This Easy Cranberry Jelly recipe is sure to put your Thanksgiving menu over the top. Fresh cranberries, apple juice, and liquid pectin make cranberry jelly that’s way better than canned!
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If your family is anything like mine, cranberry sauce is a must-have Thanksgiving side dish. Once you realize how easy it is to make sweet-tart jellied cranberry sauce on the stovetop. You’ll never want to buy the canned stuff again!
This jelly has a real fruit taste and you can present it in any adorable shape you like. There’s no denying that this recipe is way better than Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic Holiday Side: Cranberry sauce is served at every holiday meal at our house, and it could very well become a family favorite at yours!
- Easy Recipe: Homemade cranberry sauce really is very easy. It’s such a simple recipe.
- Great Taste: I think this sauce is a big improvement over the taste of store-bought cranberry sauce!
Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries
- Apple juice
- Sugar
- Liquid pectin
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Easy Cranberry Sauce
- Wash the cranberries, discarding any bad ones.
- Cook the berries in the apple juice on the stove until soft.
3. Run the cranberries through a food mill to remove the skins and seeds. If you don’t have a food mill, you can also purée the mixture in a high-speed blender and push it through a fine-mesh strainer with the back of a spoon. This is the key to a smooth, delicious jellied cranberry sauce.
4. Next, pour the strained cranberries back into the saucepan. Sweeten those tart berries with sugar and add the liquid pectin.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil one minute so the pectin can do its magic and start to thicken the cranberry sauce.
6. Let the sauce cool slightly in the pan and then pour it into whatever mold you’d like to use. Spray your mold with nonstick cooking spray for easier unmolding.
7. Once the sauce has cooled to room temperature, refrigerate until set, preferably overnight, or a day or two ahead of time. Unmold, and voilá: perfectly gelled, sweet, and sliceable homemade jellied cranberry sauce!
Originally when I posted this recipe, I used fun individual turkey molds, but they’re no longer available, so for the updated pictures, I used a half-size, 6 cup bundt pan.
Of course, you can just serve your homemade jellied cranberry sauce from a pretty bowl, too.
Where to Find the Ingredients
You’ll need fresh cranberries and liquid pectin for this sauce. You can usually find beautiful bags of fresh ruby cranberries in the produce section of grocery stores around Thanksgiving time. Pick up two bags to make this recipe.
Secondly, you’ll need liquid pectin. This is usually in the canning aisle of well-stocked supermarkets, where they keep the mason jars and other canning supplies.
Unmolding Jellied Cranberry Sauce
When your cranberry jelly is fully set and ready to be served, there are a few tricks to unmolding it perfectly.
First, fill a pot or large bowl with very warm water in the sink. Dip your chilled jelly mold in the water bath for at least 5 seconds. Then immediately invert the mold directly onto your serving platter. If it doesn’t release, reheat the mold in the water bath.
If you plan to move the jelly after unmolding, it’s best to unmold it onto a wet surface (just splash some water on your plate), which will keep the jelly from sticking.
If you have an electric pressure cooker, cranberry jelly is even easier to make in the Instant Pot. Give our Instant Pot Cranberry Jelly recipe a try from Pressure Cooking Today.
What to Serve with Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Here are my family’s favorite savory holiday dishes to enjoy with bright homemade cranberry sauce:
- Favorite Dinner Rolls are light, fluffy, and the perfect accompaniment to a hearty holiday dinner.
- Instant Pot Stuffing from Pressure Cooking Today saves some oven space and ensures extra crispy edges (everyone’s favorite part!).
- Roasted Green Beans with Almonds bring some crunch and green to your Thanksgiving table with a deliciously savory and nutty side.
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Easy Cranberry Jelly
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 bags 12 oz each fresh cranberries, about 6 cups
- 1 cup apple juice
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons liquid pectin*
Instructions
- Wash and pick over cranberries. Add the cranberries and apple juice to a medium-size saucepan.
- Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until cranberries all popped and soften, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the cooked cranberries in a food mill over a large bowl to separate the cranberry puree from the skins and seeds. (You could also use a blender to puree the berries and then use a strainer to strain the skin and seeds.) Rinse out and dry the saucepan.
- Put the cranberry puree back in the saucepan and add the sugar and the liquid pectin. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Boil one minute.
- Allow mixture to cool slightly and then pour cranberry jelly into a bowl or a mold coated with nonstick cooking spray. Chill until set.
- To unmold, dip mold in warm water for 5 seconds, then invert jelly onto serving platter.
Notes
- Use two tablespoons of dry pectin. Mix the dry pectin with the sugar before adding it to the puree.
- To unmold the sauce, fill a pot or large bowl with very warm water in the sink. Dip the chilled jelly mold in the water bath for at least 5 seconds. Then, immediately invert the mold directly onto your serving platter. If it doesn’t release, reheat the mold in the water bath.
- You can use fun-shaped molds, a bundt pan, or even just a bowl to set and serve the jelly!
- Fresh cranberries can be found in the fresh produce section of most grocery stores around the holidays. Pectin can be found in the canning section.
