Easy Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Sauce
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Don’t settle for cranberry sauce from a can! This flavorful cinnamon apple cranberry sauce is super easy to make and can even be made a day or two in advance.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Homemade cranberry sauce is far superior in flavor than commercial sauce. It’s very easy to make and you can adapt the recipe as you like it.
How long it takes: 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large saucepan
Servings: makes 4 cups
Cranberry sauce may be one of my favorite things on the table at Thanksgiving. It doesn’t trump stuffing (obviously), but I really love its tart flavor alongside all the other rich, savory dishes.
Once I made homemade cranberry sauce, I won’t ever go back to the canned sauce. The flavors of this cinnamon apple cranberry sauce are bold, sweet, and sassy, just perfect to spoon over roasted turkey. And isn’t it gorgeous?
About this cinnamon apple cranberry sauce
The sweetness of the apples perfectly complements the tart cranberries and the cinnamon gives the warm spiciness that goes so well with apples. This is a cooked sauce, not cranberry relish which is made with fresh cranberries that are ground up, not cooked.
There are only a few ingredients: fresh cranberries, apple cider or juice, apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice.
And this cranberry sauce is SO easy to make! All you do is throw everything together in a pan and cook it down until it is nice and thick. Watch out for splatters, stir often, and you’re all set.
Ways You Can Change This Cranberry Sauce
- Use white sugar. I like brown sugar because it adds another layer of flavor but white sugar is just fine, too. If you’re looking to cut back on sugar, try one cup instead of 1 ½ cups. The sauce will be a bit more tart but I often make it that way because we like the tartness.
- Substitute water. If you don’t happen to have apple cider or apple juice, water works well, too.
- Omit the allspice. The recipe can be made with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon instead of the combination of spices.
More Cranberry Recipes
- Orange cranberry sauce with cardamom
- Cranberry sauce with roasted grapes, apples, and shallots
- Cranberry clafoutis
- Cranberry pecan pie
- Cranberry coffee cake
- Cranberry gin & tonic
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate: Cover or store cranberry sauce in an airtight container. It will keep 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator. Sauce that has been left out on the counter more than 2 hours should probably be discarded.
- Freeze: Cranberry sauce can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for at least a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
PS: If you’re looking for an easy Thanksgiving dinner for four, try a sheet pan Thanksgiving dinner with turkey breast, stuffing, potatoes, and asparagus all baked on one pan. You’ll love it! Or cook a turkey breast (even if it’s frozen solid, I kid you not) in your Instant Pot. Perfectly done, flavorful, and fast!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 5 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
- ¾ cup apple cider (or apple juice)
- 2 cups finely diced apples (about two medium apples) (2 medium apples)
- 1 ½ cups tightly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Sauce tends to spatter so choose a larger pan than you might think.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until apples and cranberries are soft and sauce is thickened.
- Cool before serving. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.
Notes
- Works best with a firmer apple like Granny Smith, Gala, or Honeycrisp. Softer apples like Macintosh don’t hold their shape.
- If desired, omit allspice and substitute an additional ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
M. Rice says
DeLisssh… Even finicky cranberry eaters love it ! Thank You for the super easy receipe too. I make 3 batches at a time now & freeze it…
Rachel Gurk says
So great to hear! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Bridget Graham says
Made it without the apples and it’s delish.. And this is coming from someone who has always disliked cranberry sauce.. I only omitted the apples because I didn’t have any.. I’ll try them next time..
Happy Thanksgiving..
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks for letting me know! I’m so glad you liked it! Happy Thanksgiving!
Bridget Graham says
Would this recipe be still good without the apples?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tested it that way, but I think it would be good for sure! As long as you still use the cider (or apple juice would work, too). Let me know how you like it!
Leah says
Do you peel the apples??
Rachel Gurk says
It’s up to you! For best results, I’d probably peel them, but if they don’t bother you in general, you can leave them on.
Jess says
Hello! You said you put this in the freezer for
Thanksgiving…how long did it take to defrost or do you suggest making it the day of ?? I’m all about cooking throughout the week to reduce stress on the big day! I’m excited :)
Rachel Gurk says
You could make it up to three days in advance and it would be fine in the fridge. If you’re making it further in advance, freeze it and put it in the fridge 24 hours in advance of when you plan to eat it. I hope you love it! So smart to plan ahead and prep as much as you can…I’m doing the same!
KVought says
Does this freeze well?
Rachel Gurk says
That should work fine!
Nikki says
just made it and I love it. Tastes nice and fresh. i cooled it in the fridge after letting it settle and everyone loved it! Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you. BTW no vinegar smell at al, house smells great!
Rachel Gurk says
Great! So glad you liked it! Thank you for your comment. :)
Amanda says
So I made this and was very disappointed. It was too acidic and my house now reeks of vinegar. I think the allspice mixed with it made the smell worse. My kids even commented on the smell. I will admit I made the apple pieces to small, but I don’t think larger pieces would have made it any better. I tried adding additional brown and granulated sugar, but it didn’t help. Hot or chilled it was awful so I just poured it down the disposal.
Rachel Gurk says
Did you accidentally use apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider? The recipe has no vinegar in it so I’m not sure why it would be acidic/smell like vinegar.
Joe Crocker says
Great recipe, taste like pie filling. Hmm i think i am going to try a double crust pie with this for the filling. Maybe i’ll increase the apple content a bit,
Thanks !!!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! The pie idea sounds fabulous!
ellenk says
This looks good and easy! Do you think bit of orange peel would work out in the recipe? I have a relative who insists that cranberries be served with orange…
Rachel Gurk says
That would absolutely work! Or, stay tuned for another cranberry sauce recipe (this week most likely) that features oranges. :)
Susan says
I assume it doesn’t matter what kind of apples are used? Granny Smiths are likely what I’ll try, unless you suggest something else.
Rachel Gurk says
Granny Smiths would be great! I think firm apples would work best (such as a granny smith) rather than a softer apple like a macintosh. I’ll clarify! Thanks for the question!
Patty K says
Yes! I love how easy cranberry sauce is to make. Your assistant is SUPER cute! Training him young, I see :)
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
Love homemade cranberry sauce but what I love most about this is your twist with apples. It’s like dessert during the meal. Yum!
denise says
cinnamon–not sure I’m into that with cranberry, but it has possibilities. I’ll stick with my tried and true cranberry relish recipe from Grandma. Sometimes, nostalgia wins out over change. :)
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
Anything is better than in a can! This is genius and looks so delicious! :)