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Joanna Gaines Holiday Cranberry Sauce

Joanna Gaines holiday cranberry sauce with chunky, bursty berries simmered until thick, then finished with bright orange zest and crunchy toasted pecans. A simple stovetop boil-and-simmer method yields a spoonable side that chills beautifully for the holidays.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chill 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

cranberries
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
sugar
  • 0.5 cup sugar
brown sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
orange juice
  • 1 cup orange juice
orange zest
  • 1 tsp orange zest
ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
ground ginger
  • 0.25 tsp ground ginger
salt
  • 0.125 tsp salt pinch
pecans
  • 0.5 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Cook the cranberry sauce
  1. Combine sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt in a saucepan, then heat over medium-high until it reaches a boil (bubbling throughout).
  2. Add fresh cranberries to the boiling mixture and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the sauce thickens (use a spoon to check it coats).
Finish and chill
  1. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in orange zest until fully combined and fragrant (the sauce will look glossy and slightly darker).
  2. Cool the sauce to room temperature before chilling for 60 minutes, until set and spoonable (cover to prevent skin from forming).
  3. Stir in toasted and chopped pecans just before serving so they stay crunchy (fold briefly, leaving visible pieces).

Notes

Pro tip: keep the simmer steady so the cranberries burst evenly; if it looks loose, continue simmering for 1-2 more minutes until it thickly coats the spoon. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days, and re-stir before serving. Freezing is not recommended for the best texture, but you can refrigerate instead. For a lighter option, use a 1:1 sugar substitute blend for the sugars to reduce added sugar while keeping the thick set.