Cranberry Bourbon Sauce–The Perfect Thanksgiving Side

It’s almost Thanksgiving and time to post the easiest recipe to appear on my menu every year–Cranberry Bourbon Sauce. It’s also the one I get the most compliments on. Even cranberry sauce haters convert after trying a couple of bites.

The recipe was given to me by my dear friend and neighbor years ago when I was looking for a cranberry sauce recipe. I got so many compliments on this recipe. It was embarrassing to admit how easy it was to prepare.

With ONLY 3 ingredients, even a novice cook feels like a pro after making it.

I passed the recipe on to my old roommate, who couldn’t get enough of it. She hated to cook but loved good food. Cranberry Bourbon Sauce is the recipe she brought to my Thanksgiving table year after year. It became her signature dish! As she said, “you just can’t mess this one up.” You really can’t.

What’s In Cranberry Bourbon Sauce

bourbon
sugar
fresh cranberries

Bourbon?

Cranberries are super tart so you have to sweeten and flavor them up. Bourbon and sugar to the rescue. I only use 1/4 cup of bourbon because I like the flavor but don’t want the liquor to overpower the dish. So 1/4 cup works for me. But if you want to try to add a little more, go for it. Same with the sugar.

I don’t like overly sweet anything so I use about 1 cup of sugar. Use up to 1 1/4 cups or even slightly more if sweet is your thing.

Be Careful when cooking

Also, VERY IMPORTANTLY, be sure to place your cranberry baking dish on some kind of foil-lined pan. I use a foil-lined sheet pan. If the cranberries are in the mood to boil over (which they usually are), your oven will be a HUGE mess. If that happens, do your best to wipe up the spill IMMEDIATELY or else it will be nearly impossible to scrape off. Guess how I know that?

Other Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

Roasted Green Beans and Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries

Roast Turkey in a Brown Paper Bag

Cranberry Brie Crostini

Print Recipe