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Home » Side dish

Cranberry sauce from dried cranberries

November 21, 2023 by Helena 10 Comments

Did you know you could make Cranberry sauce from dried cranberries? It is fast and easy to make and tastes amazing with a hint of orange. A holiday favourite!

Cranberry sauce in a bowl with a spoon.

This homemade cranberry sauce with craisins is a great recipe to make without fresh cranberries, but tastes just as good! It is a great option for when you can’t get fresh cranberries, since the cranberry season can be quite short. That way, this sauce can be made year round. Also a great way to use any leftover dried cranberries in the pantry.

You can either serve it with pieces of the whole cranberries, or blend it smooth. This recipe is also gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.

For some other of my holiday favourite side dishes, check out these Roasted potatoes with sage or these Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli. For a healthy salad, Roasted sweet potato lentil salad.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Substitutions and Variations
  • Storage
  • Top tip
  • FAQ
  • More side dishes to try:

Ingredients

This Vegan cranberry sauce recipe comes together quickly with only a few ingredients. See the list below. 

For the full ingredient measurements, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Ingredients to make this  Cranberry sauce recipe.
  • Dried cranberries, also called crasins.
  • Sugar, normal caster sugar, I prefer organic. This cranberry sauce recipe is not overly sweet. If you like a sweeter sauce, add more sugar to taste.
  • Orange juice, freshly squeezed always tastes better, but the store bought kind works too. Gives this craisins cranberry sauce a hint of orange flavor that tastes amazing along with the cranberries.
  • Orange zest, to elevate the orange flavor.
  • Cranberry juice or water. Cranberry juice will give it more cranberry flavor and a more vibrant red colour.
  • Cinnamon optional, but it adds a little spice to this recipe.
  • Corn starch, just a little to thicken the sauce.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

This cranberry sauce from dried cranberries is really quick and easy to make. Follow along with the with the step-by-step photos below and for the full instructions see the recipe card at the bottom.

The ingredients in a small pot.

Add the dried cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon (if using) and ½ cup water to a medium saucepan.

The cooked cranberry sauce in the pot.

Bring to a boil while stirring and then lower to a simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pouring in the corn starch mixture.

In a small bowl, stir together the cranberry juice or water and corn starch. Stir in the mixture to the cranberry sauce.

The finished cranberry sauce in the pot with a wooden spoon.

Let the sauce simmer until slightly thickened while stirring. Add more water if needed to desired consistency. 

Let it cool down to room temperature then add to an airtight container.

Hint: For a smoother texture, mix the cranberry sauce until smooth with a hand held bender. This will make the sauce a lot thicker in consistency, add more water as needed.

Cranberry sauce on a wooden spoon.

Substitutions and Variations

  • Liquid – instead of water, use cranberry juice for more cranberry flavor and a deeper red color.
  • Cinnamon – a little cinnamon elevates the flavor of the cranberries and orange in this recipe. But it is optional and can be left out.
  • Sweetness – This cranberry sauce recipe is not overly sweet. If you like a sweeter sauce, add more sugar to taste.
  • Texture – This Craisins cranberry sauce has a chunky texture with pieces of cranberries. For a smooth cranberry sauce, mix until smooth with a hand held bender. This will make the sauce a lot thicker in consistency, add more water as needed.
  • Sugar – Can also be replaced with brown sugar. For a refined sugar free option, use unsweetened dried cranberries and coconut sugar or maple syrup.
  • Dried cranberries – Use sweetened or unsweetened dried cranberries. For this recipe I have used sweetened. If using sweetened, add a little more sugar to taste.

Cranberry sauce in a bowl with a spoon.

Storage

Let the cranberry sauce cool down and then place in an airtight container. Store it for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. So it can easily be prepared ahead of time for your holiday meal. This Cranberry sauce with dried cranberries can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Cranberry sauce on a spoon.

Top tip

This cranberry sauce can easily be made to your personal preference. For a less sweet sauce, use unsweetened dried cranberries or less sugar. If you like a sweeter sauce, use sweetened dried cranberries and add more sugar to taste.

For a smooth texture cranberry sauce, mix until smooth with a hand held bender.

FAQ

Should the dried cranberries be pre-soaked?

No, it is not necessary to pre-soak the craisins to make this cranberry sauce. They will plump up nicely from being cooked.

Are dried cranberries the same as craisins?

Yes they are, dried cranberries are often called craisins that is a brand name.

Cranberry sauce in a bowl with a spoon.

More side dishes to try:

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    Sun dried tomato pasta salad
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I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! 

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment, rating, and tagging me at @thedeliciousplate in your picture on Instagram. Your feedback is so helpful! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss my latest recipes!

5 from 3 votes
Cranberry sauce in a bowl with a spoon.
Print
Cranberry sauce from dried cranberries
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

Did you know you could make Cranberry sauce from dried cranberries? It is fast and easy to make and tastes amazing with a hint of orange. A holiday favourite!

Servings: 6 servings
Author: Helena
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • ½ cup cranberry juice or water
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • ¼ cup water
Instructions
  1. Add the dried cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon (if using) and ½ cup water to a medium saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil while stirring and then lower to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the water and corn starch. Stir in the mixture and keep stirring and let simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Add more water if needed to desired consistency.

  4. Let it cool down to room temperature then add to an airtight container.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tiffany

    October 29, 2024 at 10:28 am

    Will this gel okay without the cornstarch? Or is starch necessary to thicken this because the berries are dried?

    Reply
    • Helena

      October 29, 2024 at 2:19 pm

      If you don’t want to add cornstarch, I suggest blending part of the jam with an immersion blender for a thicker consistency. Please let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
      • Maureen

        December 22, 2024 at 1:07 am

        5 stars
        I didn’t use the cornflour, not for any other reason than that I didn’t want to reduce the intensity of the flavour and I did your trick of just blending a small amount to thicken the sauce. It worked a treat ❣️

        Reply
        • Helena

          December 25, 2024 at 4:36 pm

          Hi Maureen, so glad to hear. Blending the cranberry sauce is an excellent idea!

          Reply
  2. Eddy

    November 27, 2024 at 10:39 pm

    How can I make it more thick? Will it thicken when refrigerated?

    Reply
    • Helena

      December 25, 2024 at 4:38 pm

      Hi Eddy, it will thicken a little as it cools down. If you want a thicker consistency, I recommended lending part of it, or all of the cranberry sauce.

      Reply
  3. Kath

    December 27, 2024 at 11:36 pm

    5 stars
    Impossible to find fresh or frozen cranberries in Australia so l was thrilled to find your recipe. Worked out perfectly for Christmas lunch and far better than the stuff in the jar! Lots of impressed guests. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Helena

      January 07, 2025 at 7:43 pm

      Thank you Kath, it is exactly the same here in Spain, that is why I created this recipe! So glad to hear everyone enjoyed it.

      Reply
  4. judy cole

    January 14, 2025 at 9:25 pm

    5 stars
    love,love this cranberry sauce. Have made two times.
    Its wonderful on cheese and crackers

    Reply
    • Helena

      January 18, 2025 at 1:24 pm

      Thank you Judy, it sounds wonderful served with cheese and crackers!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Helena!

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