Cranberry Sauce Can Taste Super Tart, So Hit It With Some Heat For Balanced Flavor

Just like stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans, and other seasonal favorites, everyone has their own strongly held opinions on cranberry sauce. Should it be sharp and biting or sweet and mellow? Should it be sliced from a can and left completely as is or should it be made from scratch along with the kitchen sink of ingredients? If you're looking to avoid the slightly mouth-puckering effect that tart cranberry sauce can have, we have a versatile hack for you — add some heat.

Making cranberry sauce at home is usually as simple as throwing all the ingredients in a pan and letting them cook down and come together. Adding heat is as easy as tossing in an extra component or two. Starting with the lowest level of heat, cranberry sauce is well served by a few warming spices. Try a dash of clove, nutmeg, allspice, or mace, alongside zippy orange zest, and a squeeze of orange juice. This version of cranberry sauce will still taste like the classic with an extra cozy fall flavor.

If you're ready to add a bit of spice but you're worried about blowing out your palate (or those of your guests), try stirring in a pinch of a more mild or fruit-forward spice like Aleppo pepper or the slightly more smoky Espelette pepper. If you're prepared to move up the Scoville Scale, consider adding one crushed Bird's eye chili for intense heat or one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce for a smokier, deeper layer of flavor.

Whether you present your canned cranberry sauce as perfectly rounded circles straight from the can or mix it up with your spoon, there are still numerous and nuanced ways to add a bit of heat. If you mix up and mash your cranberry sauce, you can rely more readily on the spice aisle. Try a tiny dash of mustard powder, garam marsala, or cumin to round out the sauce's tartness with a savory spin. To wake up a plate that's loaded with milder flavors, try ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne, paprika, chili powder, or chipotle powder. Remember to start small, you can always add more to taste. A diced or minced serrano pepper will also add a mild, sweet heat, as well as a bit of texture to your sauce mixture.

If your tradition calls for a serving of ridged, sliced, cranberry nostalgia, try a few hot toppings that you can lightly drizzle over the top of your sauce. A generous spoonful of hot honey is the perfect way to add sweetness and heat without any extra prep or effort. A few shakes of your favorite hot sauce also wouldn't be amiss, but for a more nuanced heat try a drizzle of crunchy, salty, and spicy chili crisp. The next time you make up a batch of cranberry sauce, spoon out a few different servings and start experimenting to find your perfect balance of sweetness, tartness, and heat.