How to Make Homemade Fresh Cranberry Juice
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There’s nothing quite like the bright, tangy flavor of homemade fresh cranberry juice. Store-bought juice often comes with added sugars, preservatives, and concentrates that mask the pure tartness of cranberries. Making it from scratch not only ensures a fresher taste but also gives you control over the sweetness, tartness, and overall flavor profile. With just a few simple ingredients—fresh cranberries, water, agave nectar (or sugar), orange juice, and lemon juice—you can create a vibrant, antioxidant-rich drink that’s perfect for sipping on its own or mixing into cocktails and mocktails.
This easy recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and makes a refreshing beverage that captures the essence of the holidays while being enjoyable year-round.
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Heather’s Notes
- Fresh cranberries are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and immune-boosting properties.
- This recipe allows you to control the sweetness, unlike store-bought juices that often contain high-fructose corn syrup.
- The addition of orange and lemon juice balances the tart cranberries with a citrusy brightness.
- Quick to make: ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Versatile: enjoy it as a refreshing drink, a base for cocktails, or a mixer for sparkling water.
Ingredients for Fresh Cranberry Juice
- Fresh Cranberries (2 pounds / about 8 cups): Choose plump, firm, and bright red cranberries for the best flavor.
- Water (8 cups): Helps soften the berries and extract their natural juices.
- Agave Nectar or Sugar (½ to 1 cup): Sweetener is optional but helps mellow the tartness. Adjust to taste depending on how tangy you prefer your juice.
- Orange Juice (½ cup): Adds a natural sweetness and citrus depth. Fresh-squeezed is best, but bottled works too.
- Lemon Juice (½ cup): Provides a crisp acidity that enhances the brightness of the cranberries.
Substitutions & Variations
- Sweetener: Replace agave nectar with honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar for different flavor profiles.
- Citrus: Try using lime juice instead of lemon for a zesty twist.
- Spices: Add a cinnamon stick, a few cloves, or star anise while simmering for a spiced holiday version.
- Sparkling Version: Mix finished cranberry juice with sparkling water for a fizzy, refreshing drink.
- Cocktail Base: Use as a mixer for vodka, gin, or prosecco for festive beverages.
Find the full printable recipe card with exact measurements and instructions below.
How to Make Cranberry Juice
- Boil the cranberries: In a large pot, combine fresh cranberries and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer and burst: Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10–12 minutes, until the cranberries burst and release their juice.
- Food Mill & Strain the mixture: Carefully process the mixture through a food mill with the smallest plate set over a large bowl. Then pass through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard skins and pulp.
- Sweeten and flavor: Stir in agave nectar (or sugar), orange juice, and lemon juice until well combined. Taste and adjust sweetness.
- Chill and serve: Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving for the best flavor. Enjoy over ice or straight from the fridge.
Blender Version
Alternatively, you can blend this in a blender and pass through a fine sieve to remove the skins and pulp.
Add agave nectar to the cranberry citrus mixture to your taste. I started with 1/2 cup and ended up with 1 cup of nectar to the 9 cups of juice. You could also use 1/2 cup of white sugar or 1/2 cup of honey for this. Just taste test as you go to achieve your desired sweetness.
Pass the sweetened mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Stir to help the draining process. Don’t mash the pulp too hard or it will pass through and your resulting juice will be thick. Remove the pulp to a bowl and set aside. Repeat with the remaining juice. Save the pulp for another use.
Tips for Storing
- Store juice in a glass pitcher or mason jars for the freshest taste.
- Keep refrigerated and consume within 5–7 days.
- Freeze extra juice in portions for smoothies or cocktails.
- Shake or stir before serving, as natural settling may occur.
FAQs
Yes, you can skip sweeteners entirely for a naturally tart juice. For a light flavor, dilute with sparkling water or mix with apple juice.
Fresh cranberries provide the best taste, but frozen cranberries work perfectly too. Just add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it lasts up to 7 days.
Absolutely. Pour cooled juice into freezer-safe containers or ice cube trays for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before drinking.
Cranberries are naturally very tart. The citrus balances the sharpness and enhances the overall flavor.
