Spiced Cherry Cranberry Sauce
This isn’t your canned cranberry sauce! A Governor’s Mansion recipe with warm spices and dried cherries for a fall-flavored side everyone will love.
I know that cranberry sauce gets a bad rap. In fact, it’s consistently voted the least favorite Thanksgiving side dish! But I don’t think that’s totally fair. The stuff in the can? It’s not great. But homemade cranberry sauce? It can truly be great and provide some needed tart flavor to a meal that is otherwise pretty similar.
I’ve been blogging here at Blackberry Babe for almost 13 years and have yet to post a cranberry sauce recipe! Why? Well, because I didn’t have one yet that I thought was special enough.
I came across this recipe in an old cookbook from the 90’s and loved that it was served in our state Governor’s Mansion for Thanksgiving! I did modify the recipe just a bit to add warm spices, but kept the base (cranberry juice, cranberries and dried cherries) the same.
The result? A cranberry sauce that absolutely just tastes like fall! The dried cherries add complexity because let’s face it, cranberry sauce can be a bit one-note.
Cherry Cranberry Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
If you’re new here to my site, I want you to know that I always provide ingredient substitutions. I think it’s best to use the ingredients you have on hand! Here are a few suggestions:
- I recommend using a light cranberry juice cocktail, but you can also use regular cranberry juice cocktail, or a combination cranberry juice! Cranberry cherry cocktail, cranberry grape cocktail and cranberry pineapple cocktail are all delicious but of course will alter the flavor a bit. I do not recommend straight cranberry juice, as it’s very strong and tart.
- Instead of white sugar, you are welcome to use brown sugar. This will add a bit of molasses flavor and it’s delicious!
- Substitute pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice for the cinnamon and/or cloves.
- Use fresh or frozen cranberries. No need to thaw if frozen! They will cook quickly. I do not recommend using dried cranberries since most are heavily sweetened. But, if that’s all you have, rehydrate them alongside the dried cherries.
Serving Suggestions
There is no better way to enjoy this homemade cranberry sauce recipe than with your Thanksgiving dinner! It’s wonderful on smoked turkey or deep fried turkey.
If you have leftover cranberry sauce, I recommend using it to make these Turkey Cranberry Sliders, Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip, Banana Cranberry Bread or Cranberry Sauce Meatballs.
Saving Leftover Cranberry Sauce
You can absolutely make this recipe ahead of time! Once cooled, it will store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Or freeze for up to 3 months.
I hope that you love this wonderful cranberry sauce recipe! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below.
Spiced Cherry Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups cranberry juice cocktail
- 8 ounces dried cherries, tart
- 1 cup sugar
- 12 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves, ground
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add juice and heat over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
- Remove from the heat and add dried cherries. Allow to stand for 8 minutes to rehydrate the cherries.
- Add sugar, cranberries, cloves and cinnamon and return to heat.
- Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until cranberries burst and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
- Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Serve cool or at room temperature.
