Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce Recipes

Use up leftover red wine to make this tart and savory sauce that's delicious when drizzled over seared steak, pork chops or turkey. This healthy cranberry sauce will also impress any Thanksgiving guest with its vibrant color and flavor.

Cranberry sauce has a role beyond tradition at the T-day meal. The tart berry adds excitement to mild turkey, but it also provides balance by cutting through the richness in other dishes. For this easy relish recipe--which comes together in minutes--the earthy sweetness of dates and cinnamon, plus a touch of citrus, complement the zing of the berries to create a familiar holiday flavor profile.

This maple syrup-sweetened sauce is the perfect side dish to your holiday bird. It cooks in less than 15 minutes and can be made several days ahead, freeing up time for you to prepare other dishes on the big day.

The luxurious, licorice-like aroma of star anise gives this cranberry sauce recipe from José Andrés its special-occasion feel. Don't think of it as just a companion for turkey--it'll dress up a humble sandwich and makes an outstanding topping for a wheel of Brie.

Thanks to an electric pressure cooker like your Instant Pot, this fix-it-and-forget-it cranberry sauce is sure to free up some room on your stove. This Thanksgiving dinner essential has just five ingredients and is super easy, hands-off and ready in 30 minutes.

Most cranberry sauce recipes add tons of sugar to mask the tart taste of the cranberries. In this simple cranberry sauce, we lighten things up by skipping the sugar and opting for a healthier combination of dates and apple cider which adds just enough sweetness without overpowering the cranberry flavor.

Classic homemade cranberry sauce gets a powerful flavor punch from red wine. As the sauce reduces, the wine gets syrupy, adding robust flavor with a bit of sweetness. Want to take it up a notch? Use port for even more sweetness and flavor.

This is our go-to recipe for homemade cranberry sauce. It's simple (just five ingredients!), is lightly sweet without being too sugary and has just the right amount of zesty flavor from orange peel. Plus, it's so easy--it goes from stove to table in just 20 minutes!

Most homemade cranberry sauces are made with sugar, but this one-- flavored with unsweetened applesauce and spices-- gets its sweetness from the maple syrup that's added in after cooking.

Tangerines bring natural sweetness to this relish, so you need less sugar to balance the tartness of the cranberries.

Take a detour from traditional cranberry sauce and try this recipe that combines fresh cranberries with sweet dates, sage and orange. You can make this no-cook cranberry relish in less than a minute in the food processor. It's a divine accompaniment to roast turkey and perfect on a turkey sandwich as well.

Orange juice and fresh orange segments brighten the flavors in this traditional cranberry sauce recipe. Spread the leftovers on a turkey sandwich or stir into plain yogurt for breakfast.

This dazzling pink pear & cranberry sauce has a perfect balance of tart and sweet tastes. It stands in for the applesauce that traditionally accompanies latkes.

Give some zing to your traditional cranberry sauce recipe by adding jalapeño and lime. This healthy, homemade cranberry relish pairs beautifully with turkey, but also works just as well as a spread for sandwiches or even as a taco topping.

Fresh cranberries get crunch from walnuts and an infusion of sweetness from dried cherries in this take on a classic marmalade. Leftovers are great on a turkey sandwich.

Unlike cranberry sauce, a relish involves no cooking. Here, plump raspberries add a juicy freshness, while crystallized ginger provides sweetness and warmth. It is best served cold. Hold the mayo on your post-holiday sandwiches--use this relish instead for a real treat.

Light enough to follow even a substantial meal, this pretty compote has a refreshing balance of sweet and tart flavors. Serve with vanilla frozen yogurt for dessert or with plain yogurt for breakfast or brunch.

Cranberry sauce gets a lift with fresh lime zest, coriander and cloves.

A touch of vinegar adds just the right balance to cranberry sauce.

A triple hit of cranberries makes a tart topping for lemon sorbet.