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Homemade Fresh Cranberry Juice
Ingredients
- 8 cups fresh cranberries
- 8 cups water
- ½ – 1 cup agave nectar
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Add the cranberries and water to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Pass the cranberry mixture through a food mill with the smallest plate. Add agave nectar to your taste. Add the 2 juices to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Set a fine-meshed sieve over a large bowl, pass the cranberry mixture through the sieve, trying to not press the solids too much (this will result in a thicker juice). Remove solids to a bowl and repeat with remaining cranberry mixture. Save solids for another use (fruit leather perhaps). Refrigerate juice and serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Co-Founder at Spiceology | More About Heather…
Heather is a recipe developer and content creator living in Vancouver, Washington. She started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006, almost 20 years ago, as a way to share recipes with friends and family. Heather is also the co-founder of Spiceology , a unique spice company, which she started in 2013. She shares family friendly recipes for easy everyday meals with a gourmet twist.
a simple recipe to make cranberry juice
What about canning it? since there is lemon in it…could you water bath can jars of it for future use??
I made cranberry juice as your recipe and I put 1 cup agave which went too sweet. I’ll use half cup next time. Love my cranberry juice
As someone who is watching all sugar intake I myself would not add any sweeteners or the oranges and instead use in my glasses of water all day in small amounts to cut the bitterness but give a filtered glass of water a kick of flavor. In fact that is what I am researching now. I want to get as close to natural as I can on all things I eat while keeping added sugars out of my diet as much possible. Since starting this I am losing weight and feeling I think better than I have ever even at age 60. BTW I was an app 85 + ounces a day Coca Cola aholic most of my life.
Hello , I am excited to try out this reciepe. I don’t own a food mill. Does anyone have suggestions of what to use a replacement? Any information will be helpful
I have been making my own cranberry juice for years. I have a dedicated bucket that I use, because I make a large amount each time. I lay a large piece of cheesecloth over top of the bucket and secure it with a piece of elastic, around the top edge of the bucket. I pour the cooked cranberry mixture into the cheesecloth and let the juices drip into the bucket. Voila – fresh cranberry juice! I mix the remaining pulp with other ingredients and make dehydrated fruit leather. Delicious!
Just delicious, and so easy. I hate wasting food, especially fresh, and voila – the leftover fresh cranberries transformed into something good for us!
I have been thinking about grabbing that big bag of Cranberries at Costco but a concern I have is that its not organic. I am thinking about leaving them in water with Apple Cider Vinegar for an hour or so wash away toxins or any pesticides (if any) , thoughts?
THANKS . I too brought a large bag of cranberries on sale; not knowing how to use it. But, I do love cranberries juice. I always wanted to learn how to make my virgin without sugar as you see in the stores. I will try your receipt. THANKS Yolanda
Do you suppose a juicer would work? I’m excited about making my own juice. What if I juiced about 1/3 of the berries for added nutritional value and used 100% pure maple syrup as a sweetner?
Cranberries are so dry fresh, I don’t think they’d get enough juice with standard juicers. I have a macerating juicer & the juice extracted is still so small– seems like a massive waste. I’m going to substitute apple cider for the water though. Thanks for this amazing recipe & someone else’s idea about using the pulp to make fruit leather. Thanks!!
made the juice today and then used the pulp left in the sieve to make fruit leather- both came out perfect!
I laid the pulp from the sieve out in between two layers of parchment paper and cooked it in the oven at 150 for 6 hours, it was eaten within minutes of coming out of the oven.
This sounds terrific!
Came out perfect, just delicious! Thank you for sharing this.
This juice is delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I just used two tablespoons of raw honey to sweeten it, and it tastes great. I love that I can make my own juice, because since I stopped eating processed foods, the only thing I’ve been drinking is water the past few months. It’s nice to have a juice that is simple, fresh and healthy. I am going to start marking all of my own juices from now on – this goes perfect with my whole foods, plant-based lifestyle! 🙂
I just finished making a batch of this. Well, similar. I’m always far too lazy to follow the directions to the “t.” 🙂
I had a pint of cranberries in the fridge & did the math re: water & lemons (no oranges on hand, just a bazillion lemons). And to get every last drop out of those measly 2 cups of cranberries, I placed the resulting mush in a sieve/ colander thing over a pot. I kept pouring water over it and letting it drain through the mush. Eventually, I just let it soak in the pot of “cran-water.” Then I squeezed some extra lemons to taste, took a pass on the sweetener, mixed it all together (minus the mush), and came up with almost 2 quarts of juice.
Just in time for my gall stone cleanse. 😉
Amazing drink and so easy to make! I used only orange juice and added half of the cranberry water. Delicious warm or chilled.
Hi again! I wasn’t quite clear with the fruit leather advise! Don’t use the refuse in the food mill! I meant to say the beautiful pulp that remains after you pour the juice through a fine sieve. I just added a few tbsp. honey to take the tartness away. That is all! Hope someone tries this. Thanks.
