• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Birthday Cake Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans
  • Shop

Cranberry Sauce and a Thanksgiving Explosion

November 23, 2010 by Joy the Baker 119 Comments

IMG_1274

Beauty!  Look at these cranberry gems!  I’m turning them into cranberry sauce.

Super easy.  Are you doing this too?

You’ll probably be cranking food out of your kitchen all weekend.  Need a few more ideas?  I’ve got everything!  Everything but the turkey, stuffing, and cornbread… Yea, I know.  But I have everything else!

thanksgiving

1-  Pumpkin Pie Pancakes.  Super flavor for for breakfast.

2- Honey Roasted Acorn Squash.  So easy and it makes me feel fancy.

3-  Spiced Apple Cake.  I love this creature.

4-  Prosciutto Dijon Gruyere Puffs.  How about an appetizer?  I love the mustard in these.

5-  Roasted Pumpkin and Leek Soup.  That’s yummy.  Fact.

IMG_1269

Let’s finish this cranberry sauce.

There’s absolutely no reason you should by the canned stuff. It slinks out of the can and has weird ridges.  It’s also waaaay too sweet.

I think you should boil cranberries with orange juice and zest… then add just a tiny touch of vanilla beans.

Cranberry sauce dream… I’m tellin ya.

IMG_1286

Cranberry Sauce

makes about 4 cups

Print this Recipe!

2 12-ounce bags fresh cranberries

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup water

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

scrapings from one quarter of a vanilla bean (optional if you don’t want to shell out the cash for a vanilla bean)

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the water, juice granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt.  Stir until sugars have dissolved.  Add the two bags of cranberries and stir until cranberries begin to pop.  Cook cranberries, stirring occasionally for about 10 to 12 minutes.  Sauce will thicken as cranberries cook down.  Once thick, remove from heat and add orange zest and vanilla bean.  Stir to incorporate.  Cool to room temperature then store in the fridge until ready to eat.  Lasts for up to three days in the fridge.  Delicious.

thanksgiving

6-  Maple Pecan Muffins.  Topped with pure maple syrup and baked to perfection.

7-  Dad’s Perfect Sweet Potato Pie with No-Roll Pie Crust.  Yes.  I’m totally obsessed with this pie.

8-  Cornmeal Cranberry Honey Bread.  Sweet and crunchy.  Like.

9-  Vegan Pumpkin Walnut Bread.  So moist you’ll never know it’s vegan.  Promise.

10-  Apple Pie Granita.  Like pie…. but totally not!

11-  Buttermilk Pie with Warm Blackberry Sauce.  Ooooh man.

thanksgiving

12-  Apple Crisp.  My key to one day tricking a man into marrying me.

13-  All Purpose Holiday Bundt Cake.  Bring a bib.

14-  Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Frosting.  Cupcakes for the holidays?  I say ok!

15-  Pear Walnut Bundt Cake.  The praline alone is reason enough to make this happen.

16-  Homemade Apple Pie.  It’s worth the time.  It really is.

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Fruit, Holiday, Pie, Recipes, Savory, tips

Previous Post: « Almost No-Bake Pumpkin Cream Pie with Maple Whipped Cream
Next Post: Kale and Sweet Potato Soup »

Reader Interactions

All Comments
I Made This
Questions
  1. Rachelle

    November 28, 2012 at 3:29 pm

    I just wanted to let you know that I made this cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving this year (first time I’ve ever made ANY cranberry sauce) and added a dash of cinnamon / cloves since I didn’t have vanilla. I have NEVER had that many people request a recipe or compliment me on a dish…EVER. And I bake a lot so thats saying something. Just though you might want to know it was a hit :) And thanks for making me look good!

    Reply
  2. Liz

    November 25, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    I’m surprised there is no bourbon in this recipe! :)

    Reply
  3. Julie N.

