Red Wine Cranberry Sauce
Fresh, tart cranberries are cooked and blended with agave, brown sugar, red wine, and pomegranate juice to create a deliciously simple and smooth Red Wine Cranberry Sauce for your Thanksgiving feast.
This Is My Go-To Cranberry Sauce on Thanksgiving
I normally make cranberry orange relish — which is full of chunky cooked cranberries, golden raisins, and walnuts — for our Thanksgiving dinner, but this year I wanted to test something a little simpler, and something that was silky smooth rather than chunky.
Cranberry sauce is so unbelievably easy to make at home that you literally have no excuses for buying anything that comes in a can.
Here’s what makes this cranberry red wine sauce so good:
✔ Boldly Flavored: Making the cranberry sauce with red wine and pomegranate juice gives it so much nuanced flavor, and the cinnamon and ginger add a subtle spiced flavor. This almost tastes like mulled wine in cranberry sauce form, it’s incredible!
✔ Silky Smooth Texture: After cooking all of the ingredients together, I pureed the cranberry red wine mixture in my blender to create a silky, smooth and pourable (though still thick) sauce.
✔ Makes Great Leftovers: Leftover cranberry sauce can be stored in the fridge for a few days or frozen up to three months. Use it atop turkey or ham, sandwiches, to make meatballs, and more!
Enjoy!
-Katie
The Main Ingredients
A full list of ingredients with their measurements have been shared in the recipe card below. I just wanted to call out a few key items so you know what to buy.
- Cranberries — Fresh or frozen will work! If using frozen, add them straight to the saucepan.
- Pomegranate juice — Look for 100% pure unsweetened pomegranate juice. I like the Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice.
- Red wine — We prefer a dry red wine for this cranberry sauce recipe. I typically use Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Sweetener — I used a blend of agave and brown sugar to give the sauce a more nuanced sweetness.
- Ground cinnamon and ginger — I prefer making my cranberry sauce with spices. Not so much that this turns out a “spiced” cranberry sauce, but enough to add warmth and flavor.
How to Make Red Wine Cranberry Sauce
This recipe might sound complex because it contains red wine, but it’s actually incredibly simple to prepare. There isn’t even any chopping of anything required!
- Add all of the ingredients to a pot.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and gently simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes, or until the cranberries have all burst. Stir the mixture periodically with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula while it boils so it doesn’t stick to the bottom!
- Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Place a towel on top of the blender while blending and use caution while blending hot ingredients. Alternatively, use an immersion blender if you prefer.
Katie’s Tip: If you chill the cranberry sauce in the fridge, it will gel up a little more and be a tad closer to the consistency of jelly. Warmed, it stays more sauce-like, but it is fantastic either way.
Have Leftovers? Here’s What You Can Make
One of the best parts of making homemade cranberry sauce is that there is usually some leftover to make something else yummy with!
This cranberry and red wine sauce is pretty darn good on its own just slathered onto a hot, buttery roll, but here are a few fun recipes you can make using any leftover cranberry sauce after your Thanksgiving celebrations.
More Holiday Sauces and Spreads
Be sure to check out my entire Thanksgiving recipe archive for more delicious seasonal eats. Here are some of the sauces and spreads I always prepare on or around Thanksgiving.
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Red Wine Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Fresh, tart cranberries are cooked and blended with agave, brown sugar, red wine, and pomegranate juice create a deliciously simple and smooth Red wine cranberry sauce for your Thanksgiving feast.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
- 3/4 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/2 cup dry red wine (we like a Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 1/2 cup agave
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar (depending on your sweetness preferences)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch ground ginger
- 5 grinds fresh peppercorns
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized sauce pan, about 2 - 2 1/2 quart sized, and mix well.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the cranberries have burst.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a blender. Holding the lid on the blender very securely, puree the mixture until completely smooth.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Combine the ingredients in the bowl of your favorite slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, or until the cranberries have burst and the sauce is bubbly.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a blender. Holding the lid on the blender very securely, puree the mixture until completely smooth.
Notes
Make ahead and storage: You can make the cranberry sauce up to three days before you plan on serving it. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container in the meantime. It can also be frozen for several months (here's how to freeze cranberry sauce).
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 54Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 36mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 0g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
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