Lauren M Blye
What is the liquid measurement after the cranberries are boiled and strained? I want to be sure I am adding the correct amount so the sugar won’t overpower and the pectin will work
Brenda Jones
This sounds great, I’m trying your recipe with my family this Thanksgiving. I like the idea of apple juice in place of water, just that little bit of added flavor! I’m excited to see what they think, they’re being my guinea pigs this Thanksgiving and they don’t even know! I’m trying a couple of other new recipes out on them too! 😜
Thank you,
Bjones
Have a Blessed Holiday 🙏
Susan
This recipe looks beautiful and easy-to-follow and understand recipe!
Samantha Willich
I use jello instead of liquid pectin.intead of 2 cups of sugar it’s 1 big box jello and about 1 and a 1/4 cup sugar.i also use cranraspberry juice and raspberry jello.or strawberry…turn out perfect. I even put a small jar away for the hubby and I to have for ourselves.
Cheryl
Why would pectin be needed?
Nancy
This is my 1st time making the cranberry sauce. I only use one bag use 1 bag so I tried to cut everything in half. I have never used pectin before so I hope I added enough I will let you know how it turns out thanks for the recipe.
Barbara Schieving
If you cut the pectin in half with the rest of the ingredients, it should turn out great. Enjoy!
Ketra Douglas
I wish I could post pics, but this is a great recipe! I added quite a few more flavors and some cognac. This is a keeper!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Ketra! Glad to hear it was a big hit. If you have an Instagram account, I’d love to see pictures. Just post them and tag me. https://www.instagram.com/barbarabakes/
Julie
How far in advance can I make this? Will it start to break down after time in the fridge?
Melissa Griffiths
I would just do it 1-2 days ahead of time.
Adrienne
I love home-made cranberry sauce but mine never jells!! Ive tried everything!! Finally decided I had to add pectin so thanks for this recipe. I hope its a “soft” jell like my mom’s….hers always jells and I follow her recipe, but mine never works. Thanks again
Barbara Schieving
Hi Adrienne – yes, it is a soft jell. Enjoy!
Adrienne
Didn’t jell!! Very runny.
Barbara Schieving
Did you use liquid pectin? Are you boiling it long enough for it to start to thicken? Are you at altitude? Here are some ways to troubleshoot what’s going wrong for you https://www.homestead-acres.com/how-to-fix-jam-or-jelly-that-didnt-set/ https://foodinjars.com/blog/jam-didnt-set-what-to-do/
Bridget
Love this! Where can I find the molds?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Bridget – I bought the mold on Amazon https://amzn.to/2ClnP01
Jenny
Hi, I’ve looked at your recipe and the original, but neither tells how much this makes.I have a 3.5 cup mold that I will be using. Will the two bags + one cup juice fill it?
Thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Jenny – it makes about 1 quart of jellied cranberry sauce – about 4 cups, so you’ll have plenty to fill your mold. Happy Thanksgiving.
Angie Mihalicz
Step one for me would be …pick a small pail of fresh cranberries..I live in a place rich with wild fruit..?
natalie
Is one batch enough for say 8 people? I plan to use 2 ramekins (about 4 oz each)…just wondering if it can fill that?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Natalie – it makes more than that. I’d say between two or three cups.
Clare
Hello!
I have made this before, but I cannot remember how fine the plate should be for the food mill. Can you recommend what size the holes should be?
Melissa Griffiths
Our mill only has one size? So I don’t know much about yours. Sorry about that!
Cheryl
I’m a little fuzzy when it comes to the pectin. Powder or liquid and amount of powder?
Barbara Schieving
The recipe calls for liquid, but this year I didn’t have it on hand so I used powder. I mixed the powdered pectin with the sugar before adding it to the cooked cranberries. Use 2 teaspoons powdered pectin for every tablespoon liquid pectin, so 6 teaspoons powered pectin for this recipe.
Gina
Thank you this conversion was so helpful!
Barbara Schieving
My jelly was softer this year than in the past, so I would increase the powder if I used it again, and just substitute it one for one. Hope you enjoyed yours.
Cheryl
I would like to know if a nordic ware six-cup bundt pan would be suitable for this? I don’t have anything remotely close to a mold other than my bundt pans. Most are too large.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Cheryl – I haven’t tried it in a six-cup bundt pan, but I think it would work. You’d just have to unmold it like you would a jello I suppose. Please let me know if you try it.
Jessica
Love the shape! My daughter would love this!
Nutmeg Nanny
So cute and such a good idea too 🙂 love it!
2 Sisters Recipes
Thanks Barbara – this is what I needed for today. thanks for sharing this recipe! I love the presentation – wonderful!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xxoo Anna and Liz
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
Happy Thanksgiving mum!!! I hope you’re having a wonderful day and I’m thinking of you. I hope that I can join you one day 😀 xxx
Nicole Lindstrom | Simply Happenstance
I love home made cranberries, you can’t beat that and to top it off cranberry jelly!! Wow this recipe looks amazing!