Red Wine Cranberry Sauce — Move over, boring cranberry sauce! Cranberries are so much better with blueberries and wine! Make your own fresh cranberry and blueberry sauce in 30 minutes. It’s so EASY, and everyone LOVES it!
Table of Contents
- The BEST Cranberry Sauce Recipe
- What’s in the Red Wine Cranberry Sauce?
- How to Make Red Wine Cranberry Sauce
- What Type of Wine Should I Use?
- Can I Omit the Wine Altogether?
- Can Cranberry Sauce Be Canned?
- How Long Does Cranberry Sauce Last?
- Can Cranberry Sauce Be Frozen?
- What to Serve with Cranberry Sauce
- Tips for the Best Cranberry Sauce
- Cabernet Cranberry and Blueberry Sauce Recipe
- More Cranberry Recipes:
The BEST Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Drinking wine and eating jam are two things I’m great at. Doing them under the guise of ‘cranberry sauce’ is the best idea I’ve had for elevating cranberry sauce from a side dish to a starring dish.
I love fresh cranberry sauce, but I never make it with just cranberries. Too boring.
I add pineapple and mango, or work in oranges and ginger. This year, I doctored up the cranberries with cabernet sauvignon and blueberries, and this blend is my favorite ever. I had to refrain from eating the whole batch in a day. So good.
This cranberry blueberry sauce is like drinking wine and eating jam all in one, with texture, sweetness, tartness, and juicy berries in full force.
If you’ve never made cranberry sauce using fresh cranberries and your only experience with it is from a can, and you think you ‘don’t like cranberries’, I don’t blame you.
That’s like saying you don’t like cheese if your only experience has been eating Cheeze Whiz. There’s just no comparison.
Fresh cranberry sauce is supremely easy to make, and I always wonder why people buy it in cans or containers.
From start to finish, it takes 30 minutes, and all you need to do is toss everything into a kettle, stir intermittently, and a half hour later, you’ve got rich sauce with supreme depth of flavor.
If you’re into wine, you’re going to go head over heels for this sauce. While it simmers, the scent of the wine reducing with the cinnamon and berries is heavenly. You don’t need scented candles with this simmering.
As I was shoveling it by the spoonful, I kept thinking how many great antioxidants I was getting from the blueberries and all those great heart-healthy flavonoids found in red wine, and what a great service I was doing my body. Right.
Since I rarely eat turkey, or stuffing, and I’ve never been into mashed potatoes or gravy, and usually most vegetables are way too mushy and overcooked for my taste, Thanksgiving has never been a meal I look forward to, with the exception of the cranberry sauce.
You can have your turkey, stuffing, and everything else. I’m having this. And pie.
What’s in the Red Wine Cranberry Sauce?
To make this unique Thanksgiving cranberry sauce with blueberries, you’ll need:
- Fresh cranberries
- Frozen blueberries
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon
- Ground cloves
How to Make Red Wine Cranberry Sauce
When I say this unique Thanksgiving side is so easy, I mean it!
Follow these very simple directions for the best ever cranberry sauce:
- Simply toss all the ingredients into a large pot and bring to a rolling boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer until it’s thickened up (about 20 to 30 minutes).
- Transfer the fresh cranberry sauce to heat-safe jars and allow to cool to room temperature before storing them in the fridge.
This cranberry blueberry sauce will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
What Type of Wine Should I Use?
I used two-buck Chuck (Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw $2.49 cabernet), but any type of merlot, shiraz, or your favorite red will work.
Can I Omit the Wine Altogether?
Not into wine? You can use water, but that defeats the purpose and the flavor will not be nearly as rich and robust. I don’t know how much alcohol cooks off and how much doesn’t.
I would surmise most is cooked off, but it’s your call if this is appropriate for you or your family members.
I put it into the same category as beer bread. There’s not enough and it’s stretched over too many servings, and it’s heated anyway, so no one will be catching a buzz from cranberries. Darn.
Can Cranberry Sauce Be Canned?
This fresh cranberry sauce was originally posted in 2014, and I have been asked that many times. I’ve never personally canned this cabernet cranberry and blueberry sauce, but there are people who have, and they’re written about what they did in the comments.
If that’s something that interests you, I encourage you to read over the older comments and put your canning expertise to work.
Chances are, if you’re asking about canning this cranberry sauce, then you know how to can. I am not an expert in canning and haven’t dabbled with it with this recipe.
I have, however, stored this in the fridge for up to 14 days and it was fine. And while I wouldn’t suggest freezing it and then serving it to company, it will keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The wine naturally preserves things in my non-scientific opinion, but always use your best judgment.
How Long Does Cranberry Sauce Last?
My Thanksgiving cranberry sauce typically lasts up to 10-14 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Store it in an airtight container to keep it fresh.
Can Cranberry Sauce Be Frozen?
Yes, once the red wine cranberry sauce has cooled completely in the fridge, it can be frozen for up to three months.
When ready to eat, simply thaw the sauce overnight in the fridge. Make a big batch to freeze for winter dinners, you won’t regret it!
