Spiced-Brandied Cranberry Sauce

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Cranberry sauce never tasted so good -- bursting with warm spices, lively fresh orange and rich dark brown sugar, this boozy brandied cranberry sauce makes for one show-stopping holiday side dish and adds an elegant touch to your holiday table. You'll never need another cranberry sauce recipe again.

A bowl of spiced-brandied cranberry sauce on a wooden platter with cranberries and spices around it.

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Why This Recipe Works
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Recipe FAQs
Expert Tips
Perfect Pairing
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Why This Recipe Works

Is anyone else a huge "Friends" fan? Do you remember the Thanksgiving episode during the last season where Chandler offers to help Monica cook dinner, and she responds, "The cranberry sauce -- it's easy to make, and no one really cares about it." I always laugh, but at the same time, I think, "Awww, come on. That's not true."

Because I'll go ahead and brag: My spiced-brandied cranberry sauce is awesome, and it's a must-have for your Thanksgiving table.

In fact, I've been making this spiced-brandied cranberry sauce for years, and it's always met with rave reviews. Friends and family who have tasted it have told me it's the best cranberry sauce they've ever tried. Some have even told me that they don't normally like cranberry sauce but love this recipe.

See? Everything about this spiced-brandied cranberry sauce is delicious. No disrespect to Monica, but it’s time to start giving cranberry sauce more love.

Ingredients

Spices: For this spiced-brandied cranberry sauce, we use a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Cranberries are tart little numbers, so adding some spice adds a nice complexity and warmth.

Dark brown sugar: Some cranberry sauce recipes only use white sugar, which adds sweetness but no additional flavor. Brown sugar, however, gives a beautiful richness with its molasses, so we use both. While you can use light brown sugar, I prefer the dark brown variety because the molasses is even more prominent.

Orange juice and fresh orange zest: Orange and cranberries are a classic flavor combination, and you’ll love the pop of brightness it adds. Feel free to use a pulp or no-pulp orange juice. I’ve used both and haven’t noticed a difference in the final product.

Brandy: Of course, we can’t forget the brandy because cooking with alcohol is always more fun and delicious. I typically grab E&J brandy, which is widely available. That said, feel free to use brandy from your favorite local distillery or even a flavored brandy. An apple brandy, for instance, would be a lovely addition for extra fall flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

As if being delicious weren’t enough, this spiced-brandied cranberry sauce is also ridiculously simple to make. So let's get to it, shall we?

Step 1: To start, we add orange juice, dark brown sugar, white sugar and a mix of warm holiday spices to medium saucepan (photo 1), boil, reduce the heat and then give it a couple minutes to simmer (photo 2).

Cooking the orange juice and spices in a medium saucepan and bringing to a boil.

Step 2: From here, we add a bag of fresh cranberries (photo 3) and let them boil until they break down (photo 4).

A collage showing the process of cooking the cranberries until they break down.

Step 3: Once the cranberries thicken to a gel-like consistency, we turn off the heat and stir in orange zest, lemon juice and a punch of brandy (photo 5).

Stirring in the orange zest and brandy after cooking.

And that's it! You now have the most delicious cranberry sauce that’s perfect for Thanksgiving dinner through Christmas and New Year’s. Serve it with my smoked turkey thighs or maple-braised turkey legs and bourbon-pumpkin ice cream for dessert, and you're in for a real treat.

A bowl of boozy cranberry sauce with lights around it.

Recipe FAQs

Can you make cranberry sauce ahead of time?

Absolutely. Homemade cranberry sauce should keep for 10-14 days as long as it’s stored properly. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and you’re good to go.

Can I use frozen cranberries?

You sure can. Once cranberries start hitting the stores, I usually pick up a bag or two and throw it in the freezer, so I always have some on hand. When you’re ready to make the sauce, just dump the bag in the saucepan — no need to thaw.

When are fresh cranberries available?

Fresh cranberries are typically available from October through January. Cranberry season is short, so let’s take advantage and make as many festive recipes as possible!

How do you use leftover cranberry sauce?

Oh, so many ways! Cranberry and Brie go well together, so there are lots of recipes combining the two. I especially love these holiday pretzel bites stuffed with cranberry and Brie. You could also slather it on a round of Brie and bake or use in a Brie grilled cheese with some leftover turkey.

Beyond the Brie combination, you could swirl it in a cheesecake, add to your morning yogurt parfait, top on some waffles or spoon over ice cream. Oh, and let's not forget drinks — try it in this leftover cranberry sauce cocktail.

You have some many options, so feel free to get creative!

Expert Tips

Once the cranberries start simmering, they turn to a rapid boil quickly. If you don’t keep an eye on it, the mixture could boil over, so make sure you pay attention.
To grate the fresh orange zest, I prefer to use a microplane grater rather than a citrus zester. It’s quicker, more efficient, creates a finer peel and extracts more delicious citrus oil.
You can either serve this super easy cranberry sauce recipe warm or chilled. I like it both ways, but for Thanksgiving dinner, I prefer it warm. For a warm cranberry sauce, you can obviously serve it right away, or you can gently reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. But cold is traditionally, so that's just as delicious.

Perfect Pairing

Rather than give pairings for this specific brandy cranberry sauce, let me offer you options that work well with an entire Thanksgiving meal.

If you're reaching for a beer, I recommend a bière de garde, which is a French-style farmhouse ale. Bière de garde pairs beautifully with roasted meat and savory herbs, so it's a great match with everything on your Thanksgiving plate. Plus, bière de garde is bold enough to stand up to each dish with plenty of carbonation to cleanse your palate between bites.

However, if you feel like a glass of wine, I love a pinot noir with Thanksgiving dinner. Pinot noir is on the fruity side, which naturally matches the brandy cranberry sauce while offering contrast to the more savory dishes. I also love that pinot noir boasts plenty of acidity to help cut through all those hefty sides and turkey.

Or maybe you prefer a cocktail. My best Thanksgiving cocktails and Christmas cocktails are full of seasonal options. Some of my favorites include a chai-cranberry bourbon smash and cranberry bourbon sour.

With the holidays upon us, I hope you add this spiced-brandied cranberry sauce to your dinner table. I promise this recipe will be your new favorite cranberry sauce.

Cheers!

The brandy cranberry sauce in a white bowl with twinkle lights in the background.

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5 from 187 votes (167 ratings without comment)