Make Perfect Cranberry Sauce in 5 Minutes | Cook Along with Anna Olson

Looking for a simple to make homemade cranberry sauce recipe for Thanksgiving? This quick and easy cranberry sauce with a twist of orange liqueur delivers the best balance of tart and sweet. Made with fresh cranberries and a citrus twist, this holiday side dish comes together in minutes—and you can easily skip the liqueur for a classic, traditional cranberry sauce. In this video, I’ll show you step-by-step how to make cranberry sauce from scratch so your Thanksgiving dinner is stress-free. Whether you’re hosting the whole family or bringing a side to a Friendsgiving potluck, this recipe is a festive must-have! -------- • Recipe Information • Makes about 4 cups (1 L) Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes You can refrigerate the cranberry sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze it for up to 3 months. -------- • Ingredients • 4 cups (400 g) fresh or frozen cranberries 1 cup (250 mL) water 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar 1/4 cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup 1 Mandarin orange, cut in half (or 1 Tbsp grated orange zest) Pinch of ground cinnamon or cloves -------- • Directions • 1. Place the cranberries, water, sugar, maple syrup, orange and cinnamon or clove maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low for a gentle simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. 2. Remove the orange halves, transfer to a container and chill until ready to use. -------- Excerpted from Anna Cooks by Anna Olson. Copyright © 2025 Anna Olson. Photographs by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.