Cranberry Sauce Recipes

From chunky chutneys to sweet, tart and spicy sauces, these cranberry recipes will convince you to ditch the can.

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Photo By: Tara Donne

Cranberry Sauce with Bourbon, Vanilla Bean and Orange

This fruity Thanksgiving sidekick can be made up to 10 days ahead of time. The flavors of bourbon and fall spices emerge as the recipe chills in the fridge.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Sauce with Bourbon and Vanilla Bean and Orange

Cranberry Salad

Kelsey's Thanksgiving-inspired spin on ambrosia salad is the ultimate make-ahead side. Blended cranberries tint the sweet mixture of pineapple, marshmallows and whipped cream, giving the salad vibrant color as it chills. Top with pomegranate arils for a final tangy punch.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Salad

Cranberry Sauce

If you're more of a purist when it comes to your cranberry sauce, you'll love Alton Brown's take on the simple classic, which is packed with whole cranberries and sweetened with honey.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Relish with Pears and Walnuts

The tartness of vinegar makes this relish a little bit savory, which is not only good with turkey but even better in your leftovers sandwich.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Relish with Pears and Walnuts

Redder than Red Cranberry Sauce

Ruby-red cherry brandy gives this cranberry sauce — chock-full of just-burst berries — its impossibly dark hue.

Get the Recipe: Redder Than Red Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry-Orange Compote

The cinnamon, anise and allspice berries in this compote give the cran-orange combination wintry warmth. But nothing takes the edge off of tart cranberries like a little wine — or, in this case, a whole bottle of sweet Riesling.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry-Orange Compote

Tart Cranberry Dipping Sauce

Alton purees cranberries, orange juice and ginger ale to create a smooth-as-can-be cranberry sauce.

Get the Recipe: Tart Cranberry Dipping Sauce

Cranberry, Apple and Ginger Chutney

For a chunkier take on cranberry sauce, try this cranberry and apple chutney, given tang and spice with apple cider vinegar and ginger.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry, Apple and Ginger Chutney

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Orange juice and orange zest add citrus notes and brightness to this cranberry sauce, which would pair well with lemon-scented turkeys and fall fruit salads.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry-Orange Sauce

"Saucy" Cranberry Punch

We like cranberries in sauce, but we love them even more in a cocktail. Try this seasonal spin on a retro fruit punch, where frozen cranberries do double duty to keep the drink cold and look pretty as a garnish.

Get the Recipe: "Saucy" Cranberry Punch

Cranberryless Sauce

Let's be honest: Some of us like the idea of traditional cranberry sauce more than the actual taste. This recipe uses pomegranate juice in lieu of cranberries, which yields a sweeter sauce with the same classic look.

Get the Recipe: Cranberryless Sauce

Cranberry Citrus Dressing

Michael Chiarello uses undertones of vanilla and orange to balance out this unusual cranberry sauce's sweetness with freshly ground black pepper and a touch of Dijon mustard.

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Citrus Dressing

Justine's Classic Cranberry Sauce

The secret ingredient to Justine Simmons' cranberry sauce merges one of Thanksgiving's most-classic side dishes with the holiday's traditional pie: pumpkin pie spice.

Get the Recipe: Justine's Classic Cranberry Sauce