Black Folks Fresh Cranberry Sauce
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Black folks fresh cranberry sauce – It’s time to have fun and do all the holiday things!
Christmas carols are playing on the radio (Yes, please! Mariah Carey Christmas songs on repeat!). Children everywhere (and big kids like me!) are singing at the top of their lungs “All I want for Christmas is you!”
People everywhere are making plans for a happy holiday season.
So what better way to celebrate than by adding festive and yummy Black folks fresh cranberry sauce to the holiday festivities and cheers!
Fresh cranberry sauce always manages to be one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes. This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is a favorite among Black folks who have been cooking up this fresh dish for generations!
Cranberry sauce was traditionally served with holiday dishes such as turkey, ham, and beef roast.
But don’t let the name fool you; this sauce can be used for any meat dish or even as a topping – from mashed potatoes to sweet potatoes!
Black folks’ fresh cranberry sauce is also the expected compliment for Black folks’ favorite Thanksgiving dressing recipes like chicken and dressing or Black folks’ cornbread dressing.
What is Black folks cranberry sauce?
Black folks cranberry sauce is the soul food version of classic cranberry sauce because Southern Black folks, by tradition, always spice things up!
This cranberry sauce is an easy recipe made fresh from whole cranberries and added spices, cinnamon and nutmeg.
No matter how you like your cranberries, this recipe delivers in every way possible, with only the best-dried spices used in the whole process. And needless to say, it tastes far better than any canned cranberry sauce or jellied cranberry sauce available in the grocery stores out there!
Say no to store-bought cranberry sauce when you can easily make this sauce at home. Yes, you can easily make this sauce at home. This cranberry sauce is effortless to make, perfectly sweetened, lightly tart, and has a deliciously bright cranberry flavor.
How do you make homemade fresh cranberry sauce?
No cranberry juice is needed!
Simply combine cranberries, sugar, water, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan. Bring it just over the boiling point over medium-high heat. Boil the mixture over moderate heat for approximately 10 minutes, gently stirring.
When the cranberries burst in the mix, remove the pot from the stovetop and let it cool at room temperature.
Do you need to soak fresh cranberries?
If you’re using fresh cranberries for a recipe like this Black folks cranberry sauce and cooking them on the stovetop. Or, if you’re adding fresh cranberries to a baked good, you won’t need to soak them.
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Courtly check colander | Cuisinart saucepan | Amazon similar serving dish | Pyrex measuring glass | MacKenzie Childs similar dish towel | Amazon large serving spoon |
What ingredients go into Black folks’ fresh cranberry sauce?
Cranberry sauce is a must-have on the Thanksgiving table, right alongside Southern creamy mashed potatoes and sweet potato pie.
But what goes into a soul food recipe for homemade cranberry sauce?
It’s time to find out!
Black folks’ cranberry sauce only requires whole cranberries, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and water.
What do you need to make this cranberry sauce?
- Cranberries – The belle of the holiday-berry ball! Beautifully tart for exceptional balance with the added sugar.
- Granulated Sugar – Helps with sweetness and provides some texture as it breaks down during cooking.
- Nutmeg – Nutmeg adds a warm spice flavor.
- Cinnamon– The aromatic topping because of its sweet and spicy kick!
- Water- Water is what combines all the ingredients into a fresh cranberry sauce!
Ingredients for Black folks fresh cranberry sauce
- 12 oz. of cranberries, fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of water
- ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary to garnish
Instructions for Black folks fresh cranberry sauce
- Rinse the cranberries and place them in a colander to drain.
- In a medium-sized pot, combine the cranberries, water, sugar, and nutmeg over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
- Gently stir the ingredients to combine.
- Allow the cranberry mixture to come to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and boil gently for 10 minutes to allow the cranberries to pop, stirring occasionally.
- After 10 minutes, remove the pot from the stove and allow the cranberries to cool.
- Transfer the cranberry sauce to a serving bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon on top.
- Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary.
- Black folks eat cranberry sauce warm, at room temperature, or cold. If preferred, chill this Black folks’ cranberry sauce in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or serve right away warm, and enjoy!
Do you have any favorite add-ons for cranberry sauce?
For a more intense flavor, use fresh-squeezed orange juice instead of water. You can also add an entire chopped-up orange to steep with your cranberries for even more dimension. Or just a tablespoon of orange juice or the zest of the orange peel.
What are other ways you can flavor your cranberries?
