Not Your Average Cranberry Sauce: Try These Fresh Twists on the Classic Condiment
Make the perfect sweet-tart accompaniment for your turkey with these creative spins on the Thanksgiving staple.
Romulo Yanes
Ah, cranberry sauce, that most polarizing of condiments. There are those who favor the quivering cylinder of red goo right out of the can. You people know who you are and what you need to do to get your fix this year.
And then, of course, there are those who don’t think those bog-dwelling little berries belong anywhere near poultry. We’ve got you, but this isn’t your roundup, either.
If you fall somewhere in between militant traditionalism and the separatists; if you feel that cranberries have to be on the Thanksgiving table but you’re open to modernizing a little, the following recipes will be right up your alley. We’ve given the historically uber-sweet sauce a little tang, added a little spice, and even offered an alternative made from pickled quince.
However you sauce your bird this year, we hope your holiday is a sweet one.
Next-Level Cranberry Sauce Recipes
Pure and Simple Cranberry Sauce
Nothing on your Thanksgiving menu is easier than cranberry sauce, whether you keep it classic or spice it up.
Recipe: Pure and Simple Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry and Blenheim Apricot Sauce
There will be nothing easier to make on your Thanksgiving menu than homemade cranberry sauce. The dried fruit in this variation on the basic sauce gives it an extra-special sweet component.
Cranberry Apple Sauce
Nothing on your Thanksgiving menu is easier than cranberry sauce, whether you keep it classic or spice it up—in this case, with dried apples, which add a pleasant texture when simmered till soft.
Recipe: Cranberry Apple Sauce
Fruit and Spice Cranberry Chutney
Once you taste this warm and spicy chutney that’s a snap to make, you’ll never go back to store-bought cranberry sauce.
Cranberry Ginger Sauce
Fresh ginger and the zest and juice of an orange gives a tart and fresh kick to this Thanksgiving mainstay.
Recipe: Cranberry Ginger Sauce
Anise Pear-Cranberry Sauce
Anise, pear, orange, cinnamon, and honey flavor this unusual but outstanding take on cranberry sauce to serve beside the big bird.
Recipe: Anise Pear-Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Port Sauce
The combination of cranberries, orange, and Port in this easy sauce makes a wonderful accompaniment for turkey.
Recipe: Cranberry Port Sauce
Spiced Cranberry Relish
This relish is incredibly spicy, but the raw cranberries, cilantro, and chiles add bright freshness. If you’re sensitive to spice, reduce the chiles by half.
Recipe: Spiced Cranberry Relish
Roasted Cranberry Pear Relish
This fresh holiday side is a nice alternative to cranberry sauce, packing in added seasonal flavor.
Recipe: Roasted Cranberry Pear Relish
Spiced-Tea Cranberry Sauce
Infuse the flavors of chai into the classic holiday relish.
Recipe: Spiced-Tea Cranberry Sauce
Spiced Pickled Quinces
Bright but not too sweet, this relish is great with turkey as an alternative—or addition—to cranberry relish. You’ll need three pint-size canning jars.
Recipe: Spiced Pickled Quinces
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