Cranberry Applesauce

Homemade cranberry applesauce made with apples, fresh cranberries, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated February 16, 2021
Elise Bauer
Cranberry Applesauce
Elise Bauer

Every fall we await the arrival of fresh cranberries in the grocery aisles. "Have you seen them yet?" "Are they in?" We compare notes for cranberry sightings at the local stores.

When the cranberries do finally come in, we load up, so we have plenty of frozen cranberries to last us the year.

Then we start cooking with them.

Cranberry relish, cranberry sorbet, even cranberry salsa. We even have three different recipes for apple cranberry pie.

One of my father's favorite things to make is applesauce with cranberries added in for tartness, flavor, and color. We'll eat it for breakfast, as a side for pork, or with ice cream for dessert.

Also, not sure which type of apple to use? Check out our Guide to Apples for more information on apple varieties.

Cranberry Applesauce

Total Time 0 mins
Yield 1 1/2 to 2 quarts

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 pounds of peeled, cored, roughly chopped Granny Smith apples (or other good cooking apple such as Golden Delicious, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh, or Gravenstein)
  • 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup of brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

  1. Simmer all ingredients together:

    Place all of the ingredients in a large (5-quart) pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 20-30 minutes, or until the apples can easily be mashed.

    cranberry-applesauce-method-1
    Elise Bauer
  2. Mash with potato masher:

    Remove from heat. Mash the apples and cranberries with a potato masher to the consistency you want.

    cranberry-applesauce-method-2a
    Elise Bauer

    Serve hot as a side to pork or turkey. Or serve hot or cold as a dessert with some vanilla ice cream.

    Store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Or freeze for up to a year.

Links:

Pineapple guava applesauce from Amber at Awake at the Whisk

Cranberry Applesauce
Elise Bauer