Hi, the leftover pulp makes an awesome fruit leather! After running the berries through the food mill just spread the leftover pulp evenly onto parchment and dehydrate..I use a dehydrator but you can find info on you tube on using your oven! It was totally an experiment but turned out the best fruit leather I’ve ever tasted!
For Christmas, add a touch of Chinese 5 Spice to sauce or juice. Yum!
If you don’t have a fine sieve or a food mill using a cheese cloth also works great.
When you boil the cranberries does it take away from their nutritional content? I have a kidney infection and don’t want to buy this sugared up cranberry juice in the stores what to make my own but wasn’t sure if I should put it through a juicer with some apples or if I should boil it this way just want to get the most nutrition as possible. Thank you!
Tricia – boiling removes the enzymes that are naturally formed in fresh fruit (and fresh juiced fruit). It won’t remove all of the nutritional value, but they definitely won’t be a nutrient rich as fresh berries that are juiced. If you’re looking for the health benefit of the juice, I say juice with an apple. Hope you get over the kidney infection soon!! That’s no fun for sure. Best! ~heather
i just finish harvesting and cleaning my very own cranberries ..so excited to make juice with it. But i want to use honey instead of sugar, would it still taste good?
I for one think everything tastes better with honey. 🙂
Hey just curious but how long of a shelf life does the juice have?
Only 3-4 days max. It’s so delish it won’t last long. You could freeze it if you make more than you can use in the few days. Put in freezer bags and make sure you get all of the air out when sealing. Good luck – it’s delish (especially when paired with vodka).
What do you do with the pulp? You said – Save the pulp for another use. Would you give some suggestions, please?
Sorry for the delay. You could add it to smoothies for extra fiber. It could also be good in muffins or scones, but I have never tried it. Let me know what you decide to do with it. Thanks for the note!! xo ~heather
I used it to make Cranberry Jam. I blended the pulp up and cooked it with sugar. Once you cook it down, it becomes a sticky consistency.
You can water bath can it for 15 minutes and it will be shelf stable.
I love cranberries and will attempt this juice recipe! It sounds easy enough and delicious. I put frozen ‘store bought’ cranberries in my morning smoothie without cooking tem first……that isn’t a problem health wise do you think? Do they HAVE to be cooked or dried before you eat them??
Glenda Ja
I did the same thing with that big bag and most of it left over .. I found the juice recipe on Pinterest and have made several batches since then. I like it thick and added little sugar..I have given away several bottles and evryone likes it so far..I’ll be making my own from now on.. Thanks for he recipe..
Joy….you totally made my day girl. Thanks for letting me know that you’ve been making it and liking it. Very cool!! Now I am wanting some more too. Do you want my address to ship a bottle? 😉 Teasing. Maybe. ha. Happy Monday and thanks for being here. xo Heather
I ended up having to freeze my extras after Thanksgiving. I now know what I’m going to do with them!
Ok. I will admit I totally did the same thing you did and then I went on a cranberry making extravaganza. I ended up freezing some too! I love the idea of making my own juice!
What if I don’t have a food mill? I too bought the big bag at Costco. Must make!
Hi Melissa – you can just press through a fine sieve if you don’t have a food mill. It will take a little longer, but you will get the same results. Hope you like it. CHEERS. 🙂
That looks amazing… Bottled stuff seems to have so much other stuff in it.. I also have tons of cranberries (hoarder)
I agree…who knows whats in it and by nature, cranberry juice isn’t clear. Its more like orange juice. So you hoard cranberries huh? You sound like me. {wink}
Being such a fan of cranberries, I simply need to try this!!
Thanks Anna for commenting. It’s addicting to make it yourself…I have been drinking it nonstop!
yum! I want to reach my hand through the screen and grab a glass!!
I saw the huge bag at Costco and wondered about buying it. Such a great way to use it.
I buy when they’re on sale, fresh or frozen they are wonderful
I make my own cranberry sauce, use them in baking
Now I’m going to make this juice and I’m going to try honey as a sweetener
Yum
Thx for sharing this recipe and all of the great ideas from all the people on here
What a great idea. I just end freezing the berries for another project but this was very inventive!!
This stuff ROCKS! I did the same exercise with the ginormous bag of cranberries from Costco. However, when I got to the juice stage, I had a brainstorm and added no sugar pectin and made Cranberry/Lemon Jelly! It’s awesome!
Also, if you have berries left over, you can dip the fresh berry in caramel (ala caramel apple style) and then in almond bark for a fresh and chewy treat!
BTW… Whipped Vodka was very good with the fresh juice! 🙂