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For a sweet and simple twist on the classic Thanksgiving side dish, try Cranberry Apple Sauce. It’s a tasty without getting too crazy on a menu that is rooted in tradition.
In my family, Thanksgiving is all about traditions. The turkey goes in the oven, not in a barrel for deep-frying. We do not add gorgonzola, pears, and walnuts to our stuffing. Our potatoes are mashed, not roasted. And our dinner rolls are the ones Grandma used to make.
So when it comes to cranberry sauce, there isn’t a whole lot of wiggle room. It must still look and mostly taste like cranberry sauce. But I can get away with adding apples! Apples add an element of surprise without upsetting anyone, and apples mixed with cranberries somehow make a lot of sense.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Cranberries: Fresh cranberries freeze really well, so stock up when you see them. If your cranberries are already frozen, no need to thaw. Just cook them straight from the freezer and add 2 minutes to the simmering time.
- Apples: I like tart Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape in the Apple Cranberry Sauce. But you can use your favorites like Gala, Honeycrisp, or Fuji.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add sugar, water, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat, and stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Stir in cranberries and apples.
- Simmer over medium-low heat until slightly thickened and the berries begin to pop, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool to room temperature or chill.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 3 cups of sauce, enough for 12 (¼ cup) servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Cranberry sauce is a great recipe to make ahead of time. Cool the sauce completely, then keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Cooled sauce can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- More sweeteners: This recipe calls for white sugar, but you can substitute brown sugar, coconut sugar, pure maple syrup, or honey (the flavor will change, but not in a bad way).
- Customize your flavors: Try vanilla extract, a splash of red wine, orange zest, lemon juice, a cinnamon stick, or warming spices such as ginger and cloves.
- Super smooth: For the smoothest possible cranberry sauce, blend your cooked sauce with an immersion blender.
- Classic Cranberry Sauce: Sweetened with orange juice and sugar, this classic Thanksgiving side dish is perfect for cutting through all the richness of the other holiday recipes.
- Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce: When stove-top and oven space are in high demand, Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce is a no-brainer.
- Cranberry Relish: This no-cook version is 3 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep (plus 8 hours of chilling time so the flavors can blend).
- Small batch: My Cranberry Sauce for Two has been scaled down for a pair.
- Homemade Cranberry Applesauce: Stir fresh cranberries into your next batch of Homemade Applesauce.
- Leftovers: Extra cranberry sauce is delicious on Leftover Turkey Sandwiches or folded into my favorite Cranberry Cheesecake Galette. You can also drizzle it over ice cream for dessert (maybe add a handful of pecans?), pancakes, waffles, and crepes.
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll start seeing cranberries at grocery stores in November, and they should be stocked all through December. I usually stock up and vacuum-seal a few bags for the freezer because once they’re gone, they’re gone!
Just five states produce all the cranberries in the United States. More than half come from Wisconsin. Massachusetts grows the second largest amount, about 30%, and the rest come from New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington.
More recipes with apples
Drink Recipes
Apple Cider Drink Recipe
Cake Recipes
Cinnamon Apple Cake
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Apple Crisp with Oatmeal
Main Dishes
Pork Cutlets with Apples
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Cranberry Apple Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries picked over and rinsed (see note 1)
- 1 cup tart apples peeled and diced (see note 2)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, water, cinnamon, and salt to boil. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
- Stir in cranberries and apples. Simmer until slightly thickened and the berries begin to pop, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature or chill.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Cranberries: Fresh cranberries freeze really well, so stock up when you see them. If your cranberries are already frozen, no need to thaw. Just cook them straight from the freezer and add 2 minutes to the simmering time.
- Apples: I like tart Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape in the sauce.
- Yield: This recipe makes 3 c. of sauce, enough for 12 (¼ c.) servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
My husband has to work on Thanksgiving so we celebrated early. I’m the only one that’s a fan of cranberry sauce so I was looking for a new way to make it. I decided on your recipe because my children love applesauce and I thought my kids might like this better than the traditional way. It was a hit! My husband said it was the best cranberry sauce he’s tasted. Thanks for the recipe!
Jennifer, that’s so wonderful to hear! I’m glad you loved it. 🙂 I am making it today too. I cannot remember if my small children like cranberry sauce or not, so it might be only me eating it. But I’m obsessed. Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you so much for your comment!
I just made this and it turned out great. Very flavorful. I plan on making it again and adding oranges and put it in nice jars for gifts. Thanks for sharing! Happy Thanksgiving ?
Hi Michele, do you actually add pieces of oranges to the sauce? Would you leave it out the apples then? I’m sure you’re busy and don’t have time to reply, I’m just curious. Glad you liked the recipe. 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
I just made this and it is very good! I simmered it a little longer for a thicker texture and also added some slivered almonds for fun. Thank you!
Slivered almonds, great idea! And yes, you can simmer longer to make it thicker. It also thickens a lot as it cools. I hope you love it! Thanks for you great idea.
Can you use package cranberries and use crock pot
Hi Kat, I’m sure you can. It might take 4 hours or so on HIGH for the cranberries to get done since you need them to boil. I haven’t tested it yet, but I’m sure it would work! And yes to the fresh cranberries.
Is this ok to make the night before? I don’t see why not but just wanted some input ? Thanks for the great recipe!
Yes! Absolutely. You should go make it right now. 🙂 You could make it 4 days in advance, even. Or make it WAY in advance and freeze it. You’re good to go! It’s a very forgiving recipe. 🙂
I stumbled on this recipe while trying to prep for Thanksgiving in a few days – looks awesome and easy! And, since you are a Meggan with 2 G’s just like me, I’ll have to try it! 🙂
HOORAY for Meggans with two g’s! Double g’s are double great! 😉 Or that’s what I used to say in high school…. hope you love the cranberry sauce. 🙂 Take care my dear!
Omg! I am Meggan with 2 g’s, too!! I was trying to decide between 2 recipes and the 2 g’s made me choose this one!
You know what I always say – DOUBLE G’S ARE DOUBLE GREAT! But seriously Meggan we are the best and thank you for picking my recipe, I hope it turned out for you and that you continue favoring Meggans with 2 g’s everywhere! I would do the same! Hope you have a great holiday and thanks for stopping by… and sharing my name! 😀
I added lemon and orange zest. I agree it needed acidity. I don’t know why anyone would want their apples to Fall Apart. That is the beauty of this chunky recipe.
Thanks for sharing the recipe! I added some orange zest and substitute 1/3 of the water with OJ. I also cooked the apples a little longer on a separate pan first to make them fall apart.
Sounds perfect! My grandma always used OJ in her cranberry sauce. I need to try it myself. 🙂 Glad you liked the recipe! Thank you so much for the comment.
I’m excited to try this for Thanksgiving!
I am so excited for you to try it! Thanks for the secret tip you gave me, too. 😉
Can I make this ahead of thanksgiving and freeze it?
Hi Corinne, YES! I think that would work splendidly. There is nothing in this recipe that would suffer as far as quality. You should be good to go. I’ll update the recipe with this info. Thanks for your question.