by Elise Bauer

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Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir

Name: Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Makes 2 1/2 cups
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 8 ounces); 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger; 2 cups Pinot Noir or other dry red wine; 1 cup sugar; 3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger; 1/2 teaspoon curry powder; Large pinch of Chinese five-spice powder*

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Thanksgiving Sauce Vegan

A delightful spin on classic cranberry sauce. Spicy cranberry sauce with ginger, Pinot Noir red wine, curry powder, and Chinese five-spice.

Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

Here is a delightful spin on a fall favorite—cranberry sauce. The cranberries are cooked in Pinot Noir and spiced with curry, ginger, fennel seeds, and other spices.

A Simply Recipes reader shared this Epicurious recipe with me, which so sounded intriguing, we just had to try it!

I reduced the sugar and the curry powder a bit and the cranberry sauce came out beautifully—sweet, but not too sweet, seeped in the flavor of a good Pinot Noir, and enlivened with a rich blend of spices.

I highly recommend it if you would like to stretch a bit beyond the standard cranberry sauce.

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Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield: Makes 2 1/2 cups

Chinese 5-spice is a common spice mix for Chinese cooking. If you can't find it, we've included directions on how to make your own.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cups Pinot Noir or other dry red wine
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
Large pinch of Chinese five-spice powder*

Method

1 Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cranberries and fresh ginger; stir until cranberries begin to burst, 3-5 minutes.

2 Add wine and sugar; boil until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.

3 Add crystallized ginger, curry powder and five-spice powder.

Serve sauce cold or warm.

**How to make your own Chinese five-spice powder*

Chinese five-spice powder Ingredients:
1 teaspoon peppercorns
4 star anise
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

Method:
In a dry skillet, roast peppercorns by shaking the pan over low to medium heat until the aroma of the peppercorns is released (about three minutes). Grind the roasted peppercorns and 4 star anise in a blender or pepper mill. Mix in ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and ground fennel seeds. Grind the seasonings until very fine. Store in an airtight container.

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Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.

27 Comments / Reviews

Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir Cancel reply

Geisly

Hi! Can I make it using dried cranberries? I can´t find the fresh ones where I live in Brazil.
- December 19, 2019
- · Reply
Show Replies (1)
- Sara Bir
  
  Hi Geisly,
  Dried cranberries don’t rehydrate very well, plus it can be quite impossible to find unsweetened ones, which is what you’d need here. Cranberries are very North American, aren’t they? Maybe another tart berry could stand in…ligionberries or red currants are two options, but those are not very Brazilian, either! If I were down there I’d go to the market with you and explore all the wonderful Brazilian fruits looking for an alternative. My best suggestion is looking for canned sauce, if it’s that taste you crave, of to make an apple chutney (recipe here) laced with dried cranberries instead of fresh.
  - December 20, 2019
  - · Reply
Shannon

I found this recipe November 2007. It is still a hit. Hands down the best cranberry sauce I have ever had. I loose stuff all the time and every year I thank God this recipe is still here.

xxxxxyyyyy
- · Reply
Show Replies (1)
- Summer Miller
  
  Hi, Shannon! I’m Summer, an editor here at Simply Recipes. I’m so glad you’ve found a recipe that has endured. Those are the best kind!
  - · Reply
Helen

Wondering….can this be canned like you do jam?
- · Reply
Show Replies (1)
- Emma Christensen
  
  Hi, Helen! We haven’t tried canning this one, so can’t say for sure. I’d recommend looking up other cranberry sauce recipes that provide canning instructions and working back from there. Good luck!
  - · Reply
  - Helenl
    
    Thanks Emma
    · Reply
Jennifer

This recipe is fantastic. After serving it warm on Thanksgiving, I spread it cold on leftover Turkey sandwiches

xxxxxyyyyy
- · Reply
Basil Henneberry

This the second year making this for Thanksgiving and everyone thought it was a excellent twist on the usual cranberry sauce

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- · Reply

Lisa

Allison, this cranberry sauce went really well with a veg shepherds pie (lentils or tvp or veggie ground round instead of hamburger). Another way to serve it would be with a casserole of cooked yam/sweet potato pureed with some olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle it with some pecans or walnuts and maybe some bread crumbs. Bake at 350F for 1/2 hour.
- · Reply
Allison

This sounds wonderful. It’s a brisk fall day and I can’t think of a better way to use the last of the Pinot I have on my counter. Any suggestions for a vegetarian dish to serve it with?

Gosh Allison, your guess is as good as mine. ~Elise
- · Reply
- Leslie
  
  Try grilled tofu; maybe marinate it in some soy sauce and fresh grated ginger?
  - · Reply
Holly Jones

This is the absolutely best cranberry sauce my family has ever had the pleasure of eating!!!! Loved the asian influence. Very simple to make. We almost didn’t have any leftovers – that’s a first!

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- · Reply
audra

I’ve been making a cranberry sauce that is very similar to this for years. Combine 1 bag of cranberries with 1 cup wine and 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, depending on your likes and the dryness of the wine, add 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Really good. I’ve also made it with apple cider, although I decrease the amount of sugar to 1/4 to 1/3 cup.
- · Reply
Megan Miller

This was amazing with turkey, and I’m sure it would be great with chicken and pork. Definitely a keeper.

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- · Reply
cindy moeller

I just made this recipe for the first time…it is absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to have it with turkey tomorrow!

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- · Reply
Zina Harrington

What type of dish would you serve this with?

Turkey. ~Elise
- · Reply
Eileen

Everyone loved this cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving (especially me)! I ended up thickening it with corn starch and using about 2/3 the sugar. I’m definitely making it again for Christmas to share with the other side of the fam. I plan to serve the leftover sauce with pork chops tonight.

xxxxxyyyyy
- · Reply
JR Ortiz

I have made this cranberry sauce the last two years for Thanks Giving. Both times it was a huge success and this year people don’t want to wait until T.G. for me to make it again. THANK YOU!!!

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- · Reply
Amity

This was a HUGE HIT at our Thanksgiving. We loved it so much we ate it with breakfast the next morning. SO TASTY!!

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- · Reply
Arlington, VA

This is super yummy! I didn’t have pinot noir, so I used merlot. Also, I was missing the fennel. But, still really good. Let’s hope my guests think so, too! Off to try your turkey recipe!
- · Reply
Lisa

Elise,
my Cranberry chutney (good to give away at xmas) is something like that but I use more whole spices and add fresh green chillies, curry leaves and garlic. Minus the 5-spice.
My other oriental cranberry sauce is with 5 spice powder, rose petals and szechuan peppers served with pan roasted duck legs – it gives a *quiet* kick.
- · Reply
Kristen

Served this last night over baked brie for an appetizer and it was delicious. I’d highly recommend trying this!

xxxxxyyyyy
- · Reply
Homesick Texan

I like to make my cranberry sauce with roasted chile peppers and cilantro for a little kick.
- · Reply
Kristen

Elise, this recipe was WONDERFUL. I served with a hazelnut crusted pork tenderloin and it was a PERFECT compliment. I can’t wait to make again!

xxxxxyyyyy
- · Reply

post_id	post_title	score	ingredient_score	course_score	recipe-type_score	season_score	special_diet_score	ingredient_terms	course_terms	recipe-type_terms	season_terms	special_diet_terms
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Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir

A delightful spin on classic cranberry sauce. Spicy cranberry sauce with ginger, Pinot Noir red wine, curry powder, and Chinese five-spice.

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