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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.
Can I use canned apple pie filling?
Hi Judy! Yes, I’m sure you could, but you will need to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. I don’t know by how much. What I would do is, cook the cranberries in the water with the cinnamon and salt (not adjusting those amounts). Once the cranberries are softened, stir in the apple pie filling (I don’t know if you want to use all of it or just start with half a can?). Stir it in, taste it, and see if it needs more sugar. I would think it needs more sugar, but I’m not sure how much. You will need to make sure the sugar dissolves well in the cranberry sauce so it’s not grainy. If it seems grainy (like you are chewing sand), add a little more water and put it back on the stove and cook it until the sugar is dissolved. Good luck! Thanks. -Meggan
Oh one more thing! You could also omit or reduce the cinnamon. The apple pie filling will probably have cinnamon in it, so you could leave that out and add more at the end if you think it needs more. Thank you!!! -Meggan
Can this recipe be canned?
Hi Jennifer, I’m sorry but this recipe hasn’t been tested for canning. I would suggest finding a pre-tested one if you are looking to try. However if you just want to store this recipe for a long time, cooled sauce can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Hope this helps! – Meggan
Great recipe, I have made this several times all rave reviews
Thanks Georgia, glad you like it! – Meggan
Big hit in Thanksgiving Day! Perfect with th ed turkey! Family raved about it!
Years since I’ve made cranberry sauce. This was so simple! Next time I’ll dial down the amount of sugar(husband doesn’t do sugar so he wont eat this. That means more for me!) This is going to grandma’s house!
I never really liked cranberry sauce until I tried this and I love it! I have made it the last year or two and look forward to many batches this winter. I make the recipe as-is and it’s great!
What are the best cranberries for this? I have never been a fan of cranberry sauce but I like the cranberry apple sauce dessert in the hungry man tv dinner so I want to make something that tastes as good and this recipe looks like it may be the one and I am really excited to try it!
Hi Dawna, I’m excited too! Fresh cranberries are the best. – Meggan
Hands down the best cranberry sauce I’ve ever had. I didn’t have green apples on hand so I subbed a Gala. Also, my father is trying to cut down on sugar so I calculated the proportional equivalent of a Whole Earth & pure cane combo. We used it as a side for our lean pork tenderloin roast and the leftover sauce was perfect on whole grain bagels, Dave’s Killer bread, and alongside a serving of cottage cheese because the apples provide texture. For Thanksgiving I’m thinking of making a double batch and adding warm spices to one half while keeping the other as-is. Can’t wait! This is going to be staple in our house. Thank you!
Hi Lindsay, that variation is great, I’m glad it came out well! Cranberry sauce on a whole grain bagel sounds delicious! – Meggan
I’ve made this recipe for the last few years and LOVE it. It’s always a hit and so easy to make. I love cranberry with orange, so I had found another commenter who made hers with 1/3 orange juice instead of water and adds orange zest. It’s amazing! I look forward to this dish every year.
Delicious & easy, flawless recipe!