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.
Just amazing. I could not get enough. So rich and flavorful. I left out the cloves
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was amazing!
This recipe had become a big family favorite! I made the mistake of covering the pot while it came to a rolling boil and when I removed the lid i had a flambé moment 🤣
Lesson learned
This recipe had become a big family favorite! I made the mistake of covering the pot while it came to a rolling boil and when I removed the lid i had a flambé moment 🤣
Lesson learned
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this has become a big family favorite! I can imagine a covered pot would turn into a flambe moment, but hey, you survived!
This is the best cranberry sauce. Ever. I like to make this each year alongside a standard homemade cranberry sauce w/orange zest. They both never fail, but this one is always the star. I’ve made it with both regular and NA Cabernet (I prefer my wine boozy, but I have some AA dinner guests some years) and I couldn’t tell the difference in the final products. Definitely make extra to freeze for later. (It’s absolutely divine over vanilla ice cream any time of year!)
Also, are you looking to bring a little something extra/unique to a holiday dinner party along with that bottle of wine? Make a fresh batch of this, put it in a mason jar (I like to use the blue ones for added cuteness), tie a pretty bow around it, and voilà!
This is the best cranberry sauce. Ever. I like to make this each year alongside a standard homemade cranberry sauce w/orange zest. They both never fail, but this one is always the star. I’ve made it with both regular and NA Cabernet (I prefer my wine boozy, but I have some AA dinner guests some years) and I couldn’t tell the difference in the final products. Definitely make extra to freeze for later. (It’s absolutely divine over vanilla ice cream any time of year!)
Also, are you looking to bring a little something extra/unique to a holiday dinner party along with that bottle of wine? Make a fresh batch of this, put it in a mason jar (I like to use the blue ones for added cuteness), tie a pretty bow around it, and voilà!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad you love this and it’s the best ever for you! Great to hear it always is the star!
OMG! I have made this the past three years and it is a real hit wherever I bring it. No major adjustments except a pinch of salt and some orange zest. I’ve even added it to a layered cheesecake, it’s that good!
Made it and boiled it too long, 20 minutes. But it was in a very large pot and I think that made a difference. It was tasty, but did not have the consistency I was hoping for. It was a bit gritty and very thick. Going to try again. Gotta say that the word ‘unthawed’ threw me. Or is it through me. LOL
Made it and boiled it too long, 20 minutes. But it was in a very large pot and I think that made a difference. It was tasty, but did not have the consistency I was hoping for. It was a bit gritty and very thick. Going to try again. Gotta say that the word ‘unthawed’ threw me. Or is it through me. LOL
Yes if it was very thick that means it was reduced too much, i.e. boiled to long. Depending on pot size, fruit, etc. you will need to play it by ear the exact amount of time to boil it. Glad you are going to try again!
great!
I have made this manytimes. always fresh and wonderful. Goes well with pork or turkey. Think it would be great with just plain crackers. Thanks.
I have made this manytimes. always fresh and wonderful. Goes well with pork or turkey. Think it would be great with just plain crackers. Thanks.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s always wonderful!
When I was ready to make this, I realized i didn’t have any cloves, but I did have apple pie spice. I omitted the cinnamon and just used 1tablespoon of the apple pie spice. I cooked it a little bit longer to get a thicker consistency. It’s awesome. I put it on toast and it’s delicious in yoghurt.
I was disappointed in this recipe because of the instructions. It cooked too long. If I try it again, I will use the instructions on the bag for the cooking time. It is too thick and too dark, just not attractive at all.
Served it over cream cheese with crackers. Yum
Served it over cream cheese with crackers. Yum
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you enjoyed it!
Why cant you use dried cranberries ? Thank you.
Because this is a recipe for fresh cranberry sauce. You make fresh cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries.