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Joanna Gaines Holiday Cranberry Sauce

Joanna Gaines holiday cranberry sauce made with simmered fresh cranberries for a chunky, thick texture. Bright orange juice and zest pair with cinnamon and ginger, finished with crunchy toasted pecans just before serving.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 165
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry base
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 salt pinch
  • 0.5 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the cranberry sauce
  1. Combine sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt in a Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat; keep bubbling for an even dissolve, about 3 minutes, until the sugars look fully melted.
  2. Add fresh cranberries to the boiling mixture, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook 10-12 minutes until the berries burst and the sauce visibly thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
  3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in orange zest until evenly distributed and fragrant.
Chill and finish
  1. Cool the sauce completely at room temperature, then chill until serving; the texture should look thicker and hold shape around the berries.
  2. Stir in toasted pecans just before serving so they stay crunchy and don’t soften.

Notes

Pro tip: simmer until the sauce looks glossy and thick enough to cling to a spoon—if it seems loose, give it 1–2 more minutes. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended because the cranberries can become softer after thawing; for a dairy-free option, this recipe already is dairy-free—skip nothing.