Cranberry Sauce with Apples

Homemade Cranberry sauce with diced apples and cinnamon spices will remind your taste buds of fall in an instant. I would like to say that this one is a year round side dish, but cranberries are difficult to find in non-winter months, so get this one going as soon as you see those bags appear in the store and enjoy this recipe (and all cranberry recipes in general) all fall before they are gone again.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Diced Apples

This cranberry sauce with apple, as opposed to a traditional applesauce (one word) contains similar ingredients but a total different taste. The focus in this Cranberry Apple Sauce recipe is the cranberries and the delightful fall and seasonal spices with the hint of diced apples, making this a perfect unique yet simple cranberry chutney sauce for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner tables.

This recipe makes 4 cups of Apple Cranberry Sauce, typically enough for most holiday meals.

• 1 package, 16 oz. frozen cranberries, thawed and any excess moisture from the bag drained
• 1 large apple, peeled and diced
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 6 whole cloves
• 6 whole allspice
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1-1/2 cups sugar

RELATED CRANBERRY RECIPES: Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip, Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing, Honey-Dijon Brussel Sprouts with Dried Cranberries

How to Make Homemade Apple Cranberry Sauce

Remove skins from apples and dice down to small bite sized pieces.

Add thawed cranberries, diced apples and water to a saucepan.

Strain your Cinnamon Sticks

Note that when you go to add full cinnamon sticks and cloves, they require a straining device.

Here are two you can use that make this recipe simple.

• Cheesecloth – A cheesecloth is the safest option to use to secure your fall spices and cinnamon sticks.
• Coffee Filter – If you do not have a cheese cloth, a strong coffee filter will work in a pinch. Just be a little careful when you stir because it is made of paper and can tear. It’s not the end of the world if the items fall out, you just might be surprised and get a serious crunch in your next bite!

Add Spices to Cranberry Sauce Pan

In a cheesecloth or coffee filter, add cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks.

Secure pouch shut with twine and place into the saucepan.

Heat Cranberries on Stove

Heat sauce pan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.

Berries will begin to sizzle and boil after about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low and continue to boil and stir until berries are all broken open.

Remove pan from heat and carefully remove spices pouch (Tongs work great for this). Discard.

Stir in sugar until dissolved into the sauce.

Let stand to thicken and cool.

Store covered in the refrigerator.

Can Juice be used in Place of Water? Yes, you can absolutely use a flavored juice over water if you prefer. An apple juice or cranberry apple juice might work well. I have personally used a thick red berry juice with different cranberry recipes and it works really well.

How to serve Cranberry Apple Sauce: Traditionally, cranberry sauce is an easy side dish for Thanksgiving. But you can also make this sauce to smother over the top of turkey, ham, and pork loin, bringing a delicious sweet flavors that compliments the meat. Just remember that cranberries go out of season as soon as the cold winter ends (harvest is Sept-November), so snap them up and use them as often as possible while you can!

Apples are a really wonderful way to bring in the fall.

So if you love this apple cranberry sauce, a totally awesome side dish take for the holiday table, make sure you check out the recipes for Cinnamon Southern Fried Apples, easy and fun homemade caramel apples, and a delicious and simple way to make dessert- apple dump cake. No matter how you bring in the apple this season, take full advantage of the orchard to delight the taste buds!