Baked Cranberry Sauce
Updated Oct 10, 2026
This Baked Cranberry Sauce takes 2 minutes to prep, uses fresh cranberries, granulated sugar, and bakes in the oven, so it's hands-off.
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I started making baked cranberry sauce a few years ago, and I haven’t gone back to stovetop cranberry sauce since. All I have to do is toss everything together, put it in the oven, and get on with the rest of Thanksgiving dinner. I actually like this baked cranberry sauce better after it’s been in the fridge overnight. So I’ll make it the day before, which is one less thing on my list when the kitchen turns into pure chaos on Thanksgiving.
Recipe testing notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe multiple times before sharing it! These notes give you a peek into my process of developing and testing.
I tried adding the pecans before baking, but they got softer than I wanted. I liked having a little crunch in the cranberry sauce, so I ended up stirring them in afterward.
I liked the marmalade better added at the end, too. When I baked it with the cranberries, the orange didn’t come through as much. Stirring it in while the sauce was still hot was enough to mix it through.
I started with more sugar, but once I added the marmalade, it was too sweet for me. Half a cup was enough. I still want cranberry sauce to taste a little tart.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Baked Cranberry Sauce Ingredients
- Cranberries: I use a 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries for this baked cranberry sauce. Make sure you rinse them and pick out any soft or shriveled berries before baking. Frozen cranberries work too, but thaw them first.
- Sugar, water, and cinnamon: I use granulated sugar and just a little water to help the cranberries cook down without drying out. I wouldn’t reduce the water since the cranberries need some moisture before they start releasing their own juices. If you wanted to switch up the cinnamon, I’d use ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg instead.
- Pecans: I chop them fairly small, so they distribute evenly through the sauce. Walnuts work as a substitute using the same ½ cup measurement, or I can leave the nuts out completely. Toast the pecans for a richer flavor.
- Orange marmalade: I like using marmalade with small pieces of orange peel because it mixes into the sauce easily. If the marmalade has large chunks of peel, I give them a quick chop before adding it.
How to Make Baked Cranberry Sauce
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make Baked Cranberry Sauce. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Baked Cranberry Sauce recipe below
1. Combine Cranberries and Seasonings
Add the cranberries, sugar, water, and cinnamon to a baking dish. Mix everything together, spread the cranberries evenly, and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
2. Bake the Cranberries until softened
Once the cranberries start to soften, gently stir the mixture to help dissolve the sugar. Cover the dish again and return it to the oven until the cranberries are tender, bubbly, and starting to burst.
3. Add the Pecans and Orange Marmalade
Remove the baking dish from the oven and gently fold in the chopped pecans and orange marmalade until evenly distributed. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
Full Baked Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Baked Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries
- ½ 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 an 8×11 baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for one hour, stirring halfway through.
- When the cranberries are tender and bubbly, remove the dish from the oven. Fold in the pecans and orange marmalade.
- Allow to come to room temperature and refrigerate.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Learn how to freeze fresh cranberries. I recommend buying fresh cranberries when they’re in season (around Thanksgiving) and freezing them for later use.
- Cover the baking dish with foil in the oven. This traps the moisture in the dish so the cranberry sauce doesn’t dry out or burn.
- Let the sauce cool to room temperature. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Then, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. This helps enhance the flavor because it has time to develop.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with turkey. I usually put cranberry sauce on the table with my dry-brined turkey or air fryer turkey breast. I especially like how the tart cranberries taste alongside the turkey and gravy.
- Use it in sandwiches. One of my favorite ways to use leftover cranberry sauce is in my turkey panini with provolone, thyme, and sourdough bread.
- Add it to an appetizer. I like spooning leftover cranberry sauce over baked brie with crackers or toasted bread. Since this version already has pecans, I don’t usually add extra nuts.
Troubleshooting
Cranberry sauce looks much thinner while it’s hot. I let it cool completely and then refrigerate it so the natural pectin in the cranberries has time to thicken the sauce. If it’s still very watery after chilling, the cranberries may not have cooked down enough.
Cranberries are naturally very tart, and some batches are more sour than others. If the sauce tastes too tart after baking, I stir in another tablespoon of sugar while it’s still hot, let it dissolve, and taste again before adding more.
More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Crispy Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Comments
The recipe says 1 cup of sugar, but your notes say 1/2 cup. Which do you recommend?
Yes! Good catch! Sorry about that. Just updated!
This is the exact recipe my mother in law gave me 42 years ago, and I’ve been making it ever since! So easy and delicious! But hers said to add 1T brandy! Try it! 🦃
Love that!! So happy you enjoy it, Mary Jo! Thanks!
If I want to give this as gifts, how much does this make? Cupwise
Hi! I believe this recipe makes about 2-2.5 cups of cranberry sauce. Hope that helps!
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!