• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • CV Recipes
  • About Me
  • Services/Events
  • Work with me
  • Subscribe

Crumb-Snatched

menu icon
go to homepage
  • CV Recipes
  • About Me
  • Services/Events
  • Work with me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • CV Recipes
    • About Me
    • Services/Events
    • Work with me
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Published: Nov 16, 2019 · Modified: Jan 11, 2022 by Crystal DaCruz

    Simple Spiked Homemade Cranberry Sauce

    89 shares
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This post may include Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Long story short, I used to buy canned cranberry sauce, now I don’t. Up until recently, I would just pop a can open on Thanksgiving and call it a day. There’s no shame in eating (and liking) canned cranberry sauce. The reason why I like to make my own homemade cranberry sauce though is because it’s super easy, less processed and I can spike it! And I get to choose between a loose or more jellied texture.

    Truthfully, I don’t care very much for alcohol, but I do like how it enhances the taste of certain things. We can also pretend that this spiked version of fresh homemade cranberry sauce will take the edge off of Thanksgiving dinner, but truthfully the liquor is cooked off. The alcohol is just added for flavor. Don’t let that discourage you because this stuff is delicious!

    A few surprising things about cranberry sauce:

    1. There’s no gelatin in it – the jelly like texture is natural and achieved by cooking it.
    2. There’s no red dye – cranberries naturally have a deep and beautiful color.

    Who knew right? I don’t even think that the canned varieties have gelatin or dye. But what canned cranberry sauce does have is high-fructose corn syrup. It’s added because it’s an inexpensive alternative to sugar, and it has an indefinite shelf-life.

    Why you should make homemade cranberry sauce:

    Homemade sauce made with fresh cranberries tastes better, is quick and easy to make and you have more control over the texture and the amount of sugar. I’m not gonna lie, I don’t skimp on the amount of sugar in this recipe, but you can always use less than the recipe calls for. Although the triple-sec adds a nice touch, you can omit that too. Just substitute more orange juice in its place if you’re leaving it out.

    The ingredients:

    • Fresh cranberries – they’re super-inexpensive and easy to find during the holidays. You’ll need a 12 ounce bag.
    • Orange juice – many cranberry sauce recipes call for water but I like to use a citrus base for my cranberry sauce
    • Triple-sec – this is an orange-flavored liquer
    • Brown sugar – for sweetness
    • Ground cloves and orange peels enhance the flavor of this cranberry sauce
    Display shot of all ingredients used to make homemade spiked cranberry sauce - fresh cranberries, orange peels, orange juice, brown sugar, triple sec

    Step 1: Rinse and drain the cranberries

    The first thing I do is wash the cranberries and set them aside. Look how beautiful they are!

    close up of fresh cranberries in a bowl, this is the main ingredient in spiked homemade cranberry sauce

    Step 2: Combine the brown sugar, triple sec and orange juice

    Next you want to combine the orange juice, triple-sec, and brown sugar in a deep sauce pan and bring the ingredients to a boil.

    process shot showing brown sugar, triple sec and orange juice in a deep saucepan with fresh cranberries and orange peels in the background. The image is showing the reader how to make spiked homemade cranberry sauce

    Step 3: Cook the cranberry sauce

    Add the cranberries, orange peel and cloves and watch the fun begin! As the mixture starts to cook you’re gonna hear those little cranberries start to pop. Don’t let this startle you like it did me the first time I made cranberry sauce. Keep the flame slightly below medium, and use a deeper sauce pan to prevent any splattering.

    Process shot of fresh cranberries and orange peels in a pan to show the reader how to make spiked homemade cranberry sauce

    The cranberries will start to burst as the liquid boils. You’ll notice the cranberry sauce get thicker in texture and deeper in color as the berries break down. I remove the orange peels once the cranberry sauces starts to get very thick and dark. If you’re using zest rather than peels, you don’t have to take anything out.

