Red Wine Cranberry Sauce — 🫐🍷😍 Move over, boring cranberry sauce! Cranberries are so much better with blueberries and wine! Make your own fresh cranberry and blueberry sauce in 30 minutes. It’s so EASY, and everyone LOVES it!
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The BEST Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Drinking wine and eating jam are two things I’m great at. Doing them under the guise of ‘cranberry sauce’ is the best idea I’ve had for elevating cranberry sauce from a side dish to a starring dish.
I love fresh cranberry sauce, but I never make it with just cranberries. Too boring.
Instead, I add pineapple and mango or work in oranges and ginger. This year, I doctored up the cranberries with cabernet sauvignon and blueberries, and this blend is my favorite ever. I had to refrain from eating the whole batch in a day. So good.
This blueberry and cranberry sauce is like drinking wine and eating jam all in one, with texture, sweetness, tartness, and juicy berries in full force.
If you’ve never made cranberry sauce using fresh cranberries and your only experience with it is traditional cranberry sauce from a can, and you think you ‘don’t like cranberries’, I don’t blame you.
That’s like saying you don’t like cheese if your only experience has been eating Cheeze Whiz. There’s just no comparison.
Fresh cranberry sauce is supremely easy to make, and I always wonder why people buy it in cans or containers.
From start to finish, it takes 30 minutes, and all you need to do is toss everything into a kettle, stir intermittently, and a half hour later, you’ve got rich sauce with supreme depth of flavor.
If you’re into wine, you’re going to go head over heels for this sauce. While it simmers, the scent of the wine reducing with the cinnamon and berries is heavenly. You don’t need scented candles with this simmering.
As I was shoveling it by the spoonful, I kept thinking about how many great antioxidants I was getting from the blueberries and all those great heart-healthy flavonoids found in red wine, and what a great service I was doing my body. Right.
Since I rarely eat roasted turkey, or stuffing, and I’ve never been into mashed potatoes or gravy, and usually most vegetables are way too mushy and overcooked for my taste, Thanksgiving has never been a meal I look forward to, with the exception of the cranberry sauce.
You can have your turkey, stuffing, and everything else on your Thanksgiving menu. I’m having this. And apple crumble pie.
What’s in the Red Wine Cranberry Sauce?
To make this unique Thanksgiving cranberry sauce with blueberries, you’ll need:
- Fresh cranberries
- Frozen blueberries – If you have a mixed berry blend with blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries, that would be lovely, too
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon – I use ground cinnamon instead of a cinnamon stick. If you’re not a cinnamon fan you may want to reduce the one tablespoon I used down to one teaspoon
- Ground cloves – Cut the amount of cloves in half if you don’t want your sauce to be as boldly flavored
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Red Wine Cranberry Sauce
When I say this unique Thanksgiving side is so easy, I mean it!
Follow these very simple directions for the best-ever cranberry sauce:
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium to large kettle, making sure the kettle has enough room for the sauce to at least triple in volume.
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring intermittently.
- Reduce the heat to low, and allow your sauce to simmer until it reduces and thickens slightly.
- Transfer the sauce to a heat-safe jar or containers with lids.
- Serve immediately, or allow your red wine cranberry sauce to cool completely before storing.
What to Serve with Cranberry Sauce
Storage
In the Refrigerator: Once cooled to room temperature, homemade cranberry sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10-14 days.
In the Freezer: Once the red wine cranberry sauce has cooled completely in the fridge, it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To Serve: Thaw frozen sauce overnight in the fridge. Serve it cold, or warm it in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat.
Recipe FAQs
I used two-buck Chuck (Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw $2.49 cabernet), but any type of merlot, shiraz, Pinot Noir, or your favorite dry red wine will work.
Not into wine? You can use water, but that defeats the purpose and the flavor will not be nearly as rich and robust. I don’t know how much alcohol cooks off and how much doesn’t.
I would surmise most is cooked off, but it’s your call if this is appropriate for you or your family members.
I put it into the same category as beer bread. There’s not enough and it’s stretched over too many servings, and it’s heated anyway. So, no one will be catching a buzz from cranberries. Darn.
This fresh cranberry sauce was originally posted in 2014, and I have been asked that many times. I’ve never personally canned this cabernet cranberry and blueberry sauce, but there are people who have, and they’ve written about what they did in the comments.
If that’s something that interests you, I encourage you to read over the older comments and put your canning expertise to work.
Chances are, if you’re asking about canning this cranberry sauce, then you know how to can. I am not an expert in canning and haven’t dabbled with it with this recipe.
If you love a zesty cranberry sauce, feel free to use a mixture of blueberries, cranberries, oranges, and spices. You can also add orange zest or lemon zest for a citrusy kick. Or, simply add more sugar or increase the amount of spices included. Just keep in mind that this recipe is pretty bold. So, be sure to taste it before adjusting the ingredients.
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Cabernet Cranberry and Blueberry Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Large Kettle
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) bag fresh cranberries
- 6 ounces frozen blueberries, about 1 1/2 cups, unthawed
- 1 cup cabernet sauvignon, or shiraz, merlot, or a favorite red wine
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium to large kettle, and bring to a rolling boil, stirring intermittently. Make sure kettle has room for sauce to at least triple in volume. The juices from the berries release and as the mixture boils rapidly, it will foam and a too-small pot will easily overflow.
- Reduce heat to low and allow sauce to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until reduced and thickened slightly, and most of the cranberries have burst. Sauce will thicken more as it cools.
