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Home » Roasted Cranberry Sauce

Roasted Cranberry Sauce

November 22, 2013 by Debi 9 Comments

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Roasted Cranberry Sauce is super simple to make and deliciously complex with flavors of tart cranberries mixed with woody rosemary and just a little sweetness to balance it all off. It’s the perfect Cranberry Sauce Recipe side dish for every Thanksgiving and Christmas Day dinner!

The roasting just makes the flavors nice and smooth. And the dish is so easy to make ahead and pop in the oven!

Roasted Cranberry Sauce in a white dish with a green cloth napkin.

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Simple Roasted Cranberry Sauce | Life Currents https://lifecurrentsblog.com

Roasting brings out the flavor

I love roasting food.

I think you guys know that! I’ve roasted Acorn Squash with Black Grapes and Cardamom Persimmons, carrots, chickpeas (two ways), potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, lentils, even strawberries.

The other day when I was roasting the black grapes, they reminded me of cranberries. So, it got me thinking about roasting some cranberries, something I’ve never done before.

Now, I’ve made many different cranberry sauces: Cranberry Sauce with cherries and red onions, with vanilla & cardamom, cranberry relish, and a few others.

cranberries in a pan
the sauce before it goes into the oven for some lovely roasting

This Roasted Cranberry Sauce is by far the easiest one I’ve ever made! The colors of this pretty dish remind me of Christmas.

And for another great cranberry side dish, check out this Cranberry Fluff Salad.

Make ahead

This sauce is easily made ahead of time.

Just mix it up, throw it in a Tupperware, and take it uncooked to your potluck Thanksgiving.

Once you’re there, throw it in a baking dish, a few minutes in the oven, and you’ve got a beautiful easy contribution to Thanksgiving day!

looking into a pan with cranberry sauce in it
Roasted Cranberry Sauce, right outta the oven, all hot and bubbly

Make this into a stunning appetizer

This would be fabulous served as a simple condiment on the Thanksgiving table.

Or, serve it over cream cheese, Brie, or goat cheese with some crackers as an appetizer.

Easy to make

Let the oven do all the work of making a homemade cranberry sauce for you. All you have to do is toss all the ingredients in a shallow pan, like a 13×9-inch casserole dish.

A 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries should be about 4 cups worth.

And pop it all in the oven, uncovered.

In about 15 minutes you have a beautiful, tart, sweet, and delicious cranberry sauce with no standing over a stove, stirring.

How to make this cranberry sauce

Leftovers rock too

Make sandwiches with turkey, roasted cranberry sauce, some greens, and a nice slice of cheese.

Drizzle a bit over vanilla ice cream for dessert.

I’m going to have some on my English muffin for breakfast.

a small white bowl of cranberry sauce

You can gussy it up however you like

This simple version is so good, lightly sweet, lightly tart.

But, if you want to throw in a splash of bourbon and cardamom, or toss in a big bunch of fresh herbs and a splash of balsamic vinegar, or exchange the water for fresh orange juice, or throw in some juniper berries and a splash of gin, heck, take it towards the Mexican flavors by adding some spicy chiles, cumin, and chili powder.

I mean, you could totally do all those yummy things, but the nice thing is that you don’t have to.

This is simple goodness, not only in the preparation, but in the flavor.

Simple Roasted Cranberry Sauce
The raw cranberries in the pan ready to go in the oven for some simple roasting!

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Roasted Cranberry Sauce is the best full flavored and super easy to make cranberry sauce #thanksgiving #Christmas #holidays #sideDish #dinner

Roasted Cranberry Sauce Recipe

looking down into a bowl filled with cranberry sauce, a wooden spoon and green napkin are next to the bowl.

Roasted Cranberry Sauce

Debi
Roasted Cranberry Sauce is super simple to make and deliciously complex with flavors of tart cranberries mixed with woody rosemary and just a little sweetness to balance it all off.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 71 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • ½ cup sugar
  • zest and juice of a lime
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425° F. Wash and pick over cranberries, making sure there’s no stems, foreign material, or shriveled berries.
  • In a large shallow pan, like a 13×9-inch pan, mix all ingredients. Roast, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until most of the cranberries have burst, and most of the liquid has evaporated.
  • Garnish with additional fresh rosemary if desired. Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve cold. Sauce can be frozen and thawed for later serving as well.

Nutrition

Calories: 71kcalCarbohydrates: 18gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 42mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 6.7mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Keyword cranberries, cranberry sauce, roasted
Tried this recipe?Mention @LifeCurrents or tag #LifeCurrents!

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Filed Under: fall, Sauces, Condiments, & Preserves, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, winter Tagged With: appetizers, Breakfast, Christmas, condiment, Cooking, cranberries, easy, Food, gluten-free, healthy, lime, preserves, recipe, roasted, rosemary, sauce, Thanksgiving, unprocessed, vegan, vegetarian

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about debi

ABOUT DEBI

Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read more...

Previous Post: « Acorn Squash with Grapes and Persimmons
Next Post: Potato Cheese Soup »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Julie Corbisiero

    November 22, 2013 at 2:12 pm

    Hi, your cranberry sauce looks amazing & I bet tastes that way too! I saw it at friday food frenzy. Julie at julieslifestyle.blogspot.com

  2. Sophia @ NY Foodgasm

    November 22, 2013 at 2:55 pm

    This looks ahhhhhhhMAZING! totally love that you roasted it, bringing out more of the sweetness! YUMMMMM!

  3. CJ Huang

    November 23, 2013 at 12:46 pm

    Your cranberry sauce looks great! I love how roasting brings out all the flavors – just never thought to roast cranberries. 🙂

  4. bettycupcakes

    November 25, 2013 at 7:22 pm

    What a smart idea- I bet roasting the cranberries really enhances the flavors! Thanks for sharing at the Foodies and Crafties Soiree!

  5. Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens

    November 26, 2013 at 8:39 pm

    Oh my gosh, Debi – Brilliant!!! I absolutely love roasting things, too, but it never once has occurred to me that I oughta roast cranberries! Now I know what I’ve gotta do! I love that this recipe is so simple but that you offer so many creative ideas of how to extend and adapt it! As a topping for goat cheese!?!?! Yes, please! Hope you (and these amazing cranberries!) have a fantastic Thanksgiving! 😀

  6. Gosia

    November 27, 2013 at 8:06 pm

    oh, this must be delicious! Pinning to try it.
    Thanks for sharing at Foodies & Crafties Soirée!
    Gosia | Kiddie Foodies

  7. CJ Huang

    March 14, 2014 at 10:25 am

    We like roasted just about anything and cranberry sauce! This recipe looks great, and it’s featured on this week’s Five Friday Finds. 🙂

  8. Janette@culinaryginger

    September 12, 2015 at 7:57 am

    Roasting is the best! I’ve never seen roasted cranberry sauce and what a great idea, I am trying this.

  9. Vicki

    November 25, 2022 at 7:20 am

    5 stars
    Made for thanksgiving 2022. Used 2 Tbsp maple syrup and about 1 tsp agave. Also replaced juice with 1/2 c of pear sauce. Nice level of sweet to tart.

5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Hi! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents, where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes with some great desserts and other goodies mixed in! Read More >>>

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