    November 24, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    i just used this recipe, but with only a 12oz. bag of cranberries. I love it! It’s so tasty, and I can’t wait to use it as spread in my thanksgiving sandwiches =D

    Reply
  4. Lucia

    December 8, 2010 at 5:40 am

    No Thanksgiving in Italy. I’ll make up a Thanksgiving Day of my own just to try all these recipes…

    Reply
  5. Bonnie

    December 3, 2010 at 11:54 am

    I too, am a homemade cramberry sauce lover. I’m 55 years old and was a teenager before I found out that cranberry sauce even came in a can! I never knew anything BUT homemade cranberries for thanksgiving, ever. We always made the 2 recipies that came on the back of the bag, The cooked kind with just cranberries sugar and water, and the cranberry orange relish. Thats the stuff you have to make a few days ahead of time, so the flavors meld. Raw cranberries, oranges (with the peel) all run through my grandmothers meat grinder, mixed with sugar and let set in the frig… and yes, leftover cranberries go with EVERYTHING! Have a wonderful Christmas!

    Reply
  6. Tammy

    November 27, 2010 at 11:38 pm

    Joy, This year I made and ate my first sweet potato pie. I have loved your posts and when you explained how life altering this pie is for you, how it inspired your wonderful relationship to good food and sharing that relationship with people…well, I HAD to try it. AND, I’ve spent my entire life avoiding sweet potatoes and candied yams because try as I might, I just don’t care for them. This year my sister and I were making Thanksgiving dinner for our families at my dad’s house. I forwarded the recipe to my sister so we’d be prepared and in agreement (I have always had to tout the virtues of real pie crust, rather than that yucky store bought ‘stuff’ that is rolled and folded that they have consistently used). I was hoping that your Dad’s Easy No-roll Pie Crust would make her a convert FINALLY. Well, the recipe was going along very well, I steamed the sweet potatoes and the skins were fantastically easy to remove. I got a little imprecise when I couldn’t find a 5 oz. can of evaporated milk or a liquid measuring cup anywhere amongst a life-time collection of kitchen gadgets and gizmos. I also had to improvise when I couldn’t find any coriander in the huge collection of spices. I thought I’d find it for sure, I would just question whether or not it was old enough for camera time on the antique roadshow. As I said, I improvised. I used approximately 3/4 teaspoon of cardamom in place of the 1 1/4 teaspoon of coriander. I did find whole nutmeg and that was surprising and delightful (I haven’t been much of a fan of nutmeg before either, but freshly ground made a world of difference). Well the pie was simply wonderful. The crust was so fabulously flaky and had a nutty crunch that was like the world’s most exquisite shortbread. My sister is a convert!!! The pie filling was so creamy and crazy good. I am now obsessed with your Dad’s Perfect Sweet Potato Pie too. I think I’ll make it sometime soon following your recipe but for sure I love the improvised pie too. Cardamom? Who knew? Thanks again! You’re a treasure!!

    Reply
  7. sheila @ Elements

    November 27, 2010 at 9:51 pm

    You’re such a great story-teller, Joy…both with words and in photos! I enjoyed this post a lot! :) Cheers! sheila

    Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Trackbacks

  1. Joy the Baker – Cranberry Brie Grilled Cheese says:
    April 1, 2013 at 4:58 pm

    […] if you don’t have cranberry sauce, there’s a recipe here.  Don’t fret though… a chunky cherry or fig jam would also be most […]

    Reply
  2. Giving Thanks « Sounds De-Lish says:
    February 5, 2013 at 11:34 am

    […] used recipes from The New York Times, Joy The Baker, and Epicurious. These are some of my go-to sites for recipe reading and inspiration. I like to […]

    Reply
  3. Tart Cranberry Thanksgiving Side « Sounds De-Lish says:
    February 5, 2013 at 11:32 am

    […] followed Joy The Baker’s recipe for Orange Zest Cranberry Sauce. It uses fresh zest and juice from a fragrant orange, […]

    Reply
  4. christmas eve menu « M.i.U.S. Blog says:
    December 24, 2012 at 5:24 am

    […] we are also having mushrooms and rolls.  and homemade cranberry sauce […]

    Reply
  5. Thanksgiving, Unbound: A Midwesterner Bucks Tradition | Eat with Pleasure says:
    December 1, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    […] past week. (The recipe makes enough for 8 people.) It was especially good with Joy the Baker’s cranberry sauce: I cut down the sugar a bit, skipped the orange zest, substituted vanilla extract for the vanilla […]

