This super simple Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce is slightly sweet yet perfectly tart. The orange zest in this cranberry sauce recipe adds a lovely fresh citrus flavor that is sure to impress your dinner guests. The best part is that this cranberry pomegranate sauce only takes about 15 minutes to make!
This cranberry sauce pairs well with a wide variety of dishes but it is most commonly served on a Thanksgiving platter. Looking for a few other delicious recipes to serve with this scrumptious sauce? Try this homemade green bean casserole, homemade herb stuffing, or beer and butter turkey!
*Originally published October 2016. Text and photos updated.*
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CRANBERRY POMEGRANATE SAUCE RECIPE:
- This sauce is super easy to make and is done in just 15 minutes. Just boil, stir, simmer and chill!
- This isn’t your traditional cranberry sauce. The addition of pomegranate juice adds a layer of flavor that takes this sauce to the next level!
- You can make this sauce way ahead of time. Leave the last minute Thanksgiving meal prep for stuffing and mashed potatoes. This cranberry sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!
- Leave the canned cranberry sauce in the past. This recipe is more healthy and flavorful than traditional canned cranberry sauce.
- The nice thing about making homemade cranberry sauce is having the ability to tweak it’s sweetness to your liking. This recipe is slightly sweet and tart but not overpowering in the slightest.
INGREDIENTS:
POMEGRANATE JUICE – this is the secret ingredient to the perfect cranberry sauce. Pomegranate juice is tart and sweet so you get the best of both worlds!
ORANGE ZEST – the zest adds a light and fresh citrus flavor to the sauce. It complements the tart cranberries beautifully and adds depth to the sauce.
SUGAR – a little sweetness to offset the tart cranberry flavor.
CRANBERRIES – cranberry sauce wouldn’t be cranberry sauce without cranberries.
HOW TO MAKE THIS POMEGRANATE CRANBERRY SAUCE:
Time needed: 17 minutes
- In a medium sized pot bring the pomegranate juice, sugar, and orange zest to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cranberries and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the sauce until the berries have burst and the sauce has thickened slightly (about 10-12 minutes).
- Chill for at least 2 hours and store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. The sauce will thicken more as it cools!
TIPS AND VARIATIONS:
- Use the leftover sauce in many ways. I suggest using it to make muffins, coffee cake, in sandwiches or with your other Thanksgiving leftovers.
- You could substitute the pomegranate juice for orange juice or water but the flavor profile will vary.
- If you don’t have frozen cranberries you could also use fresh cranberries in this recipe.
- Want to spice things up even more? Feel free to add ingredients like pecans, raisins, currants, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice to the sauce after cooking it.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
You could make this recipe sugar free by substituting the sugar for a sugar replacement like stevia or truvia. Just keep in mind that sugar replacements tend to be sweeter than traditional sugar so you will have to taste your sauce and adjust the measurements accordingly.
This cranberry sauce goes well with a wide variety of things but it pairs particularly well with turkey, ham, chicken, and pork! The sauce adds a lovely sweetness to the meat.
Yes, you can definitely freeze this cranberry sauce. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks but if you would like to keep it for longer than that just store it in a tightly sealed storage container in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat your cranberry sauce, just thaw it in a small pot on the stove.
Other recipes you will love:
- Leftover Thanksgiving Casserole
- Apple Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Breast
- Cranberry Bread Pudding with Whiskey Cream Sauce
- Cranberry Sweet Potato Bake
- Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
- Pomegranate Apple Cider Sangria
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Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (180ml) pomegranate juice
- ¾ cup (150g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 (12 ounce) (340g) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
Instructions
- In a medium sized pot bring the juice, sugar and zest to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cranberries and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the berries have burst and the sauce has thickened slightly (about 10-12 minutes).
- Chill for at least 2 hours but can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Sauce will thicken more as it cools.
I think this would be good on Osta Kaka,
That does sound good!
Love this flavor combo! Perfect to mix it up at Thanksgiving!
Exactly what I was thinking! Thanks Julie!!