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.
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
Cranberry sauce can be made ahead of time and keeps beautifully in the refrigerator for up to ten days or in the freezer for a month. If you freeze it, allow the frozen sauce to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before adding the ingredients and serving it. If you are making it ahead, don't add the apple or pecans until ready to serve it. 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.