    After about 15-20 minutes, your cranberry sauce will look like the photo below. Deep in color and thick but still a little bit loose. This is the texture that I like my cranberry sauce.

    Homemade spiked cranberry sauce in a white bowl

    If you want more of a jelly-like texture you can cook it up to 25 minutes. The sauce will have more of smooth texture versus what’s shown in these photos. Keep in mind that the cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

    Regardless of whether you stop at the 15 minute mark or go longer, the result is a sweet, tart and zesty cranberry sauce! Get ready to show off.

    Step 4: Chill and serve

    Ideally cranberry sauce should chill in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours before serving. You can serve it as is, or garnish it with some sage or rosemary and an orange slice.

    Homemade spiked cranberry sauce in a white bowl and garnished with a sage leave and an orange slice

    Believe me when I say that this cranberry sauce will be a shining star at dinner! Although it only requires a few simple ingredients and steps, homemade spiked cranberry sauce is impressive AF!

    Other Holiday Recipes

    Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

    Spiced Maple Pumpkin Pie Recipe

    Easy All-Butter Pie Crust – with Blind-Baking Instructions

    Creamy Brie and Cheddar Baked Macaroni and Cheese

    Print

    Simple Spiked Homemade Cranberry Sauce

    Print Recipe

    This delicious, homemade cranberry sauce is made with orange juice and infused with triple-sec, orange peels and ground cloves. This is the easiest dish you’ll make this holiday!

    • Author: Crystal
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15-25 minutes
    • Total Time: 20-30 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings 1x
    • Category: Sides

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries
    • 1 cup of brown sugar (light or dark are both fine)
    • ½ cup of orange juice
    • ½ cup of triple-sec
    • 2 teaspoons of fresh orange zest or a few orange peels
    • ⅛ teaspoon of ground cloves

     

    Instructions

    1. Combine the sugar, triple-sec and orange juice in a deep saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil over med-high heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture starts to boil.
    2. Add the cranberries and orange zest to the pan and reduce heat to medium/low. Let the sauce cook for 15-20 minutes for a looser sauce and 25 minutes for a jelly-like sauce. Popping and hissing sounds are normal as the mixture cooks.
    3. Remove from heat once the cranberry sauce reaches your desired texture. Let the sauce cool slightly and transfer it to a jar or container.
    4. Chill the cranberry sauce in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours prior to serving.

    Notes

    • Fresh cranberry sauce can be stored for about 10 days in the refrigerator

    Keywords: holiday, thanksgiving, christmas, family dinner, sunday dinner, sides, cranberry, cranberry sauce, quick, easy

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @crumbsnatched.com on Instagram and hashtag it #crumbsnatched

    Recipe Rating
    « Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
    Cranberry Apple Shortcake »
    89 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kendra says

      November 18, 2019 at 10:00 pm

      I’m drooling!!!!

       
      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hello, I'm Crystal!

    I’m bringing Cape Verdean comfort food to the table! This is where I share easy-to-follow recipes from Cape Verde and cultures with similar cuisines!

    More about me →

    Sign up for weekly emails!

    We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. See our Privacy Policy for more information.

    You’ve been successfully subscribed to our newsletter!

    Seasonal Recipes

    • Pineapple Agua Fresca (How to make Agua Fresca de Piña)
    • Beef Birria Tacos with Consommé (Quesabirria Recipe) 
    • 4 Ingredient Guacamole Recipe
    • Mexican Esquites (Shaved Street Corn)
    • Churros with Dulce de Leche
    • Cinnamon Rolls Soaked in Tres Leches

    Top Recipes

    • Cachupa: Traditional Dish of Cape Verde – Full Recipe
    • Canja – Cape Verdean Chicken Soup Recipe
    • Traditional Shrimp Mozambique
    • Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey

    Footer

    Copyright © 2022 · Crumb-snatched

    89 shares
    • 1Facebook
    • Pinterest