With the holidays just around the corner, I really want to share with you my simple spiced cranberry sauce recipe! It is made with honey and isn’t too sweet, which is just how I like it. The orange, ginger, and spices give it a wonderful and festive flavor. This is the perfect simple cranberry sauce to whip up for any holiday celebration!
What Spices to Use in Cranberry Sauce
I love adding in herbs and spices in whatever I make, and cranberry sauce is no exception! Here are some great spices to add to cranberry sauce to make it even more special:
- Ginger – I like using fresh ginger, but if all you have is ground that works too. Ginger is great for your immune system, so give yourself a boost in your cranberries!
- Orange zest – not technically a spice, but orange goes really well with cranberries.
- Cinnamon – adding a whole cinnamon stick is festive and fun, but ground cinnamon can be used instead.
- Star anise – the flavor of star anise is slightly licorice-like and adds a nice touch.
- Cloves – adds a classic holiday spiciness and combines really well with the orange. It’s best to use ground cloves as whole cloves are hard to fish out of the cooked cranberries.
- Allspice – another classic holiday flavor, again it’s best to use ground allspice instead of whole.
My favorite place to get bulk herbs and spices is Mountain Rose Herbs!
Simple Spiced Cranberry Sauce Recipe
I prefer to use honey or maple syrup in this cranberry sauce instead of sugar (like I do in many of my recipes). I don’t use much of it either, so this results in a pretty tart sauce. You can add more honey or maple syrup in if you like it sweeter!
You won’t believe how easy it is to make these spiced cranberries!
Simply add a 12-16 ounce bag of whole cranberries, zest and juice from one orange, minced ginger, honey or maple syrup, one cinnamon stick, two whole star anise, ground cloves, ground allspice, and a pinch of salt to a pot.
(If you want to make it a little bit boozy, add in 2-4 tablespoons of bourbon, brandy, whiskey, or even rum to the pot. Yum!)
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened.
Turn off the heat and let cool for a bit, then refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise before serving.
And that’s it! It is simply the easiest and most delicious cranberry sauce I have ever made. I make it every year without fail! Even my two year old loves it, so it’s kid approved!
I have two other popular cranberry recipes, both are fermented versions that take a few weeks before they are finished (and they are both delicious!):
Simple Spiced Cranberries with Orange and Ginger
Ingredients
- 12-16 ounces fresh cranberries
- juice from one orange about 1/4 cup
- zest from one orange about 1 tablespoon, a microplane works best for zesting
- 1/4-1/2 cup honey or maple syrup more or less, depending on desired sweetness level
- 1 inch piece of ginger minced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole star anise
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened.
- Turn off the heat and let cool for a bit, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise before serving.
This is the best cranberry sauce I have eaten. Love the subtle favor the star anise adds! I used a 1/4 cup of both raw local honey and local maple syrup. Delicious!
Hi Sheila, I’m so glad to hear that you love it! It’s our favorite too :)
Sounds wonderful… and with honey instead of usual ton of sugar. How long does it keep in the refrigerator? Thanks for this and all your recipes!
Hi Carol. It’ll probably last refrigerated for about a week.
Thank you!