Maple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Bold, flavorful, and ridiculously easy to make, this maple bourbon cranberry sauce has all the charm of a fancier dish without the fuss. It’s got grown-up flavors, but still family-friendly since the alcohol cooks off. Canned sauce looks so very sad and boring next to this banger!
Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 420kcal
Cost: $7.50
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup chopped dried figs optional
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ⅓ cup bourbon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together all ingredients (the cranberries, chopped figs, maple syrup, molasses, orange zest, orange juice, bourbon, and salt).
- Continue to cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes (slightly longer if you use frozen cranberries), stirring occasionally, until the cranberries begin to burst and shrivel.
- In a small cup, mix together the cornstarch and water with the tines of a fork.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the cooking cranberry sauce and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and let the cranberry sauce cool to room temperature before serving. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
Notes
👑 King of Pop?
Simmer cranberries until they just start to burst. Overcooking makes them mushy and jam-like, losing that satisfying pop that makes this sauce so good. 🥃 Bourbon in Balance
Add bourbon early to cook off the alcohol, but don’t cook the sauce so long that it fully evaporates. You want its deep, caramel flavor without overpowering the sauce. 🍊 You’ve Tried the Rest, Now Try the Zest
Grate fresh orange or lemon zest over the sauce before serving. It brightens the flavor and adds a burst of fresh citrus oils to the mix.
Simmer cranberries until they just start to burst. Overcooking makes them mushy and jam-like, losing that satisfying pop that makes this sauce so good. 🥃 Bourbon in Balance
Add bourbon early to cook off the alcohol, but don’t cook the sauce so long that it fully evaporates. You want its deep, caramel flavor without overpowering the sauce. 🍊 You’ve Tried the Rest, Now Try the Zest
Grate fresh orange or lemon zest over the sauce before serving. It brightens the flavor and adds a burst of fresh citrus oils to the mix.
Nutrition
Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 431mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 1mg