3 Ingredient Homemade Cranberry Sauce is super simple to make and doesn't come from a can. Fresh cranberries are easy to find at this time of year and this classic cranberry sauce recipe puts them to good use. Plus, you can make it in under 15 minutes. This recipe is kosher, pareve, vegan, non-dairy, and gluten free. Read on to learn how to make the best 3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce recipe.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Use fresh or frozen cranberries. This recipe works well with fresh or frozen whole cranberries. Most grocery stores will at least have bags of frozen whole cranberries when they are out of season. Jellied cranberry sauce recipes are tasty but the key here is that this one is not from a can.
- Easy to make. 3 ingredients, one pot, and a little bit of heat. It doesn't get a whole lot easier than that.
- Quick cooking time. This cranberry relish has almost zero prep time and under 15 minutes of cook time. It will take you longer to open the bag of cranberries than it will to make this recipe.
- Not just for Thanksgiving holiday. American tradition dictates that a cranberry sauce recipe for turkey is served on Thanksgiving but it is so much more than that. Try this recipe for cranberry sauce on chicken or lamb for Shabbat or Yom Tov.
- Stores well. Double the recipe and save the rest for another time. This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. Freeze in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to 1 year.
This Recipe Uses Only 3 Ingredients
A Step by step guide to making this recipe:
Step 1 - Add the ingredients into a pot
This is truly a one pot recipe. Start by putting the sugar and water into a pot and bring to a boil. This should take 2-3 minutes. Stir until the sugar has dissolved into the water. Then lower the heat to a medium flame.
Step 2 - Heat until cooked
Over medium heat, cook until the cranberries are soft. This should take between 5 and 10 mins total time. If the liquid starts to boil you can lower the flame a little bit. You are looking for a gentle foaming and not a full on boil. When the cranberries soften and make a cranberry compote, you are done.
Step 3 - Cool before serving
Cool your sauce before you serve it for Thanksgiving or Shabbat. This allows time for it to set and gel up a little bit. Serving the cranberry sauce too early will make it runny and it will get everywhere.
Recipe FAQ
Cranberries are a very healthy food. They are high in antioxidants and have a nice fiber content. Additionally, cranberries are believed to be good for the kidneys and help to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (good cholesterol).
If the stove isn't your thing, you can make cranberry sauce in a slow cooker. Just add the three ingredients and set the slow cooker to medium and let it cook for about an hour. Cool and serve.
Tips and Suggestions for Cranberry Sauce Uses
Here are some of our suggestions on how to use this amazing cranberry sauce:
- Thanksgiving dinner turkey. The obvious choice.
- Roast Shabbat chicken with cranberry sauce. Serve it as a sauce for our Whole Roast Chicken.
- Peach crisp with cranberry sauce. Add ¼ cup of this sauce to our Peach Crumble.
- Over vanilla ice cream. Use the sauce as a dessert topping over ice cream.
- Maple cranberry sauce. Instead of the sugar and water in this recipe, use 1 cup maple syrup and ½ cup water.
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📖 Recipe
3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce
Instructions
- Pour water and sugar into a saucepan and heat on medium/high heat until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add cranberries and lower to a medium flame.
- Cook the cranberries for 10 minutes and stir.
- Cool and serve.
Notes
Tips and Suggestions
Here are some of our suggestions on how to use this amazing cranberry sauce:- Thanksgiving turkey. The obvious choice.
- Roast Shabbat chicken with cranberry sauce. Serve it as a sauce for our Whole Roast Chicken.
- Peach crisp with cranberry sauce. Add ¼ cup of this sauce to our Peach Crumble.
- Over vanilla ice cream. Use the sauce as a dessert topping over ice cream.
