Go Back
–+ servings
Apple cinnamon cranberry sauce in a white bowl, viewed from above.
Print Recipe
4.36 from 34 votes

Easy Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Sauce

This flavorful cinnamon apple cranberry sauce is super easy to make and can be made in advance. Homemade cranberry sauce is far superior in flavor to commercial sauce and is inexpensive to make.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Sides & Vegetables
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16
Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

  • 5 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and sorted
  • ¾ cup apple cider or apple juice (or water)
  • 2 cups finely diced apples, about 2 medium apples
  • 1 ½ cups tightly packed brown sugar, light or dark (see note)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice (see note)

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a large pot. The sauce tends to spatter as the cranberries pop, so choose a larger pan than you might think.
    5 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and sorted, ¾ cup apple cider or apple juice, 2 cups finely diced apples, about 2 medium apples, 1 ½ cups tightly packed brown sugar, light or dark, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 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. The sauce will thicken more as it cools. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

  • Cranberries: Fresh cranberries are often sold in a 12 oz. bag which equals about 3 cups. 
  • Apple choices: This recipe works best with a firmer apple like Granny Smith, Gala, or Honeycrisp. Softer apples like Macintosh don't hold their shape.
  • Sugar: White sugar can be substituted for brown sugar. If you want to cut back on sugar, consider decreasing the sugar to 1 cup. I often make the sauce with less sugar. It's more tart but we prefer it that way. 
  • Recipe variation: If you want, omit the allspice and substitute an additional ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 28IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.3mg

QR Code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.

qr code

*If you're viewing this on your phone, press and hold the QR code to open in your browser.