This cranberry apple sauce is the one thing I’m always asked to make at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. We used to be a canned cranberry sauce family for as long as I can remember, but I think I started making some iteration of this four or five years ago. Maybe more. I used to comb through recipes, even back then. While I definitely slather it on my roll, I have a tendency to just eat it by the spoonful. It’s the perfect combo of sweet and tart without being completely loaded up with sugar. It also has a consistency I like. It’s chunky without being too chunky. I’m really exact, aren’t I?

I’ve tried various types of apples, but Braeburns are my current favorites. Two apples and a whole bag of cranberries yields that amount, maybe two to two and a half cups. See? Exact. We always have leftovers, and I’m always okay with that. I’m also a purist. No juice. Just water. I like the simplicity of the apple and cranberry and other stuff .

Ingredients

12oz bag of fresh cranberries

2 large apples (approx. 1lb)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon ginger

1/4 cup water (or more for desired consistency)

Preparation

Peel, core, and chop the apples into small pieces. Place all ingredients, except for the water, in a large saucepan on medium heat. Stir to combine. Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries start to pop and apples start to breakdown. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all cranberries have popped and desired consistency is reached. I taste test a ton when making this. Sometimes I want more sugar. Sometimes more ginger. It totally depends on the apples. You really can’t go wrong.