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Joanna Gaines Holiday Cranberry Sauce

Joanna Gaines holiday cranberry sauce made with a quick boil, then a short simmer until the berries burst and the texture turns thick and chunky. Bright orange juice and zest plus cinnamon and ginger bring warm, festive flavor with a crisp pecan topping.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 208
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

cranberries
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
sugars
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
orange spice
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 salt pinch
topping
  • 0.5 cup pecans toasted and chopped

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Cook the cranberry base
  1. Combine sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugars dissolve.
  2. Add fresh cranberries to the boiling mixture. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the sauce thickens and looks glossy.
  3. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in orange zest until evenly distributed.
Chill and finish
  1. Cool the cranberry sauce to room temperature. Transfer to a container and chill until serving.
  2. Stir toasted pecans into the cranberry sauce just before serving. Taste and spoon into a serving bowl with visible chunky berries and pecans.

Notes

For the best chunky texture, keep the simmer steady (not a rolling boil) so the berries burst but don’t turn fully smooth. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 5 days; freeze only if needed, though the pecan crunch may soften after thawing—stir toasted pecans in fresh when serving for best texture. For a lighter option, use a brown-sugar substitute or reduce the total sugar slightly while keeping the simmer time to reach thickness.