Easy Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

Don’t settle for cranberry sauce from a can! This flavorful cinnamon apple cranberry sauce is super easy to make and can even be made a day or two in advance.

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Cranberry sauce may be one of my favorite things on the table at Thanksgiving. It doesn’t trump stuffing (obviously), but I really love its tart flavor alongside all the other rich, savory dishes.

Once I made homemade cranberry sauce, I won’t ever go back to the canned sauce. The flavors of this cinnamon apple cranberry sauce are bold, sweet, and sassy, just perfect to spoon over roasted turkey. And isn’t it gorgeous?

About this cinnamon apple cranberry sauce

The sweetness of the apples perfectly complements the tart cranberries and the cinnamon gives the warm spiciness that goes so well with apples. This is a cooked sauce, not cranberry relish which is made with fresh cranberries that are ground up, not cooked.

There are only a few ingredients: fresh cranberries, apple cider or juice, apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice.

And this cranberry sauce is SO easy to make! All you do is throw everything together in a pan and cook it down until it is nice and thick. Watch out for splatters, stir often, and you’re all set.

Ways You Can Change This Cranberry Sauce

• Use white sugar. I like brown sugar because it adds another layer of flavor but white sugar is just fine, too. If you’re looking to cut back on sugar, try one cup instead of 1 ½ cups. The sauce will be a bit more tart but I often make it that way because we like the tartness.
• Substitute water. If you don’t happen to have apple cider or apple juice, water works well, too.
• Omit the allspice. The recipe can be made with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon instead of the combination of spices.

More Cranberry Recipes

• Orange cranberry sauce with cardamom
• Cranberry sauce with roasted grapes, apples, and shallots
• Cranberry clafoutis
• Cranberry pecan pie
• Cranberry coffee cake

Storage Tips

• Refrigerate: Cover or store cranberry sauce in an airtight container. It will keep 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator. Sauce that has been left out on the counter more than 2 hours should probably be discarded.
• Freeze: Cranberry sauce can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for at least a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

PS: If you’re looking for an easy Thanksgiving dinner for four, try a sheet pan Thanksgiving dinner with turkey breast, stuffing, potatoes, and asparagus all baked on one pan. You’ll love it! Or cook a turkey breast (even if it’s frozen solid, I kid you not) in your Instant Pot. Perfectly done, flavorful, and fast!