Spiked Cranberry Sauce with Hard Cider and Spiced Rum ~ a decidedly adult cranberry sauce recipe!
Think of this as cranberry sauce 2.0
It looks like ordinary cranberry sauce, and that’s just the way I usually make it. I think plain old cranberry sauce is one of the highlights of holiday meals, and I buy cranberries the minute they come into the stores so I can start making it. I don’t like it overly sweet, and I don’t like to mask the flavor of the berries, but it seems to me that the simple recipe on the back of the bag just begs for variations. I’ll admit the difference is subtle, but the warmth of spiced rum and the distinctive twang of hard cider in this variation won’t be lost on anyone.
Does the alcohol in this cranberry sauce burn off?
The alcohol burns off for the most part, and the flavors of the rum, cider, cloves and dark brown sugar concentrate as it simmers. But keep this for the adults only, because there will be some residual alcohol content.
Be sure to keep a bag of cranberries in the freezer so you don’t run out!
Cranberries are such versatile fruits, I keep bags in the freezer all year long so I don’t miss out once the season’s passed.
- My Hot Pepper Cranberry Relish is one of our favorites, we use it on cheese plates throughout the year. The heat of the peppers with the sweet tang of the cranberries is to die for!
- Cranberry Breakfast Cake is a fan favorite, you can make it with fresh or frozen berries.
- Cranberry Orange Bread is a festive quick bread that makes a great gift from the kitchen.
- Cranberry Gingersnap Pie is a fan favorite for Thanksgiving, it’s a show stopper!
Spiked Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz hard cider
- 50 ml (3 Tbsp.) spiced rum
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 4 whole cloves
- 12 oz whole cranberries, rinsed
Instructions
- Bring the cider, rum, sugar and cloves to a boil in a 2 qt saucepan. Let it boil for about 10 minutes until reduced to about a cup.
- Fish out the cloves, and then add in the cranberries. Bring back to a boil. After the cranberries begin to pop, boil gently for about 6 minutes until the sauce is deep red and thickened. Let cool in the pan, and then pour into a serving dish or storage container. The cranberry sauce will thicken further as it cools.
Nutrition
Make it your own ~
- You can spike cranberry sauce with all kinds of alcohol and liqueur, so experiment with your favorites.
Found this on Pinterest last minute this year for Thanksgiving and will be making this every year from here on out. DELICIOUS! Thank you!
Yay for Pinterest, I’m so glad you found it Amanda! We made our cranberry sauce with cinnamon and spiced rum this year and it was fabulous. Thanks for taking to time to let me know!