Ina Garten’s Make Ahead Cranberry Sauce is the perfect combination of sweet and tart! Enjoy leftovers with turkey or ham on a roll or in Baked Brie in Puffed Pastry for an easy crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Happy Weekend!
Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week? I have a favorite recipe to share for your Thanksgiving feast
that you can make ahead up to a week in advance and mark off your ‘to do’ list for turkey day!
This easy and delicious recipe comes from Ina Garten and one that we’ve enjoyed for several years.
It’s the perfect combination of sweet and tart and is wonderful the next day
served with your leftover Thanksgiving turkey or ham on a roll or biscuit!
Here are the ingredients:
12-ounce bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked through, discarding any that are bruised, shriveled or soft
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup of water
Place the cranberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan and
cook over medium heat for 5 – 10 minutes, or until the skins pop.
Add apple, zests, and juices and cook for 15 – 20 more minutes until apples are soft.
Remove from the heat, let cool completely.
It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
This will make about 4 cups of cranberry sauce. Plan on 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce per person.
If your family and guests are cranberry sauce enthusiasts and you want some for your guests
to take home with the Thanksgiving leftovers you may want to double the recipe.
It will keep in the refrigerator up to 10 days or it’s also freezer-friendly,
so you have some for holiday appetizers and easy entertaining.
Make extra for family members and friends to take home to enjoy with leftover turkey or ham on a roll;
spooned over cream cheese with crackers for an easy appetizer;
or over a wheel of warm melty Brie wrapped in puffed pastry.
It’s wonderful in Puff Pastry Baked Brie!
The cranberry sauce adds a bright, sweet and tart note to the
warm melting cheese wrapped in a flaky layer of puff pastry.
The winners of a Queen’s Majestic Beauty Thanksgiving Turkey Plate are
Sarah A
Kimberly G
Kathy P
Find 20+ Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Want to Gobble for your Thanksgiving feast, HERE.
Ina Garten’s Make Ahead Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
- microplane zester
Ingredients
- 12- ounce bag fresh cranberries rinsed and picked through, discarding any that are bruised, shriveled or soft
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and chopped
- Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Add cranberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 5 - 10 minutes, or until the skins pop open.
- Add apple, zests, and juices and cook for 15 - 20 more minutes until thickened and apples are soft.
- Remove from the heat and let cool completely. It will continue to thicken as it cools from the pectin in the apple.
Notes
- This will make about 4 cups of cranberry sauce. Plan on 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce per person. If your family and guests are cranberry sauce enthusiasts and want leftovers you may want to double the recipe!
- May be made ahead up to 1 week in advance.
- May substitute frozen cranberries for fresh, no need to thaw.
- Enjoy leftover cranberry sauce in Brie with Puff Pastry for easy holiday entertaining.
- Can be frozen up to three months. To freeze: Pour cooled cranberry sauce into freezer-safe jars, leaving about 1 inch of headspace or use freezer zip-top plastic bags, removing as much air as possible from bag before sealing. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
Turkey ladle / Wallace Autumn Harvest 6-Piece Hostess Set
Turkey Napkins / Williams-Sonoma, several years ago
Queen’s Majestic Beauty Thanksgiving Turkey Plate / Tuesday Morning
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Happy Thanksgiving!
🦃🦃🦃
Thank you for your visit!
This is a “must try!” Thank you for sharing. Thanksgiving blessings to you and your family, and of course, to Lola and Sophie.
I decided last minute to make cranberry sauce. This was the first one that came up . It’s amazing. It will definitely be a yearly addition.
It was also good the next day in Turkey and Gouda sandwiches and on bagels with cream cheese for breakfast
So glad it was a hit, it’s our family’s favorite too! I love the idea of it on bagels with cream cheese too, thanks for letting me know. :)
I JUST HAPPENED to turn on ” Food Network”…& there was Ina making…”CRANBERRY COMPOTE!” It sounds so good…but, now, do I change…I’ve always used 10 oz frozen sweetened raspberries (not apple) & cut back the sugar…hmmm…decisions, decisions…franki
Sounds delicious Mary. Can’t believe Thanksgiving is Thursday! Thanks for sharing. Congratulations to the winners! Have a wonderful weekend. Clara❤️
I have been making Ina’s cranberry sauce for a few years, it’s amazing.
I also hot bath the cranberry sauce in small jars to enjoy all year
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!! You are so lucky to receive those beautiful plates!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! 🥰🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃
Very similar to my late mother’s recipe but she added the jest and some pecans AFTER everything was cooked, which I believe might make the flavors a bit “brighter”.
Mary…I have been following you for years! I so enjoy your page and especially at holiday time! Your recipes are delicious and beautifully presented! Happiest of holidays to you and your family! 🎄
Congratulations to the winners!! The cranberry sauce sounds wonderful. Ina’s recipes are always great! Happy weekend! 🍁🍂🍁
I have been using a Ree Drummond recipe ( has maple syrup in it) for many years but I think I am going to modify it and add the apples. Thanks for the recipe.
Very interesting with the addition of fresh lemon juice, sounds like a great cranberry sauce! Happy Thanksgiving Week Mary-enjoy:@)
Thanks for the great cranberry sauce recipe, Mary! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, including Lola and Sophie!
