Secret Ingredient Cranberry Sauce

One word of warning, do make sure to use TART dried cherries otherwise you might end up with a very sweet sauce. Alternatively, if you only have sweet cherries (as I did with dried Bing cherries) you'll need to cut down on the sugar and maple syrup. Remember, you can always add sweetness after the fact very easily -- it's not like you need time for the sweetness of sugar or maple syrup to "meld" or anything.

Amazing, easy cranberry sauce recipe. Loved the unexpected pop of the dried cherries, and the orange rind lends a lovely bitter element that contrasts nicely to the sweet cranberries. This was such a hit on my Thanksgiving table and will absolutely be in the rotation for next year!

I'm so glad the website emailed me to tell me there's a new comment on this recipe. It reminded me where I got the recipe last year and the year before that. This year I think I'll let my 8 year make this. Literally. It's that easy. (And if he makes it hopefully he'll feel more invested and won't insist on the gelatinous canned stuff I used to love.)

Laura, I just want you to know this has been (and probably always will be) my go-to cranberry sauce recipe since I discovered it about 5 years ago. Cranberry sauce was always something I preferred to leave off my plate during Thanksgiving, but now it's one of my favorite things on the table. Thanks for the super easy, delicious recipe!

I made this not expecting my cranberry sauce-hating husband to eat it (more for me!). He not only ate it, he ate seconds, packed some for lunch the next day, and complained when we ran out. Super recipe!

Home run! Even the kids liked it and although I'm not a huge cinnamon fan this was great - especially the addition of the cherries!

I’ve never made cranberry sauce before and um, it’s easy. Really easy. Absurdly easy. Which makes me embarrassed to have always preferred the smooth, gelatinous kind.

I made this for my first try and the dried cherries really elevate what could be pedestrian to something really special. And all you have to do is toss in a handful of dried cherries. (Best of all, you can make this day’s, or even weeks in advance. It keeps well and likely freezes just fine.)

Oh, the only change I’d suggest to the recipe is that not all of my cranberries popped on their own. After it seems like more than long enough I used a relatively firm silicone spatula to smash the unpopped berries against the side of the pot.

I made this for our Christmas Eve dinner party. It was very delicious and will replace my previous favorite cranberry recipe. Thanks!

This recipe is spot on. Great proportions, not too sweet, and the cherries - genius move. I did substitute half the water with fresh OJ, and it was quite tasty if not as tart. Can't resist it on toast or yogurt, either. Thanks!