This simple recipe for quick and easy Cranberry Sauce with Fruit and Nuts features a sweet and tart homemade whole-berry cranberry sauce with a chunky texture. It is full of citrusy orange and lemon zest, crisp pieces of apple, and roasted pecans.
This is an elegant version of the Thanksgiving and Christmas classic cranberry sauce we all know and love, dressed up for the holidays. With only fifteen minutes and a handful of ingredients, you can transform a bag of cranberries into a unique and delicious side dish.
Whether you like it smooth or chunky, homemade cranberry sauce complements the traditionally rich dishes served for Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is no comparison to the canned stuff, and it’s quicker and easier to make than you ever thought possible.
Like my Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip, my Cranberry Upside Down Cake, and my No-Bake Cranberry Cheesecake, this homemade cranberry sauce can be made well ahead of all of the holiday craziness!
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Ingredient notes:
- Cranberries – with their beautiful deep garnet color, are the main ingredient. You can use either fresh or frozen berries.
- Sugar – tempers the tartness of the cranberries.
- Apple – is a fun surprise and adds a bit of crunch and sweetness.
- Orange and lemon zest – add both color and a citrusy element.
- Pecans – add texture and a sweet, buttery crunch.
That’s it! And, if you prefer plain cranberry sauce, all you need are cranberries, sugar, and a bit of water.
Step-by-step directions:
- Add the cranberries, sugar, and one cup of water to a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat.
- When the mixture starts to boil, turn the heat down to low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool. Add the orange and lemon zest, chopped-up apples, and pecans, and stir to combine.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.
Recipe variations:
This is a versatile recipe you can customize to fit your family’s tastes and preferences. I like to add orange and lemon zest, apples, and pecans, but feel free to personalize your sauce with any one or a combination of these other tasty additions:
- Make it a boozy cranberry sauce by replacing some or all of the water with amaretto, Gran Marnier, wine, or bourbon.
- Jalapeno peppers
- Scallions or green onions
- Replace some of the water with orange juice or apple juice, or cider
- Clementines or satsumas
- Pears, dried fruit, crushed pineapple, or blueberries
Recipe FAQs:
They are basically the same thing. Cranberry relish usually contains raw ingredients. However, the line is blurred, and most folks use the terms interchangeably.
Cranberry sauce is delicious in its own right, and as a classic holiday side dish, it pairs perfectly with main dishes such as Smoked Turkey, Baked Ham, New York Strip Roast, Beef Tenderloin, or a Rack of Lamb.
It also pairs beautifully with other holiday side dishes, such as Candied Sweet Potatoes, Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole, Baked Pineapple Cheese Casserole, Southern Cornbread Pudding, Baked Cauliflower with Gruyere Cheese, and Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing.
It also would pair well with any one of my 15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes.
*Leftover cranberry sauce is the main ingredient in my popular appetizer, Cranberry Brie Bites.
*Without the apples and pecans, it also makes a beautiful glaze on chicken or pork tenderloin.
*Leftover cranberry sauce is also incredible on turkey or ham sandwiches, and it makes a flavorful sauce for cocktail meatballs.
*Add a few tablespoons to your favorite muffin, quick bread, or pancake batter, or make cranberry maple syrup by combining it with syrup.
*You can also spice up your morning yogurt by adding a tablespoon or so of leftover sauce and a handful of granola.
*Mix leftovers with softened butter for cranberry butter or mayonnaise for cranberry aioli, and a bagel topped with cream cheese and a spoonful of cranberry sauce makes a tasty treat.
*Add it to your barbecue sauce next time you grill for a fun and different new taste sensation.
The list is endless; let me know your favorite way to use this versatile and delicious ruby-red holiday gem.
Yes, it keeps beautifully in the refrigerator for up to ten days or in the freezer for a month. However, if you are making it ahead, don’t add the apples or pecans until you are ready to serve it.
Allow the frozen sauce to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before adding the ingredients and serving it.
Sharon’s tips:
- If you use frozen cranberries, you do not need to thaw them before adding them to the sugar and water mixture.
- Don’t worry if your sauce looks a little runny after cooking it. It will firm up in the fridge.
- If you need to roast your pecans since it’s such a small amount, the easiest way is to microwave them. Simply spread out the chopped pecans on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave them for about five minutes. Start checking them at three minutes, and then start checking them at one-minute intervals until they are done.
More holiday recipes:
There is no doubt that Thanksgiving and Christmas are food lovers’ holidays. And, if you are looking for some new ideas or menu suggestions, check out these recipe collections.
Because all meals should have a sweet ending, you might also like these dessert recipe collections:
And, in the event you need even more inspiration, here are links to all of my Thanksgiving recipes and Christmas recipes.
★★★★★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
📋 Recipe:
Easy Cranberry Sauce with Fruit and Nuts
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ tablespoon orange zest
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ apple, unpeeled, chopped into small pieces
- ½ cup roasted chopped pecans
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, sugar, and one cup of water to a medium-size saucepan set over medium heat. When the mixture starts to boil, turn the heat down to low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool.
- Add the orange and lemon zest, apple, and pecans and stir to combine. **If you are making it ahead, don't add the apple or pecans until you are ready to serve it.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
**This recipe was originally published on November 11, 2016.
The cranberry is Wisconsin’s official state fruit. The state produces more cranberries than any other state in the entire country. There are only five states that produce cranberries in any significant quantity, and Wisconsin grows upwards of 60% of them. It was first harvested in Wisconsin in the 1800s by Edward Sacket in Berlin, Wisconsin. Just a little cranberry history there!
We enjoyed your delicious recipe and only reduced the sugar to 1 cup.
You are so right – once you make homemade cranberry sauce, you’ll never go back! This recipe is so easy and delicious with the addition of both zests, apple and toasted pecans. Thank you!
Hi Sharon. Once you make homemade cranberry sauce, you can never go back to opening a can. Your recipe sounds super yummy. And I love how simple it is. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Hi Kristy,
Thank you! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving too!
All the best,
Sharon
we ate something like this many years ago, and have been looking for the right recipe ever since. i think this is it!!
Hi Joan, I hope you enjoy it!
Happy Thanksgiving,
Sharon
I am going to make this but, without sugar as I have to stay somewhat sugar free. I am sure this would taste just as good.
Hi Alice, just remember that cranberries are very tart on their own but the apples may help sweet it up naturally. If you decide to make it without sugar please let me know how you like it.
All the best,
Sharon