Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce with Barberries
Nov 10, 2026
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This pomegranate cranberry sauce is our family favorite for a reason. Fresh cranberries simmer on the stovetop with barberries and a little dried apricot, then mixed with fresh pomegranate arils once the sauce cools. I always bring something new to my Thanksgiving table, and now that I’ve made this one, I don’t think any other cranberry sauce can top it!
A Tart Cranberry Sauce with Barberries and Less Sugar
Most cranberry sauce recipes lean on a lot of sugar to tame the berries, but I wanted to highlight the sourness instead. I mean, why remove the sourness if that’s how cranberries are? That’s why I cook barberries right alongside the cranberries. Barberries (known as zereshk in Farsi) are the small, tart dried berries Persian cooks fold into rice dishes like Persian barberry rice with chicken, and they make the sauce taste brighter, not sweeter. Finely chopped dried apricots soften as everything simmers and add just enough sweetness that I could cut the sugar way back. Pomegranate molasses deepens the flavor, and the pomegranate arils go in at the very end for texture.
You won’t find any orange here, not the juice or the zest. Unlike a lot of people, I’m not a fan of orange with cranberries, and this sauce doesn’t need it. I’ve shared it with friends, and every one of them loved it.
How I Developed This Recipe
Getting the balance right came down to two things.
- Half a cup of sugar was too sweet: It covered up the sourness I was going for. With the apricots in the pot, a third of a cup is plenty.
- Pomegranate arils can’t go in while the sauce cooks: They pop in the heat, and you end up with a sauce full of loose seeds. I let the sauce cool completely before stirring them in, so they add flavor and a nice texture.
Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries: I developed this recipe with fresh cranberries. I haven’t tested frozen ones.
- Dried apricots: Chop them really small. They soften as the sauce simmers and some break down completely, adding a hint of sweetness so the sauce needs less sugar. There’s no good swap for them here.
- Barberries: These tart dried berries push the sourness further. If you can’t find them, leave them out.
- Pomegranate molasses: Any brand works. I usually buy one without added sugar or make my own pomegranate molasses at home.
- Pomegranate arils: Fresh arils stirred in at the end add flavor and crunch. If seeding the fruit slows you down, here’s how to cut a pomegranate the easy way.
- Sugar: Plain granulated sugar, and a lot less than most cranberry sauces call for.
How To Make Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce
Add the cranberries, chopped apricots, sugar, and water to a saucepan and bring it to a simmer.
Simmer with the lid off for about 20 minutes, pressing any stubborn cranberries with the back of a spoon.
Stir them in and cook for 5 more minutes, until the sauce is as thick as you like it, keeping in mind that it sets as it cools.
Let the sauce cool completely, then stir in the pomegranate arils.
What to Serve Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce with
Turkey is the obvious choice on Thanksgiving, but this sauce is just as good served next to my roasted Cornish hen recipe if you’re cooking for a smaller table. The day after, I spread it on Ross Geller’s Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, an obvious choice, where the tartness cuts right through the turkey and stuffing. It also earns a spot in a small bowl when I build a cheese board for a party. For the rest of your menu, here are all the Thanksgiving recipes you need.
Storage and Making It Ahead
Pomegranate cranberry sauce keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, which makes it an easy thing to cross off the list early in Thanksgiving week. If you’re making it ahead, keep the arils separate and stir them in right before serving. I don’t recommend freezing this sauce.
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More thanksgiving recipes
Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dried apricots, finely chopped
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup barberries
- ¼ cup pomegranate molasses
- ⅔ cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, sugar, chopped apricots, and water to a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have burst. Press any that haven’t burst with the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the barberries and pomegranate molasses and cook for 5 more minutes, until the sauce reaches the thickness you like. It will set more as it cools.
- Let the sauce cool completely, then stir in the pomegranate arils right before serving.
Notes
- Pomegranate arils: Add them only after the sauce has cooled completely. If they go in while it cooks, they pop and leave the sauce full of seeds. If making ahead, stir them in right before serving.
- Barberries: If you can’t find them, leave them out. Mine were clean, but check yours for stems before adding.
- Pomegranate molasses: Any brand works, however, I like one without added sugar, or homemade.
- Thickness: Cook a little longer for a thicker sauce. Keep in mind that cranberry sauce firms up as it cools.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
