Cranberry Sauce with port and figs will be the star of your holiday meal. This make ahead Thanksgiving side is both sweet and tart, and a show stopper your guests will love.

A bowl of cranberry sauce with port and figs

Cranberry sauce can sometimes be forgotten until the last minute, which is why canned cranberry sauce is seen so often at Thanksgiving. Don’t be that person. Cranberry sauce with port and figs is really simple to make and it’s actually better if you make it in advance.

I use the terms relish and sauce interchangeably but actually they are very different. A cranberry relish is not cooked, like this recipe from Dinner at the Zoo. I grew up with cranberry sauce which is cooked and is more like a tart jam.

Our standard cranberry sauce with Grand Marnier has always been pretty hard to beat, it’s easy and only requires four ingredients. My family insists on this cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, but I also like cranberry sauce with roasted grapes.

This year, I wanted to try a different version. I’ve had a recipe with Port on my list of side dishes to experiment with for years and finally decided to give it a try. Prepare to be amazed. I will warn you that it is a little pricier than the typical version as it has Port as the base. How can anything with Port be bad.

The prices of Port varies tremendously based on how long it has been aged. You can find several varieties for under $20 which will be great in this side dish.

Why you’ll love homemade cranberry sauce

If you want something a little more special than plain Jane cranberry sauce, you’ll certainly impress your guests with this fantastic version.
All the rich food at Thanksgiving or Christmas really calls for a slightly sweet/tart addition
There is nothing better with leftovers than cranberry sauce.

A bowl of cranberry sauce with figs with a bottle of Port in the background.

What you’ll need to make cranberry sauce with port and figs

Port – a 375 ml bottle
Dried figs – you can find these in the produce section or with the raisins.
Fresh cranberries – you can also use frozen
Fresh rosemary – hopefully you have a pot on your porch but if not, you can find it in the produce section.
Balsamic vinegar – the grocery store variety, not the expensive drizzling type.
Brown and white sugar – cranberries are tart, you have to add sugar.

How do you make cranberry sauce

Step 1: Cook the brown sugar, port, vinegar, dried figs and rosemary until the sugar has dissolved. Remove rosemary.

Step 2: Add fresh cranberries and white sugar and cook until the berries have burst and the sugar has dissolved. Refrigerate.

The combination of Port, balsamic vinegar and dried figs will steal the show at any dinner, whether Thanksgiving or otherwise.

What’s also nice, is that Port comes in a 375 ml bottle which is the exact amount you need for this recipe.

A bowl of cranberry sauce with rosemary and fresh cranberries.

This sauce not only makes great leftovers at Thanksgiving and Christmas but it’s delicious with pork or beef or chicken. While fresh cranberries are only available around the holidays, they freeze well so you can make this all year long.

What is Port wine

Port is a fortified wine from Portugal that is generally served as a dessert wine due to its richness. When it’s aged it’s called Tawny Port. It’s served in small glasses because of the sweetness and alcohol content of 20%. You can learn more about this fabulous dessert wine from wine folly.

More fruit salads you’ll love

Adapted from Bon Appetit

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