Treat your family to this scrumptious Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce this holiday season! This unique sauce is the delicious twist on the classic ... so easy to make and the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas meal!
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Do you stick to the same recipes each holiday season, or do you like to shake things up a bit?
I definitely fall in the "shake things up" category! While I love all the classic recipes (like these family favorites), I can never resist trying new flavors and tweaking traditional recipes.
Since I love cooking with fresh cranberries and pomegranates at this time of year, I thought why not combine the two? And this delightful Cranberry Sauce with Pomegranate Seeds is the result!
You are going to love this creative recipe! It has the wonderful sweet-tart taste you love about the traditional sauce, but the pomegranate seeds add lovely flavor and a little crunch, giving the homemade sauce a unique, gourmet twist that's sure to impress your holiday guests.
Best of all, this Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce recipe is just as easy to make as the classic recipe ... although no one has to know that but you!
Ready to try this yummy sauce for yourself? Keep scrolling for all the details!
Ingredients
This recipe uses simple ingredients you can find in most grocery stores. Here's what you'll need:
- Cranberries - Of course, you'll need fresh cranberries! You'll find them in your grocer's produce section, usually starting in October. Make sure to pick through the berries and give them a good rinse before you start cooking.
- Pomegranate - This recipe calls for one pomegranate. The seeds add a wonderful flavor to the sauce and give it a pleasant crunch, too.
- Orange - A fresh orange really brightens up, and brings together, all the flavors. You'll use both the zest and the juice for this recipe.
- Sugar - Basic granulated sugar is a must for balancing the tart berry flavor. Other sugars and sweeteners, such as brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or even a sugar substitute, may also be used, if you prefer.
- Cinnamon - It may sound strange to add cinnamon to Cranberry Sauce, but it's so delicious here! The flavor is unexpected but incredibly tasty.
- Salt - Adding just a pinch of salt enhances all the other flavors. I recommend using kosher salt.
This Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce recipe is naturally vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, and gluten free ... which means everyone at your holiday table can enjoy it!
You'll Also Need
You'll need a colander or strainer to wash the cranberries. These fine mesh strainers are perfect for the job! To cook the sauce, you'll also need a medium pot, preferably one with a heavy bottom. This small dutch oven is similar to the one I used. A microplane zester comes in handy for zesting the orange (it's one of my most used kitchen tools!).
How to Make Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce
This wonderful sauce couldn't be easier to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Combine sauce ingredients. Juice and zest an orange. Then add the cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon stick, sugar, and a pinch of salt to your pot. Combine the orange juice with just enough water to equal one cup (for example, if you have ½ cup juice, add ½ cup water) to the other ingredients. Stir everything together.
- Bring to a boil. Next, bring these ingredients to a boil over high heat. Keep an eye on the sauce as it heats up, making sure to stir frequently.
- Simmer the sauce. Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Then continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the cranberries have softened and mostly popped. This should take about 10 minutes or so. Tip: The pectin in the berries will naturally thicken the finished sauce as it cools.
- Add the pomegranate seeds. While the sauce cooks, remove the seeds (also known as arils) from your pomegranate. Then when the sauce is done, turn off the heat, and stir in the pomegranate seeds. Allow the sauce to cool before serving.
And that's all there is to it ... your vibrant + super delicious Cranberry Sauce with Pomegranate and Orange is ready to eat! Wasn't that simple?
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delightful Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce with all your holiday favorites ... it makes the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!
Here are some suggestions:
- Sourdough Stuffing
- Mushroom Stuffing
- Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Mushroom Gravy
- Onion Gravy
- Wild Rice Salad
- Roasted Vegetables
- Glazed Carrots
Storage
Transfer any leftover sauce to an airtight container and store in your refrigerator. It should stay fresh for three to four days.
Leftover Ideas
Have leftover sauce? Try serving it over pancakes or waffles, with Greek yogurt and granola, on poundcake, as a sandwich spread, and more. You can also use it to make this Cranberry and Brie Grilled Cheese, Cranberry Jalapeño Dip, Cranberry Parfait, and Baked Brie, or serve it with these Leftover Stuffing Muffins.
Related Recipes
If you're a fan of this tasty Cranberry and Pomegranate Sauce, you'll want to try these recipes, too:
- Cranberry Sauce - A basic (yet still super delicious) recipe with no frills!
- Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Cranberry Relish
Looking for more cranberry ideas? You'll love my Kale Salad with Cranberries, Cranberry Walnut Cookies, Cranberry Orange Overnight Oats, and Cranberry Moscow Mules, too. And check out all my Cranberry Recipes for even more tempting ideas!
If it's pomegranate you're craving, don't miss these recipes:
- Pomegranate Couscous Salad
- Pomegranate Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
- Pomegranate Brussels Sprouts
- Pomegranate Mojitos
- Butternut Squash and Gorgonzola Salad with Pomegranate Seeds
Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large orange
- 1 (12-ounce / 340 gram) bag cranberries
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 pomegranate
Equipment
- Medium Pot
Instructions
- Zest and juice orange. Add just enough water to the juice to equal 1 cup.
- Combine orange juice and zest, cranberries, sugar, cinnamon stick, and salt in a small saucepan.
- Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, then cook until cranberries have softened and most have popped, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes).
- While sauce cooks remove seeds (arils) from pomegranate.
- When sauce is finished cooking, remove from heat, then take out cinnamon stick and stir in pomegranate seeds.
- Cool sauce before serving or refrigerate until ready to eat. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