- Transfer to heat-safe jars or containers with lids. Allow sauce to cool at room temperature before refrigerating.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Cranberry Recipes:
Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Apples — Spice up your holiday celebrations with this scrumptious FAST and EASY homemade cranberry sauce that’s made with cranberries, apples, apple cider, cinnamon sticks, and allspice for the PERFECT must-make side dish! A lovely balance of sweet-yet-tart with warmly spiced flavors so you’ll never want to think about using store bought sauce again!
Cranberry Orange Bread with Sweet Orange Glaze — The fresh cranberries in this cranberry orange bread contrast nicely with the sweet orange glaze, making it the perfect blend of sweet and tart!
Cranberry Bliss Bars {Starbucks Copycat recipe} – Dangerously good and a dead ringer for the Starbucks version!
Crustless Cranberry Pie — Somewhere in between pie, cake, and blondies is what you get with this FESTIVE recipe! Take advantage of those fresh cranberries!
Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies – Cranberry Bliss Bar flavors, in cookie form. Tender, soft, pillowy centers and a 2012 Top 10 Favorite
Cabernet Cranberry and Currant Sauce – Make your own EASY homemade cranberry sauce in 30 minutes! It’ll be the star side dish of your holiday meal! Cranberries are so much BETTER with wine!
Cranberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars — The bars are soft, slightly chewy, and the hearty oats with big crumbles are a perfect contrast to the juicy cranberry filling.
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Blondies — The soft, buttery, caramely, brown sugary, blondie base is the perfect complement to the chewy, tart cranberries.
Originally posted November 2014 and reposted November 2019 with updated text.
I am making this right now and it smells Devine!!! Also…the taste of my CabSav is pretty good too!
Do you serve this warm or cold?
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
Excellent and Happy Thanksgiving!
Do you serve warm or cold?
Either way is good.
Someone in my family is allergic to blueberries. Is there anything that would be a good substitute? Any thoughts on this?
Blackberries maybe? Or possibly you may have to just omit them and replace with cranberries.
Wow!It must be delicious!Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I just made this sauce a bit ago. My house smells amazing. I used syrah dessert wine, and threw in some tayberries. MMMM!! I can’t wait for Thursday! Thank you
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that you’re excited for Thursday :)
I just made this – yowza good stuff! My cranberries and fruit were in 12 oz. bags, so I multiplied the recipe by 1.5. Since my daughter doesn’t like cinnamon, I used a tsp each of cardamom and vanilla, and can’t imagine it with any other spice combination. SO GOOD!!
Glad you love it!
I am not a wine drinker but I keep cooking wine around. Would this be a bad substitute?
Not sure what the cooking wine is exactly since they can really vary but I would just buy a bottle of (inexpensive) cabernet.
Thank you.
This is so delicious! I canโt eat canned cranberry sauce, but I love your recipe! The flavors are amazing!! And my kitchen smells so good! This is my third year to make it, and my family loves it. It is a given that this will be served at least at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Yearโs. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that this is your third year to make it!
I’ve made this for the last few years and it’s always a Thanksgiving hit, though my fam always complains that there’s too much cinnamon! I usually make a double batch, half sugar half stevia, and this year I cut down on the spice so we’ll see how they like it. It goes with dinner but I also serve it as an appetizer, with pie crust cookies (premade pie dough with cranberries and pecans) or as cranberry brie bites (puff pastry or crescent roll dough in a muffin tray, baked with a tsp of this sauce and a piece of brie).
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that you’ve been making it the past few years!
I am a novice. We donโt own a medium to large kettle. Does a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid work? Help! :)
It really depends how deep it is and the overall size.
So a tall pot wonโt work?
A tall pot is fine.
I doubled the recipe. My husband tasted it and immediately said, “you’re going to make more right? Cuz this will not last for 3 days in the fridge.” It’s that good. Happy thanksgiving!
Thanks for the five star review and Iโm glad that you will be making more even after you doubled the recipe! Happy thanksgiving!
can this be made in a crock pot
I have only made and prepared the recipe as written so cannot say.
Why? It doesn’t need that long on the stove and bringing it to a boil is an important step. Just use the stove as directed.
Will this go well with our Thanksgiving smoked ham?
I think it would be great!
Everyone at the office potluck loved it. I cut the cloves and cinnamon to one third what the recipe said.
Thanks for the five star review and Iโm glad it was a hit at your potluck!
I have made this recipe every Thanksgiving for the past 3 years and everyone loves it, even those that typically don’t like cranberry sauce. It sometimes comes out a little bitter at first, but after a few days it’s perfect. I usually make it the Sunday or Monday before Thanksgiving.
Iโm glad that this has been a hat over the years for you and your family and friends! The great thing about cranberry sauce is that it keeps for a long time in the fridge. Iโm glad that youโre able to make it in advance.
If you do find it to be a little bitter for your taste on a consistent basis, you can always add a bit more sugar. Sometimes though certain cranberries or just more bitter than others. As you said, it mellows after a few days in the fridge.
Can this recipe be made with Splenda instead of granulated sugar?
I have not tried it that way so I cannot say but Iโm thinking the answer is no because when you boil sugar it helps fruits set up into a thicker consistency and Iโm thinking that without using real sugar this might not have the proper consistency but I canโt say for sure.
Thank you for the great recipe. First time making cranberry sauce.
Glad that you tried this recipe on your first ever attempt with cranberry sauce!
I have made this recipe several times and I just aflove it.
Thanks for the five star review and Iโm glad that you love it!