What to Serve with Cranberry Sauce
Serve this unique Thanksgiving cranberry sauce with your favorite holiday main dishes and sides. Here are some of my go-to Thanksgiving recipes:
- Honey Baked Ham
- Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Three Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
- Easy Foolproof Roasted Turkey
- Homemade Gravy
- The Best Classic Mashed Potatoes
Don’t forget to polish everything off with a slice of Homemade Apple Pie!
Tips for the Best Cranberry Sauce
As you know, I used fresh cranberries and frozen blueberries to make this homemade cranberry sauce (no need to thaw the blueberries first). But if you have a mixed berry blend with blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries, that would be lovely, too.
When making this easy cranberry sauce, I added a generous sprinkle of both cinnamon and cloves, which really adds extra flavor and the warming notes of the spices play off the wine.
The cinnamon is quite noticeable, and if you’re not a cinnamon fan you may want to reduce the one tablespoon I used down to one teaspoon. Same goes with the cloves. Cut it in half if you don’t want it to be as boldly flavored.
Finally, make sure to use a large pot when making this cranberry sauce. The pot should be large enough for the sauce to triple in size. The juices from the berries release and as the mixture boils rapidly, it will foam and a too-small pot will easily overflow.
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Cabernet Cranberry and Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients
- one 8-ounce bag fresh cranberries
- 6- ounces frozen blueberries, about 1 1/2 cups, unthawed
- 1 cup cabernet sauvignon, or shiraz, merlot, or a favorite red wine
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium to large kettle, and bring to a rolling boil, stirring intermittently. Make sure kettle has room for sauce to at least triple in volume. The juices from the berries release and as the mixture boils rapidly, it will foam and a too-small pot will easily overflow.
- Reduce heat to low and allow sauce to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until reduced and thickened slightly, and most of the cranberries have burst. Sauce will thicken more as it cools.
- Transfer to heat-safe jars or containers with lids. Allow sauce to cool at room temperature before refrigerating.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Cranberry Recipes:
Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Apples — Spice up your holiday celebrations with this scrumptious FAST and EASY homemade cranberry sauce that’s made with cranberries, apples, apple cider, cinnamon sticks, and allspice for the PERFECT must-make side dish! A lovely balance of sweet-yet-tart with warmly spiced flavors so you’ll never want to think about using store bought sauce again!
Cranberry Orange Bread with Sweet Orange Glaze — The fresh cranberries in this cranberry orange bread contrast nicely with the sweet orange glaze, making it the perfect blend of sweet and tart!
Cranberry Bliss Bars {Starbucks Copycat recipe} – Dangerously good and a dead ringer for the Starbucks version!
Crustless Cranberry Pie — Somewhere in between pie, cake, and blondies is what you get with this FESTIVE recipe! Take advantage of those fresh cranberries!!
Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies – Cranberry Bliss Bar flavors, in cookie form. Tender, soft, pillowy centers and a 2012 Top 10 Favorite
Cabernet Cranberry and Currant Sauce – Make your own EASY homemade cranberry sauce in 30 minutes!! It’ll be the star side dish of your holiday meal! Cranberries are so much BETTER with wine!!
Cranberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars — The bars are soft, slightly chewy, and the hearty oats with big crumbles are a perfect contrast to the juicy cranberry filling.
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Blondies — The soft, buttery, caramely, brown sugary, blondie base is the perfect complement to the chewy, tart cranberries.
Originally posted November 2014 and reposted November 2019 with updated text.
What about a port wine?
I haven’t tried it with port and depending on the port, the dish could read a little on the sweeter side, but it would depend on the wine. I’d maybe mix the port with another red.
A+++ I pulled 3 cranberry recipes off Pinterest to try for Thanksgiving. One with pineapple and mango, one with cider, oj + apricots and this Cabernet blueberry sauce. This was the clear favorite. Wonderful flavor without being too tart or sweet. One pot and no chopping. I will definitely make this again at Christmas and make enough to give away as small gifts……..I used 1/2Tb cinnamon,1/2tsp ginger, and 1/8tsp cloves. Thank you!
I’m thrilled that my recipe was the clear favorite! That’s great to hear and so glad you love it as much as I do and will make again for Xmas and for little gifts! How wonderful! Happy Holidays!
Is there a reason for the Frozen blueberries? Can I use fresh or will it mess up the result?
Thanks!!
You can use fresh, of course. They’re literally 4x the price this time of year compared to frozen and if you can afford and justify the difference, go for it!
I am giving jams, jellies and pickles this year for Christmas. I came across this recipe and decided to “jam it”. I doubled the recipe, added 3 tblsp. of pectin, and processed it in a water bath(10 minutes). It turned out GREAT. It yielded 7 half pint jars. (Six of my friends and family members will be very happy…hey, I had to keep one for myself!) Sorry to tell you, I am calling it Ken’s CabCranBlue jam! LOL…Thanks!
Love your CabCranBlue Jam. Mmmm, I am about to make a double-triple ish sized batch of this on Monday to last all week and was actually thinking of canning it. I’ve boiled some versions so long that it’s practically jam anyway, without even needing the pectin, but I’ve never water bathed it. Good to know 10 minutes and 3 tbsp of pectin did the trick. I cannot tell you how many people have asked me that – now I know. Thanks, Ken! And you have some very lucky friends & family!