Even if you try this recipe as a cranberry-orange sauce – don’t forget to top with cinnamon (or cinnamon sticks)! Fresh ginger and cloves are viable toppings, too!
What can you make with leftover cranberry sauce?
Thanksgiving and Christmas come and go so quickly! So it’s a good idea to think about what you’ll do with leftovers like cranberry sauce.
Whether too much or not enough, your favorite condiment can always be made into something delicious!
So what can you do with a bag of fresh cranberries?
Here are a few delicious fresh cranberry recipes for either a new bag of whole cranberries or for a meal plan to use up leftover cranberry sauce:
- Cranberry turkey sandwiches
- Cranberry sauce muffins
- Cranberry sauce cornbread
- Cranberry brie bites
- Cranberry dessert pizza
- Cranberry apple cider hot toddy
- Leftover pulled turkey with cranberry sauce
Can you freeze fresh cranberry sauce?
Yes, you can extend the life of your cranberry sauce by freezing it in an airtight container for up to a couple of months.
How far ahead can you make fresh cranberry sauce?
You can make this Black folks cranberry sauce recipe up to a day in advance. Chilling overnight also helps the ingredients marinate so you can enjoy a spicier taste with every bite the next day!
Can you use Stevia or Splenda instead of sugar?
While I’ve not tried it yet, sugar substitutes like Splenda, Truvia, or even monk fruit sweetener would be excellent options for making sugar-free cranberry sauce.
Maybe even tablespoons of honey or maple syrup can be used instead of sugar.
How would you rate Black folks fresh cranberry sauce?
I’ve had the pleasure of tasting fresh cranberry sauce, as I’ve been making it for so many years. It’s tart and tangy and not too sweet like some commercial versions. It also has a soft texture with chunks of fresh cranberries throughout!
If you’re looking for something that tastes good and is easy to make, this recipe will be perfect for you!
What do you think about this recipe?
After pairing my Southern Thanksgiving turkey recipe with fresh cranberry sauce this holiday season – like me, you won’t be able to resist giving this recipe a 5-Star rating!
And if you like this recipe, you’ll love this best soul food cornbread recipe roundup ideas HERE.
More Black folks recipes to love:
Black folks Southern turkey recipe
Black folks smoked turkey legs
Black folks chicken and dressing
Black folks pineapple glazed ham
Black folks Southern candied yams
Black folks soul food collard greens recipe
Black folks Southern baked mac and cheese
Black folks creamed corn pudding casserole
Black folks Southern oyster dressing recipe
Black folks cornbread dressing recipe
Black folks homemade cornbread
Black folks Southern shrimp and grits
Black folks Southern banana pudding
Black folks recipes for Juneteenth
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Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup sugar granulated
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary to garnish
Instructions
- Rinse the cranberries and place them in a colander to drain.
- In a medium-sized pot, combine the cranberries, water, sugar, and nutmeg over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
- Gently stir the ingredients to combine.
- Allow the cranberry mixture to come to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and boil gently for 10 minutes to allow the cranberries to pop, stirring occasionally.
- After 10 minutes, remove the pot from the stove and allow the cranberries to cool.
- Transfer the cranberry sauce to a serving bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon on top.
- Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary.
- Black folks eat cranberry sauce warm, at room temperature, or cold. If preferred, chill this Black folks' cranberry sauce in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or serve right away warm, and enjoy!
Notes

Nutrition
I love the spice additions in this recipe!
Fab
Glad you think so, too!
LOVE a good cranberry sauce!!
Cranberry sauce is one of my holiday dinner favorites, too!
Confession: I’ve never tried real cranberry sauce! When I was growing up, at our house, it was the canned stuff (yuck)– so I never ate it. But I do actually like cranberries. So, I think I would really like this! I’ll have to try real cranberry sauce. The recipe looks easy enough and really tasty.
You’l be in love AND this cranberry sauce is so quick and easy to make!
My family likes cranberry sauce; they will love to try this.
This cranberry sauce recipe is one of my holiday favorites because of the perfect spices it calls for.
sounds like a tasty recipe but I cannot acquire a taste for cranberries
Aww, man! I love cranberries – you’re missing out, lol!
Yum!
I like cranberry sauce
I love cranberry sauce with turkey
But I have never tried Southern Black folks cranberry sauce with spices
You should try cranberry sauce this way. It’s the spices that make it a soul food speciality!
The looks of it is so enticing