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Make-Ahead Cranberry Sauce with Apple, Raisins, and Toasted Nuts

Make-ahead cranberry sauce with chunky cranberries, diced Granny Smith apple, and toasted pecans—simmered until the skins pop and finished with bright orange and lemon. Cooled, then refrigerated for up to 1 week for easy holiday sides.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 250
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry sauce
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 1.75 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1 orange, zested and juiced
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 0.5 cup golden raisins
  • 0.5 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Cook the cranberry base
  1. Bring fresh cranberries, sugar, and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, until the skins pop and the mixture looks thickened with active bubbling.
  2. Add Granny Smith apple, orange zest, orange juice, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the saucepan. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apple is tender and the cranberry mixture has a chunky, spoonable consistency.
Finish and chill
  1. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in golden raisins and toasted walnuts or pecans. Mix until the raisins and nuts are evenly distributed throughout.
  2. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate up to 1 week. The sauce should thicken as it chills, making it easy to scoop and serve.
Serve
  1. Serve the cranberry sauce chilled or at room temperature. Spoon it into an elegant bowl so the chunks and glossy fruit look visible.

Notes

Pro tip: use a gentle simmer so the cranberries cook through without thinning out—stir often near the end to keep the surface from sticking. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 week. Freezing isn’t recommended due to texture changes in the fruit. For a lower-sugar option, replace sugar with a 1:1 baking sweetener designed for preserves.