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 made this on a whim for those who won’t eat my usual cranberry sauce. It is now my favorite, and will stay in my frig year round to top everything from pancakes to ice cream.
I take cranberry sauce every year to a holiday party because only a couple of other people and I like it. I experiment sometimes and sometime I take a can. Made this this year. I used Cupcake Red Velvet red blend. This sauce is super DELICIOUS!!!! I’m not sure I made enough. I think everyone is going to love it. Best ever!
I take cranberry sauce every year to a holiday party because only a couple of other people and I like it. I experiment sometimes and sometime I take a can. Made this this year. I used Cupcake Red Velvet red blend. This sauce is super DELICIOUS!!!! I’m not sure I made enough. I think everyone is going to love it. Best ever!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you make this cranberry sauce every year! Glad this version is the best ever!
i enjoy Red Velvet i’m glad you used it for the cranberry sauce, sooo i will use yumm
Thank you for the great recipe! It turned out great!
Thank you for the great recipe! It turned out great!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it turned out great!
I’ve made this the past few years and it is AWESOME! I eat it warm out of the pan when it’s done:) This year I am using pinot noir instead of cab….can’t wait to taste it!
I’ve made this the past few years and it is AWESOME! I eat it warm out of the pan when it’s done:) This year I am using pinot noir instead of cab….can’t wait to taste it!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad you’ve been making it for a few years! And nothing better than eating it straight out of the pan :)
Why do you suggest frozen blueberries? Can I use fresh blueberries?
Frozen are half the price and are always available and work just fine but if you want to use fresh, you can.
I can’t believe you just posted this!! I just made my list of holiday gifts and had to make this one again – I received so many compliments when I made it two years ago. This year, I’ll use mixed berries. Thanks again for another awesome recipe!!
I can’t believe you just posted this!! I just made my list of holiday gifts and had to make this one again – I received so many compliments when I made it two years ago. This year, I’ll use mixed berries. Thanks again for another awesome recipe!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you received lots of compliments on it when you made it!
I reposted this because tis the season and because it’s always a reader favorite!
Have you ever tried canning this? My family loves it
Have you ever tried canning this? My family loves it
I addressed this question in the blog post.
DELICIOUS. The best “cranberry sauce” I ever tasted as well as one of the best ever recipes I have made. With the compliments of blueberries and flavors in the wine, I used Yellow Tail™shiraz, put this sauce over the top for flavor. My husband’s response was “YUM” and he’s not a fan of cranberry sauce. My only additions were a scant pinch of salt and a slice of lemon, but a personal preference as what have always added to my regular cranberry sauce, while delicious following your recipe. I will share with others and hope your readers try it. Thank you for a really great recipe. Kudos to you for creativity.
DELICIOUS. The best “cranberry sauce” I ever tasted as well as one of the best ever recipes I have made. With the compliments of blueberries and flavors in the wine, I used Yellow Tail™shiraz, put this sauce over the top for flavor. My husband’s response was “YUM” and he’s not a fan of cranberry sauce. My only additions were a scant pinch of salt and a slice of lemon, but a personal preference as what have always added to my regular cranberry sauce, while delicious following your recipe. I will share with others and hope your readers try it. Thank you for a really great recipe. Kudos to you for creativity.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that this is the best cranberry sauce you’ve ever tasted and one of the best recipes you’ve ever made! That is awesome to hear!
I love this recipe and make it every year for Thanksgiving. This year I am pregnant and concerned about using the wine. I know you wrote that you could substitute water, but do you think it would also work to substitute orange juice? Trying to think of an option that won’t limit the flavor. Thanks!
I love this recipe and make it every year for Thanksgiving. This year I am pregnant and concerned about using the wine. I know you wrote that you could substitute water, but do you think it would also work to substitute orange juice? Trying to think of an option that won’t limit the flavor. Thanks!
I think OJ would be a better choice than water, yes. Or maybe look for a nonalcholic wine. Test it first to see the sweetness level, and then you may want to adjust the sugar down if it’s already a sweeter wine, and go from there.
Glad to hear you make it every year and thanks for the 5 star review!
Instead of the cinnamon and cloves, could I use herbs like rosemary and thyme?
If you feel like you’d enjoy those then go with what you like.