    Reply
  6. 60 Thanksgiving Side Dishes To Make Absolutely Everyone Happy | PurpleWig says:
    November 19, 2012 at 3:07 pm

    […] 1. Cranberry Sauce […]

    Reply
  7. Post-Thanksgiving equals salad | BookLoverCook says:
    December 1, 2011 at 11:42 am

    […] and Parmesan, garlicky green beans, ginger-spiked mashed sweet potatoes topped with pecans, and vanilla cranberry sauce. I can never make enough of those brussels sprouts, they are a huge favorite of ours. And the […]

    Reply
  8. The holidays are coming, the holidays are coming! | BookLoverCook says:
    November 17, 2011 at 11:33 am

    […] Vanilla Cranberry Sauce […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Fruit

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar
My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

When life hands you lemons, make lemon bars! This lemon bar recipe is the perfect way to add a bite of sunshine to the day. These bars boast a buttery and lightly spiced shortbread crust, and a creamy smooth lemon filling that’s the perfect combination of tangy and sweet. Indulge in a square (or two)…

Read More

Slice of fluffy, creamy cranberry pie on a small plate.
Fluffy Cranberry Cream Pie

The perfect retro pie made with Jell-O and Cool Whip.  Pinky sweet cranberry pie topped with lightly whipped cream and, at the very last minute, chocolate covered pretzels.  This sweet lady is this year’s unexpected and delightful Thanksgiving pie. Every Thanksgiving my family is just chasing the high of my grandmother’s cranberry sauce. It’s a…

Read More

stacked sliced apple cheesecake bars
Apple Cheesecake Bars

Let’s settle into the season with crisp apples, cinnamon spice, and cream cheese. These Apple Cheesecake Bars are cream filled with a cookie crisp, topped with warm baked apples. These are our best apple dessert recipes. Let’s get baking, friends! In terms of fall cravings, I generally glaze past a pumpkin spice.  This is the…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

BREADS YOU’LL LOVE

jambalaya buttermilk biscuits in a row

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya Buttermilk Biscuits

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate

How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

Orange roll on a plate with a fork.

Christmas Morning Orange Rolls

LET’S MAKE COOKIES!

a stack of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies with a bite taken out of the top one with milk

Classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar

My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

completed recipe close up shot of a blondie so the toasted almonds, chocolate chips, and sea salt can be seen

My Best Classic Blondie Recipe

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
Almost 🌀🌀 about everything on the March to-d Almost 🌀🌀 about everything on the March to-do list that didn’t get done but here’s proof of all the living a list can’t really touch.
Do you know my friend @ellenmariebennett of @hedle Do you know my friend @ellenmariebennett of @hedleyandbennett? She’s a 💎 of a friend and here’s what our quick visit last week looked like! Lots of cheese and chats, with help from Mr. Nico and Olive Oyl the chicken. 💙#apronsquad #cheeseboard #losangeles
🍓🌼 Pan Dulce is the best way to bake spring! 🍓🌼 Pan Dulce is the best way to bake spring! Full recipe linked in the @joythebaker bio! Xo
Second coffee: the perfect way to re-start the day Second coffee: the perfect way to re-start the day. 
✨Beignet Café au Lait✨⁣
⁣1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk⁣⁣
Splash of vanilla extract⁣⁣
½ cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks⁣⁣
2 cups fresh brewed strong coffee⁣⁣
½ cup toasted cinnamon cereal, lightly crushed⁣⁣
Powdered sugar for topping⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Place sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Add half of the whipped cream and fold to combine.  Add the remaining half and fold until you have a fluffy sweet cream. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Divide brewed coffee between two mugs. Spoon dream on top.  Sprinkle cinnamon cereal between the cups.  Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy immediately.
Life Skill No. 458: How to Make 1️⃣2️⃣ Cup Life Skill No. 458: How to Make 1️⃣2️⃣ Cupcakes with just 1️⃣ Stick of Butter⁣
⁣
Full recipe linked in my bio! xo
Someone call @foodnetwork because Dad and I need a Someone call @foodnetwork because Dad and I need a baking show stat. Here’s our very best chocolate chip cookies and all the little tips that make them perfection. ✨🍪 Find the full recipe linked in the profile!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up