It wouldn't be Thanksgiving dinner without this cranberry salad. With a combination of fresh and canned fruit (or all canned), canned cranberry salad is a classic recipe for your Thanksgiving table. Serve it with a roast turkey or ham, roast chicken, or a savory pork roast. It's a taste of home for the holiday season. Whipped cream optional. It's super simple to make without jello.
Mom called it cranberry salad, Aunt Rose call it a cranberry relish, I call it cranberry sauce. Whatever you call it, it's our family traditional easy cranberry salad. It's a sweet counterpoint to the savory meats for your fabulous holiday meal.
Another fruit salad option is this colorful fresh fruit salad. Vary what you use with the season. This is great with a holiday breakfast.
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Easy festive recipe, no cooking required.
- Make it ahead for one less thing to do on the holiday.
- Just 4 simple ingredients, whipped cream optional.
- No cream cheese or jello powder.
- Perfect alongside your Thanksgiving turkey or for Christmas dinner.
For a fresh cranberry sauce recipe, try this orange cranberry relish with fresh cranberries and pomegranate seeds. It's another delicious side dish.
Recipe Ingredients
Canned cranberry salad
- Canned cranberries: Use canned whole berry cranberry sauce, not the cranberry jelly.
- Pineapple: Buy canned crushed pineapple in water or juice, not heavy syrup.
- Oranges: Use fresh oranges or blood oranges and save the orange zest for garnish.
- Nuts: Buy chopped walnut pieces or get them whole and chop them.
Optional whipped cream garnish
- Heavy cream: For a whipped cream topping to the cranberry salad buy heavy whipping cream. For me it's optional, but not for my mom!
- Vanilla extract: Add a little good vanilla and a little sweetener to the heavy cream before whipping.
Please see the recipe card for quantities and measurements.
For another delicious fall salad, try this honeycrisp apple salad with my favorite apples.
Chef's Tip: When buying canned cranberries, be sure to read the labels. Unfortunately Ocean Spray whole berry cranberries contains both high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. Really disappointing. Look for an organic brand at the grocery store without the bad stuff, much better!
Substitutions or Variations
- Substitute fresh pineapple for canned crushed and cut it into small pieces.
- Use canned mandarin oranges instead of fresh oranges.
- Swap the walnuts for pecans or eliminate them for nut allergies.
- Add a little bit of ground cinnamon or ginger for a nice twist.
If you like nuts, try these maple glazed pecans, and for a cocktail nibble, make a batch of these spicy roasted cashews.
Recipe Instructions
The best part about this whole cranberry sauce is that there is no cooking involved.
Chefs Tool Tips: For straining and draining needs, a tool called a drum sieve is really handy. They come in nesting sets and have no handles so they take up little storage room and fit inside or over bowls. For easy sectioning of fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, get an inexpensive grapefruit knife.
Serving Suggestions
Serve canned cranberry salad chilled or closer to room temperature. The jewel-like colors are beautiful on the table. Got Thanksgiving leftovers? I hope so! There are lots of ways to enjoy leftover cranberry salad:
- Serve it alongside a leftover turkey sandwich or a ham sandwich.
- it's good alongside egg dishes.
- Top plain Greek yogurt for special breakfast.
- Put a little on overnight chia oats or warm oatmeal.
- Serve it with breakfast with these golden crispy light gluten-free waffles, pancakes, or these easy, festive gluten-free dutch baby pancakes.
Leftover cranberry sauce holds 3-4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Save the Juices
Save the juice that drains from the fruit. It tastes wonderful mixed with a little ginger ale, sparkling mineral water, or club soda for the kids. Try it mixed with Champagne or sparkling white wine for a sort of Thanksgiving Kir Royale.
Recipe FAQs
The key to a non-watery cranberry salad is to drain it in a colander or fine strainer over a bowl. Save the juices if desired.
The way to use fresh cranberries for the salad instead of canned cranberries is to slowly cook fresh cranberries in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat with a little water or orange juice and a little sugar or monk fruit blend (for low to no sugar) until they are saucy and thick. Cool fresh cooked cranberries, then continue with the cranberry salad by adding the fresh orange segments, pineapple, and chopped nuts.
