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    Flour de Liz » Recipes » Thanksgiving Recipes

    Published: Oct 25, 2023 by Liz Pollio · 4 Comments

    Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

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    Pin for Pinterest of a top down view of bourbon cranberry sauce in a white bowl on a white surface.
    Flour de Liz » Recipes » Thanksgiving Recipes

    There is a never-ending debate amongst friends and family that gets very heated around Thanksgiving every year and that is the debate between canned cranberry sauce and homemade cranberry sauce. Luckily this super simple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce is the perfect in-between using canned cranberry sauce as the base, but taking it up a notch to make it look and taste homemade. The best part is that it takes less than 10 minutes of work, and it tastes so good your guests will never know it started with a can!

    Top down view of bourbon cranberry sauce in a white bowl on a white surface with a spoon in it.

    This Kentucky Bourbon Cranberry Sauce is the perfect Thanksgiving side dish, but it's so simple to make that you can easily have this sweet and delicious dish any time! If you love a sweet and fruity treat, you may also like Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies or Sangria Pop Tarts.

    Jump to:
    • Why this Recipe Works
    • Ingredients and Notes
    • Substitutions
    • How to Make this Recipe
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Storage Tips
    • Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why this Recipe Works

    This simple southern Bourbon Cranberry Sauce takes a basic Thanksgiving side dish to the next level. It's sweet and fruity and perfectly complements turkey. The smoothness of the bourbon and the sweetness of the jello is the perfect balance against the tartness of the cranberries making it the best of both worlds!

    Ingredients and Notes

    Ingredients needed to make bourbon cranberry sauce.

    Canned Cranberry Sauce - Be sure you're using whole berry cranberry sauce and not jellied cranberry sauce. These cans will usually be right next to each other and essentially look exactly the same so be sure to read the label! Most, if not every brand will likely have both options.

    Bourbon - I highly recommend a cherry bourbon in this boozy recipe. The sweet and smooth flavor is the perfect addition to this side dish. But it's most important to use a bourbon that you like. This epic side dish only uses two tablespoons of bourbon which means you'll have plenty left for drinking so you should use one you enjoy. Even an airplane bottle or a nip will leave you with extra to drink!

    Mixed Berries - I love to use frozen berries for this simple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce. They come in the perfect sized packaging so you don't have to worry about measuring them out, they don't require any prep, and they can be bought in advance without having to worry about them going bad!

    Substitutions

    Black Cherry Jello - The black cherry flavor works really well with the tart cranberries, but feel free to try out different jello flavors to find what works best for you! Black cherry is my personal favorite, but orange, strawberry, or even lime could be delicious!

    Can Crushed Pineapple - I like to use a can of crushed pineapple because it's easy, but you can also use fresh or frozen pineapple, or you can skip the pineapple altogether and replace it with another fruit!

    Mixed Berries - One of my favorite parts about this super simple recipe is that you can use whatever mix-ins you like! I think the flavor of the berries works well with the tart cranberries, but feel free to change it up to whatever excites you!

    How to Make this Recipe

    Cranberry sauce, jello, sugar, and bourbon in a saucepan.

    Step 1: Combine all the ingredients except the pineapple and mixed berries in a medium saucepan.

    Cranberry sauce mixture after it's been heated, in a saucepan.

    Step 2: Heat over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes.

    Frozen mixed berries and crushed pineapple on top of the cranberry mixture in a saucepan.

    Step 3: Remove from heat and stir in mixed berries and pineapple.

    Bourbon Cranberry Sauce in a clear glass 8x8 baking dish.

    Step 4: Pour into an 8x8 baking dish and refrigerate about 4 hours till set. Serve cold.

    Recipe FAQs

    Is cranberry sauce suppose to be sweet?

    This easy Bourbon Cranberry Sauce is sweet. Cranberries are very tart so we add the fruit, jello, and sugar to offset that tartness with sweetness.

    What do you eat cranberry sauce on?

    It is delicious by itself, but on Thanksgiving I really enjoy eating this on turkey. It would go well on the sandwiches you make with your leftover turkey, or you could even put it over vanilla ice cream for a dessert.

    Is cranberry sauce served cold?

    I think this Bourbon Cranberry Sauce is best cold. It can be served at room temperature, but I would not recommend serving this recipe warm.

    A hand holding a spoon full of bourbon cranberry sauce close to the camera with the bowl of the rest of the cranberry sauce blurred in the background.

    Tips & Tricks

    Tip #1: The best part of this easy recipe is how flexible it is! You can change up the flavor of the jello, you can change up your mix-ins to other fruits or nuts, or you can change up the measurements of your mix-ins. If you want less pineapple or less berries, use less! If you want to add walnuts or mandarin oranges, go for it!

    Tip #2: The night before Thanksgiving, throw this together and place in the fridge before you go to bed. It takes just a few minutes to make and then you'll have one less thing to worry about making on Thanksgiving day!

    Storage Tips

    Bourbon Cranberry Sauce should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

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    Did you try this recipe?  Leave a review below, and tag @flourdeliz on Instagram!

    📖 Recipe

    Top down view of bourbon cranberry sauce in a white bowl on a white surface with a spoon in it.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

    Elevated canned cranberry sauce that looks and tastes homemade (and boozy!)
    Prep Time3 minutes mins
    Cook Time5 minutes mins
    Chill Time4 hours hrs
    Total Time4 hours hrs 8 minutes mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 191kcal

    Equipment

    • medium saucepan
    • 8x8 pan or any shallow dish

    Ingredients

    • 14 oz can whole berry cranberry sauce approx. 1 ½ cups
    • 3 oz package black cherry jello approx. 5 tablespoons
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 2 tablespoons cherry bourbon or straight bourbon
    • 15 oz can crushed pineapple
    • 2 cups mixed berries 12 oz bag frozen berries

    Instructions

    • Mix the cranberry sauce, jello, sugar, and bourbon in a saucepan and heat over medium-low for approximately 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Remove from heat and add pineapple and berries.
    • Pour into shallow pan and refrigerate until set, 4 hours to overnight.
    • Transfer to serving dish or serve right out of the shallow pan!

    Notes

    Instead of mixed berries and crushed pineapple, you can mix in any fruit or nuts that you choose. Canned and frozen fruits work great! Adjust the measurements and flavors of the mix-ins as desired.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.4mg

    This recipe was originally posted on November 19, 2017, but was republished with new photos, additional information about the recipe, step-by-step instructions, FAQs, and tips and tricks in October of 2023.

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      5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says

      November 22, 2017 at 9:34 pm

      I had to laugh at your husband's recipe. In my family, no one eats the cranberries but me and we follow his recipe to a T every year, although I've never thought to fan them out on the serving plate :). I'm thinking I might need to class things up a bit this year though, so I might just have to try your recipe. Love the bourbon in there!

      Reply
      • Liz says

        November 22, 2017 at 10:31 pm

        Every time someone else does the can slicing, I'm shocked that he's not the only one! I am determined to convert just one person from the can side! I think we'll end up with both versions on our table this year...

        Reply
    2. Amanda Lambert says

      January 05, 2022 at 9:25 pm

      5 stars
      This has quickly become a staple in my family's holiday meals. Known as Lizzie's cranberries, my family requests them. They're delicious and always a hit. I cannot recommend them enough.

      Reply
      • Liz says

        January 06, 2022 at 8:40 am

        I'm proud that I've officially converted the two biggest canned cranberry advocates I know!

        Reply

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