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This is a Baked Cranberry Sauce that practically makes itself! If you’re looking for a variation from the usually cranberry sauce recipe, try this easy hands-off baked recipe. It needs just 2 minutes of active prep time, then it is baked in the oven for an easy Thanksgiving and holiday side dish that can be made ahead of time.
We all know how crazy the kitchen gets the day of the big Thanksgiving dinner! So, cranberry sauce is always an easy make-ahead dish you can count on. This baked version might be even easier and more convenient!
Table of Contents
Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Oven
Dietary Info: Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free
Key Flavor: Cranberry and Orange
Skill Level: Easy Beginner Level
Why This is So Good
- No stovetop stirring required: I love that this is a hand-off approach to making cranberry sauce that requires no time spent on the stove-top stirring to get the saucy consistency. It all just dissolves and cooks perfectly in the oven.
- Better than canned cranberry sauce. Canned cranberry often just tastes like sugar to me, but this homemade baked cranberry is tangy, slightly sweet and tastes so fresh with such little effort.
- A great make-ahead dish. Make it a day or two in advance and keep it in the fridge until Thanksgiving or when you’re ready to serve.
Ingredients to Make Baked Cranberry Sauce
- Cranberries: I use fresh cranberries, but you can also use frozen.
- Sugar: I use simple granulated white sugar for this recipe. I originally made this with ¾ cup of sugar but there were some comments about it being too sweet especially with the orange marmalade. After a retest I reduced the sugar to ½ cup.
- Cinnamon: A little ground cinnamon adds a sweetness and warming spice flavor. You just need a little so that it doesn’t overpower the dish. You can also swap for nutmeg.
- Pecans: These add a nice texture to the finished sauce. You can use other nuts like almonds or walnuts.
- Orange marmalade: This adds a lovely fresh tang and is stirred into the cranberries at the end of cooking. You can leave it out if you prefer.
How to Make Baked Cranberry Sauce
Tips for Baking Cranberry Sauce
- Learn how to freeze fresh whole cranberries so you can make this recipe with frozen cranberries. It’s the same technique and great way to use up extra cranberries.
- Be sure to cover the pan with foil while baking. This traps the moisture in the pan so that the cranberry sauce doesn’t dry out or burn.
- Let the sauce cool to room temperature. Then you can cool it in the fridge for an hour before serving. This will help to enhance the flavor and makes it a great make-ahead recipe.
- Serve the sauce hot or cold. Simply reheat it on the stove top or in the oven if you prefer it hot, but we always eat it cold during our Thanksgiving meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
This thick baked cranberry sauce goes perfectly with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy. And if you have leftovers for the next day, this is a condiment queen! Just slap it on some toast or muffins or in oatmeal. It’s a wonderful balance of tart and sweet flavor.
When it comes to make ahead side dishes, cranberry sauce is the most popular one! Once it has cooled to room temperature, store it in an airtight jar in the fridge and it will last for 3 to 4 weeks. It’s also a great option to give as a gift to friends and family.
To lessen the sweetness after it’s cooked, try adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and a pinch of salt and give everything a good mix.
More Cranberry Sauce Recipes:
More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes:
- Vegan Mushroom Gravy
- Melting Sweet Potatoes
- Healthy Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Autumn Pear Salad
If you try this feel good Baked Cranberry Sauce recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Baked Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup orange marmalade
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine the cranberries, sugar, water and cinnamon in a 8×11 baking dish. Cover and bake for one hour, stirring halfway through.
- Remove the dish from the oven, fold in pecans and orange marmalade
- Allow to come to room temperature, then refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
This recipe was so easy! Everyone loved it! My husband mixed it with Greek yogurt as a snack. 😊
This recipe is great! First time making cranberry sauce and not the last. Instant classic. Five stars easy. Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you! That makes me so happy to hear!
This recipe was SO easy, I’ll never go back to stove top cranberry sauce! It just took a few minutes to mix it up and pop it in the oven. I was able to continue working while it baked for an hour and then just another few minutes to finish it up with marmalade and pecans. Good. To. Go. So tasty I’m going to add it to my Thanksgiving cheese board instead of fig spread!
That’s great to hear! Yay!! Sounds wonderful!
This is a fantastic recipe! Super simple, but delicious! I swapped out the water for Bourbon and it really took it up a notch! This one is going in the recipe book!
Thank you so much! That sounds like a fun switch! Yay!!
Yummy good
Thank you!
Tasted okay. Was a little too sweet. The big problem was that the dish overflowed a huge, red, sugary mess in the oven which took days to clean.
Oh, no! I have when it overflows. Sorry that that happened!
I was looking forward to eating this but a little disappointed that it was too sweet. Is they something I can add to it that can lessen the sweetness? I followed the directions.
Aww sorry to hear that. To lessen the sweetness after it’s cooked, I recommend adding a tablespoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt and give everything a good mix.
These cranberries were amazing and so easy to make. Big hit around my (small) table this Thanksgiving!