Combine the ingredients
Add the cranberries, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to a medium saucepan. If you’re using the optional orange zest or cinnamon stick, add that now too.

Bring to a boil
Place the sauce pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. You don’t need very high heat here – steady bubbles are perfect.

Simmer until berries burst
Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer. The cranberries will start to pop and burst as they cook, and the mixture will gradually thicken into a sauce.

Adjust the texture
Prefer a smoother sauce? Use a potato masher to crush the cranberries gently, or briefly blend with an immersion blender for a more homemade cranberry jam style texture. For a chunky cranberry relish recipe feel, mash less.

Cool the sauce
Remove the pan from the heat and let the cranberry sauce cool completely at room temperature. It will continue to thicken as the cranberry sauce cools. If you used a cinnamon stick, fish it out at this point.

Serve or store
Once cooled, transfer your homemade vegan cranberry sauce to a serving dish or airtight container. It can be served immediately or kept in the fridge until your holiday dinner.