, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes (add an additional few minutes if using frozen cranberries). The sauce is finished cooking once two-thirds of the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened and reduced by about half.
- Remove the pan from the heat and carefully remove and discard the cinnamon stick(s).1 tsp orange zest, finely grated
- Stir in the orange zest. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature—the sauce will thicken to a soft gel-like consistency once cool. Cranberry sauce is best served warm or at room temperature.
Heidi's Notes
Nutrition
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.
Disclaimer
all recipes on The Simple Green are developed and tested in a Canadian kitchen, at normal elevation, using electric appliances and ingredients available in Canada. Results may vary.
About Heidi Richter
Hi there! I'm Heidi, the professional recipe developer, food writer and photographer behind The Simple Green. Here you will find dozens of flavourful, approachable and well-tested recipes inspired by fresh seasonal ingredients you know and love.