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A bowl of cranberry sauce made from dried cranberries.
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5 from 2 votes

Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cranberries

This cranberry sauce with dried cranberries is everything you've dreamt of. Big, bold cranberry flavor, the perfect texture, and a hint of sweet citrus. It's easy to make and the best side dish for any holiday!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberry sauce with dried cranberries
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 133kcal
Author: Maria D'Errico

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unsweetened dried cranberries *
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup orange juice *
  • 1 cup cane sugar *
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)*
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Soak the cranberries: In a medium-sized saucepan, add the dried cranberries, water, and orange juice. Soak for 30 minutes. This rehydrates and plumps the cranberries.
    A saucepan with dried cranberries soaking in orange juice and water.
  • Cook the cranberries: After the cranberries are done soaking, place the saucepan on medium heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low.
    Cranberry sauce boiling in a saucepan.
  • Add cane sugar and zest: Stir in the cane sugar until it is completely dissolved. Add the orange zest if you are using it.
    A wooden spoon mixing cranberry sauce, cane sugar, and orange zest in a saucepan.
  • Simmer and thicken the sauce: Let the sauce simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the cranberries are soft. Stir occasionally and add more sugar one teaspoon at a time if needed. For a thicker sauce you may need to simmer it longer. The bold flavors will develop as the sauce simmers. Watch carefully to ensure there's enough liquid in the saucepan to maintain a simmer without burning. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken a bit when it cools. Remove the saucepan from the heat once it has reached your desired consistency. Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
    A wooden spoon holds thickened cranberry sauce with softened cranberries.

Video

Notes

  1. Dried unsweetened cranberries can be substituted with the same amount of dried, sweetened cranberries. If you do this, reduce the amount of cane sugar to ½ cup. As you cook the sauce, you can add more sugar based on your desired level of sweetness. 
  2. Orange juice: I use orange juice without pulp since the cranberries provide a perfect texture on their own. You can use orange juice with pulp if you prefer. The pulp will add texture to the sauce but it will still be delicious. 
  3. Cane sugar: you may need a bit more than 1 cup if you add more sugar in Step 4 above. Cane sugar can be substituted with the same amount of granulated sugar or coconut sugar.
  4. Orange zest is optional, but recommended. The zest adds a nice aroma and balances out the tartness of the cranberries. Only use the outer colored part of orange peel for the zest, since the white part underneath is bitter. You can use a zester or a fine grater to gently scrape the outer layer of the peel.
  5. Equipment: zester or fine grater; measuring cups or food scale; measuring spoons; medium sized saucepan; ramekin or small bowl for serving; airtight container for storage
  6. Storage: store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Freezing is not recommended because the sauce can be too watery once thawed.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g
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