The Thanksgiving table isn't fully set without a big bowl of cranberry sauce. This homemade Rosemary and Bourbon Cranberry Sauce adds a flavorful twist on this classic holiday side and is super easy to make.
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As much as I love Thanksgiving turkey with a heaping spoonful of gravy, I am all about those sides! Load me up a plate of green bean casserole, candied yams, corn bread pudding, and a healthy serving of whole berry cranberry sauce. It must be whole berry cranberry sauce or I won't touch it! I will eat that whole berry sauce on its own, it's so good.
And I'm not at all particular. I will eat whole berry cranberry sauce out of a can. Of course, homemade sauce wins every time. Last Thanksgiving, I was testing my mom's homemade cranberry sauce when she had to tell me to stop sneaking tastes out of the bowl. I guess it's kind of a Thanksgiving obsession.
Since the entire month of November is kind of like Thanksgiving pregaming for us, I recently decided to make some homemade cranberry sauce to have one night with dinner. But instead of just using whole cranberries, sugar, water, and orange juice, I added a little extra Thanksgiving-y flavor.
Rosemary and Bourbon Cranberry Sauce
This homemade cranberry sauce starts with fresh cranberries, sugar, water, and orange juice - your basic cranberry sauce ingredients. But we're kicking things up a notch with the addition of rosemary and bourbon. Two ingredients that are pretty popular this time of year. And trust me when I say, they'll make your cranberry sauce taste off the charts delicious!
Homemade cranberry sauce is really easy to make! All you need is a pot, fresh ingredients, and about 20 minutes! So we're going to start by adding white sugar, brown sugar, water, orange juice, a pinch of salt, cinnamon, and a sprig of rosemary to the pot. Bring the pot to a boil. Stir continuously until the sugars dissolve.
Once the sugars dissolve, use a spoon to remove the rosemary. The rosemary doesn't add an overwhelming amount of herbal flavor. Just enough earthiness to balance the sweetness. Then, add the cranberries and bourbon to the pot. Turn the heat down to low.
Remove the cranberry sauce from the heat. You can break up the cranberries some more with a fork or potato masher, but I personally like a chunkier sauce.
Allow the cranberry sauce to cool completely. Keep in mind that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Store the sauce in the fridge until you're ready to serve it. Garnish with fresh rosemary, if desired, before it hits the Thanksgiving table.
Rosemary and Bourbon Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz. fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 tbsps. bourbon
- Optional: extra fresh rosemary to garnish
Instructions
- Add sugars, cinnamon, salt, water, orange juice, and rosemary to a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Remove rosemary. Then, add cranberries and bourbon. Reduce heat to low.
- Simmer cranberry sauce 15-20 minutes, or until the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened.
- Remove the cranberry sauce from heat. If desired, use a fork or potato masher to break up cranberries more. Allow cranberry sauce to cool.
- The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with fresh rosemary garnish, if desired.
Please note that the bourbon in this recipe doesn't not fully burn off while cooking. So if you're serving this to littles, you might want to omit the bourbon from the recipe. You could also make a boozeless version. It will be just as delicious with the perfect balance of tartness and sweetness!
Did you make this Rosemary and Bourbon Cranberry Sauce recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