Thanks! My aunt is usually the one who makes our traditional Thanksgiving cranberry sauce. But since we won’t be getting together this year, I wondered if I should make my own. This recipe looks really simple and delicious. I’m the only one at my house who actually likes cranberry sauce on their turkey. However, my kids all like it in the “day after Thanksgiving panini” that we make. Take your bread and butter (or Duke’s) the outside, then add a slice of cheese to the inside, then add a turkey layer, cranberry sauce layer, a layer of stuffing, layer of mashed potatoes, one more slice of cheese and the other bread. Then cook in the panini press. OMG amazing! Elevated day-after TG sandwich.
This cranberry sauce sounds really good, may have to try it for Thanksgiving. Pinning. Just bought my cranberries today to make the bread, but had a neighbor pop in and ran out of time. Will bake tomorrow afternoon for sure! Congratulations to the winner. Will have to see if T J Maxx is carrying that plate as our closest Tuesday Morning is over an hour away. Happy Thanksgiving Mary to and your loved ones. P.s. Loved the post with the ball jars, pinecones and floating wicks, very festive. Need to make some of those too! 😉
Thanks for sharing Ina’s cranberry recipe, Mary. Looking forward to trying it and your chocolate chip cranberry bread this year as I love all thing cranberry. You always make everything look so enticing!
Mary, I’m thrilled to be among the winners of the beautiful turkey plate. It hasn’t arrived yet, but will be on our table as soon as it does.
I’ve never made cranberry sauce, but may have to make this one. I like the idea of using it to add to the brie pastry. May need to make one of those too!
Happy Holidays! Stay well!
Hi Sarah, This is so distressing as your plate should have arrived on Thursday. I sent you an email with the tracking information and it looks like it should be out for delivery today. Finger crossed! Please let me know when it arrives. ♥
Mary, Ina’s recipes are always delicious and I can’t wait to try this cranberry sauce. I’m thrilled to have been a lucky recipient of your generosity and a beautiful turkey plate. I have my “Tom” in my kitchen baker’s rack with a little autumnal display of pumpkins and Byer’s Choice pilgrim family. Thank you again and Thanksgiving blessings to you and your family. 🦃🍁🍽🍂
Cute turkey silverware! I haven’t even thought of our Thanksgiving menu, which is horrifying as the days fly by! Made the mistake of making a delicious stuffed turkey meatloaf, which will take 5 days to get through, roasted turkey has lost its luster now 😞
I need to jump in on your cranberry sauce bandwagon, I’m living outdoors again, we only got 24 hours of rain when they projected 2 weeks worth, rather be in a garden than a kitchen when the sun shines! thanks for a reality break, if I don’t make it, we aren’t celebrating the day 😱
Thanks for sharing this cranberry relish recipe. I have always prepared a cranberry orange sauce but the addition of apples sounds so good. My daughter and her family arrive tomorrow going to let her decide Togo with tradition or try something new. I’m for trying new.
I like to cook different sauces. I’m so glad I found your recipe. I want to try a combination of cranberries and apples. Thanks!
I have been making Ina’s cranberry sauce for a few years, it’s amazing.
I also hot bath the cranberry sauce in small jars to enjoy all year
I want to try this recipe and I was thinking of halfing the sugar because I don’t like my food sweet. But then I thought the sauce might be too tart. What do you think?
I wouldn’t reduce the sugar, it’s perfect as is with the tart cranberries and tartness of the Granny Smith apple. My family loves it with leftover turkey or ham on a roll or biscuit too.
I have just tasted mine and still warm… but for me it is sweet and I will reduce the sugar next time but otherwise it’s a winner
Hi Mary,
I just recently discovered you. I too live on a Lake in Connecticut with life spent on a pontoon boat in our summer months. I am so inspired by you and our similar lifestyles. I was lucky enough to inherit my mother’s Wild Turkey China service. I am a lover of Turkey plates. Do you mind sharing where you find all your pretty turkeys?
Happy Thanksgiving and I found a new friend on a lake.
Hi Maureen, It’s nice to meet you! Most of my turkey dinnerware was found at HomeGoods over the years. :)
Mary, my mother used to make a cranberry relish with ground fresh cranberries and oranges. It was simple, and I loved it. Your recipe sounds delicious; however I was wondering if I could strain part of it for those picky eaters who prefer the canned variety? With the apples, would it hell?
Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving. 🦃
I’ve been making this cranberry recipe for a few years now. The only thing different is that there are raisins and either walnuts or pecans added, which is a recipe from Ina as well. She called it cranberry compote. My husband loved it, as did I, and it has become a Thanksgiving staple.
Can u make this with frozen cranberries??? It’s all I could find……and how would I do that?!?!?!
Yes, you can. No need to thaw, use frozen cranberries straight from the bag and proceed with the recipe.🦃
Oh this is delicious! I always make cranberry sauce because my husband likes it and have been searching for the perfect recipe. This might be the one! My daughter who hasn’t liked any of the others I tried LOVES this one!
Hi! I made it this year. I doubled it for my family & it is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. My only suggestion is when doubling it, do not double the water. Maybe just a cup and a half since mine did not set up like I would like. Absolutely delicious, but runny.
I put my cranberry sauce in the blender to smooth it out. We tried this one and it was amazing.