Cranberry Sauce with Berries (Printable version)

Vibrant cranberry and mixed berry sauce with citrus notes, ideal for enhancing savory meals.

# Ingredient list:

01 - 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

02 - 1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)

03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)

04 - 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

05 - 1/4 cup water

06 - 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)

07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

08 - Pinch of salt

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, mixed berries, sugar, orange juice, water, and salt.

02 - Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until it reaches a boil.

03 - Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until cranberries burst and mixture thickens.

04 - Stir in orange zest and cinnamon if using, then simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

05 - Remove saucepan from heat and allow sauce to cool; it will thicken further as it cools.

06 - Transfer sauce to a bowl or jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.

01 -

It tastes nothing like the canned version—bright, tangy, and you can actually taste each berry.
Ready in under 20 minutes, which means you can make it while prepping other dishes without stress.
Naturally vegan and gluten-free, so it works for any table and any diet.

02 -

The sauce will thicken significantly as it cools, so don't panic if it looks too thin when you first remove it from heat.
If you want a smoother texture, mash the berries with the back of a spoon or use an immersion blender right after cooking.
Taste the sauce before it cools completely and adjust the sweetness then—it's harder to balance flavors once it's chilled.

03 -

Taste the sauce on a spoon before it fully cools so you can adjust sweetness while the fruit is still warm and your palate is sharp.
Don't skip the salt—just a pinch makes every other flavor pop and prevents the sauce from tasting flat or one-dimensional.