Hello! First of all, this recipe is so creative. I can’t wait to try it! In fact, really…I can’t wait! I have all of the ingredients in a pot on my stove, but I just wanted to double check that I’m doing it right. I read the recipe 10 times- but I’m second guessing that I’m missing liquid because the wine is not enough to cover the berries. Am I missing something or should I just relax and start heating? Thanks!
Cranberries, like any berry or fruit you heat, will release a considerable amount of juice so you have nothing to worry about. Enjoy!
Was just thinking about a cranberry something-or-other I could serve with our newly released Ice Wine. This looks to be JUST the ticket! Thank you!
What do you recommend using as an alternative if I don’t have a kettle to make this?
You do need a pot or kettle of some sort to make this.
This sounds AMAZING!!! I am definitely making this ASAP! :-)
I wanted to add for anyone else wondering, you can use not-from-concentrate, unsweetened 100% RED GRAPE juice in place of the wine. You might want to add 1-2 teaspoons of vinegar to the 1cup portion to reduce the sweetness and make it taste more like real wine. The key is the non-concentrated part — it has a very pure “grape” flavor, which is what makes wine special. Plus, all those great heart-healthy flavonoids that you were so happy about being in red wine actually come from the GRAPES that wine is made from, so drinking grape juice has the exact same health benefits, without the alcohol — YAY!! :-D
THANKS for posting this recipe!! I am off to lurk around your other recipes and see what else I can make this week…..!!!
I made a batch last night as a trial run for Thanksgiving. Instead of opening a new bottle of wine, I used up the remains of three open bottles of wine that were leftover from cooking/drinking (a cab, a pinot noir and a red zin). This is an exceptionally delicious recipe! My husband and I ate it by the spoonfuls – delectable. We also served it with brie and crackers – amazing. I plan to make several batches, can it and give away as Christmas gifts with a wedge of Cambazola cheese and a box of crackers.
Thank you Averie, I have been searching for “the” cranberry sauce recipe and this fits the bill.
I love your mix-and-match approach with the wine, totally perfect and love using up what’s already open! I am so glad this is THE cranberry sauce for you and that you adore it as much as I do. Yes, eating it by the spoonful sounds about right :) And with cheese like brie and crackers, even better! I think it’s awesome that you plan to make and give this away…what an extremely thoughtful gift. You have lucky friends and family! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and I am glad you’re happy. There are sooo many cranberry sauce recipes but I do think this one is the best :)
I would love to make this and give as gifts! Can you tell me if this recipe can be “canned”? Thank you!
I haven’t canned it but I’m sure you could! I just haven’t done it so can’t speak to boiling/processing times, pectin amount, etc.
Absolutely incredible! I love and so does everyone I’ve shared it with. Thanks!!!
Wonderful to hear, Barbara! Thank you!
I made this delicious sauce and gave it away as Christmas gifts. One co-worker used it very creatively! He makes his own rum, and told me that he used some of the sauce along with mint oil to make a fantastic Mojito. How’s that for thinking outside the box?
That sounds great! I actually had combined it with some basil as sort of a dip/spread/chutney for veggies. I love the idea of mint for a mojito even better :) Smart guy! Thanks for trying it, sharing with him, and sharing the story!
I want to thank YOU! I am not a very skilled cook but this recipe looked too tasty to pass up. Plus, your directions were so clear and detailed I thought I couldn’t mess it up. I was doubly happy that I was able to successfully pull it off.I was able to make something unique and delicious. Um, I like the idea of using it with veggies. Will try it with my next batch!
Happy to hear you pulled it off and that it was a big success!
Hi Averie, thank you for this amazing recipe. Made my first batch today. After sampling decided that one was not enough. Will be making at least one more for holiday gifts. Can’t wait to try it with our turkey dinner at Christmas.
So glad that you tried it, love it, and are making another batch(es). That’s how I was right before Thanksgiving. I kept thinking, okay this will last me til the big day. Wrong. I kept eating it – and then making more :)
Just made this recipe x 6 as Christmas gifts for my colleagues. What a pleasure to make :) Great Job!
That’s amazing that you x6’ed it! You have very lucky colleagues (and I bet your house smells incredible!!) :)
Can I give this recipe a hot water bath to make it shelf safe?
Probably but I haven’t personally done it. But I don’t see why not. You’re so close to making jam here anyway already.
Right. Thank you!
I have all the ingredients and can barely wait to make this as it sound heavenly! I do have a quick question about canning it though, is canning possible and would you just process it like jam, without the pectin of course.
I’d like to try to at least double it and maybe use smaller jars for portion control for me lol and gifts as Christmas is fast approaching.
Thanks,
Michelle
I would say make a single batch at first if you plan to can it and yes, I would say process like jam, no pectin. But b/c I haven’t tried it, I can’t say for sure. Then after you’re confident you have things down pat, make in bulk. Enjoy! LMK how the canning goes!