If you want to add other fruits to a canned cranberry salad, try adding pomegranate seeds or raspberries. Both are a delicious addition.
Making canned cranberry salad is so easy! Use canned whole berry cranberry sauce, oranges (fresh or canned mandarins), crushed canned crushed pineapple, and chopped walnuts or pecans. Add the fruit to a strainer over a bowl to catch the juices and drain for a few minutes. Place in a bowl, add nuts and mix gently. So simple. See my recipe for quantities and directions.
More Terrific Fall Recipes
While we're getting ready for Thanksgiving, we still need to eat! Here are some easy recipes to have in your arsenal as we lead up to the big feast. If you need gluten-free or dairy-free recipes ideas for Thanksgiving, check out this Thanksgiving recipe roundup!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Canned Cranberry Salad
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Grapefruit knife optional
Ingredients
- 2 14 ounce canned whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 20 ounce canned pineapple chunks in water for fresh see below
- 2 oranges for mandarin oranges see below
- ½ cup chopped walnuts toast them if you’d like for more flavor
Optional Garnish
- ¾ cup heavy cream optional
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract optional
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Instructions
- Set a large strainer or colander into a deep bowl. Pour cranberries, pineapple and mandarin oranges (if using canned) into the strainer and drain for three to four hours, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated.
- Add chopped walnuts and orange segments (if using fresh), and gently mix to combine. Transfer to a glass or crystal bowl to show off the pretty color of the salad. Spoon or pipe whipped cream on top of the salad around the edges (if using)
Notes
Nutrition
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Lyn says
My sister-in-law’s mother always made this as her contribution to thanksgiving dinner. 20+ years later it’s still a family favorite and must for thanksgiving. Thank you for sharing.
Sally Cameron says
You bet! Thanks for your comment. I make my other recipe now with fresh cranberries and pomegranates as it's lower in sugar, but this classic is tasty!
Harriet says
My mother made a similar recipe she called Cranberry Jello Mold. Using the same ingredients but with Jello making it into a mold. Phyllis was know for it and make it at every holiday. Truth be told, your Cranberry Relish (that's the name I'm going with) is so much better. My thanksgiving guest loved it. And the bonus is the drained fruit with I froze in ice cube trays and later had with sparkling water, delish! Thanks for sharing.
A. Smith says
My father and I are allergic to pineapple, is there another fruit alternative you would recommend?
Or persimmon? Sally Cameron says
You could just skip it, or try my other recipe that doesn't have pineapple, the Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce. Its a little different, but no pineapple. Mango comes to mind but not sure how it would work. Or persimmon? https://afoodcentriclife.com/cranberry-pomegranate-sauce-reduced-sugar/
Hayley McHendry says
I make cranberry relish every year for Thanksgiving. We just moved and I can't find my book of recipes and could not remember how much walnuts to put in. I searched and thankfully found this recipe! I had never thought to toast the walnuts before, and I will now make it no other way! So good! Thank you!
Sally Cameron says
Yay! Good for you Hayley. Glad the recipes helped. Happy moving and Happy Thanksgiving. May you all have a blessed day and delicious feast! Hope you find your book!
Kevin says
Hello Sally, I thought I invented this cranberry salad. Apparently not since Mom and Aunt Rose have been serving for years. A success and gone every time I make it!
Sally Cameron says
Hi Kevin. Funny how that works with traditional foods isn't it? What is fun is tweaking the recipe to try new things. Then again why mess with success and it is just once or twice a year. I now do another version that is lower in sugar (and better for the diabetic family member). Happy Thanksgiving!
Michelle says
Hi Sal - now this is one that looks easy, even for me! I would like to print it and save it for Christmas. Is there an easy way to print recipes or parts of your blog that you are aware of?
Thanks for the diversity and lovely photos, I feel like I can taste it from the photo.
Cheers, Michelle K
Sally R says
Hey Sally,
My dad (Tag) just sent me your blog- I love it! I too love to cook and photography is a hobby that I'm working on getting better at. I really enjoy a blog with amazing food photogrpahy, like yours. Looking forward to seeing more...
Sally
by the way-nice name! :o)