Red Wine Cranberry Sauce

Total Time

Prep: 5 min. Cook: 20 min. + chilling

Makes

about 2-1/3 cups

Updated: Jun. 30, 2023
We were feeling festive when we started our holiday cooking, but a bottle of wine was a bit more than we wanted to drink. I added half a cup to the cranberry sauce, in place of juice, and a new recipe was born! —Helen Nelander, Boulder Creek, California
Red Wine Cranberry Sauce Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 1 package (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine or grape juice

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncovered, until most of the berries pop, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Transfer to a bowl; cool slightly. Refrigerate, covered, until cold (sauce will thicken upon cooling).


Test Kitchen Tips
  • Wine makes this a little more tart and less sweet than some cranberry sauces.
  • We tested this recipe with cabernet sauvignon, but you could also use merlot, pinot noir or sangiovese.
  • Cranberries are high in pectin. When heated with sugar, pectin gives cranberry sauce its jam-like consistency.
  • Sugared Cranberries
    Heat 3 tablespoons light corn syrup in microwave until warm; gently toss with 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, allowing excess syrup to drip off. Toss in 1/3 cup sugar to coat. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set, about 1 hour. 

    Nutrition Facts

    1/4 cup: 122 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 1mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (27g sugars, 2g fiber), 0 protein.