Homemade Cranberry Juice: 4 Easy Ways

This homemade cranberry juice is easy to make, naturally tart, and can be customized with or without sugar. I’ll show you 4 simple ways to make it—including a blender method—and how to adjust the flavor to your liking.

Every Christmas season, I stock up on cranberries. I'll wait until just after the Holiday season is over, and then visit my local grocery store(s) to snag some discounts. I love cranberry sauce, so this way, I can enjoy it year round, whenever the craving hits. Plus frozen cranberries are great for making this Cranberry Smoothie Bowl anytime of year.

However, just recently, I found another fantastic use for these holiday favorites — Homemade Cranberry Juice!

How this happened is that I was working on a recipe for Cranberry Spritzer/Mocktail, but ran into a bump in the road which was that I couldn't find any cranberry juice without sugar!

How Much Sugar Is in Cranberry Juice?

I started out thinking that I'd take the easy road and make the Cranberry Spritzer out of unsweetened cranberry juice, so I called around to stores to find some.

I soon found out that it's almost impossible to find such a thing.

I also found out that there is simply way too much sugar in Cranberry Juice and Cranberry Cocktails.

The lowest sugar content in a natural cranberry beverage had a whopping 27 grams in a glass! Plus, the juice wasn't organic and berries are typically sprayed with a lot of pesticides. Plus and the juice was sweetened with apples and other berries, all of which are sprayed a lot as well.

So it dawned on me; why not try to make my own Homemade Cranberry Cocktail? 

So I did, and here are four ways I figured out to do just that.

Why Make Your Own Homemade Cranberry Juice?

There are several reasons to make your own cranberry juice.

Less Sugar and Fewer Carbs

Cranberries are not very sweet, so to make the juice taste good, manufacturers add a ton of sweetener.

They do the same when making cranberry sauce. That's why, similar to how I made this juice without sugar, I also made this Sugar-free Cranberry Sauce.

When you make your own Homemade Cranberry Juice, you can use whatever sweetener you like (or even NO sweetener if you really like to pucker) and even make it low-carb if you desire.

Save Money

The cost of the Homemade Cranberry Juice of course will vary based on the method chosen, but we had a great time making the “blender version” numerous times. I would say that we probably got a good value out of the 2 cups of organic cranberries that we used! Especially since the cranberries were organic, this was a great value.

Avoid Pesticides

If you make your own Homemade Cranberry Juice Cocktail, you can use organic cranberries, which are more readily available.

Strawberries are MUCH worse in terms of pesticide content, but it's still a good idea to avoid pesticides whenever possible.

Some sources have determined that the amount of pesticides in foods should not cause harm, while others cite concerns about ongoing exposure so it's important to avoid them when you're able.

Is Cranberry Juice Keto Friendly?

As I mentioned, most cranberry juice that you find in the stores is uber high in sugar. Like you might be better off eating a Snickers Bar.

But, since cranberries are naturally low in carbs, this Homemade Sugar-free Cranberry Juice is keto-friendly, and it's paleo-friendly too.

The Best Way to Make Cranberry Juice

Of course, using powdered juice is the easiest way to make a homemade cranberry juice. I use a lot of powdered juices and it's a great way to get the benefits of fresh produce into your body. Of course, you want to buy quality powders that are processed quickly after the fruits are harvested.

Otherwise, I really like making the juice in my Vitamix. It's so fast and no need for the store or cleaning up either a pan or slow cooker. Note that if you use my affiliate link, you can get free shipping. I just LOVE the Vitamix for so many things like Homemade Coconut Milk, Almond Butter, Coconut Butter, Powdered Sweetener, Homemade Pumpkin Seed Butter, and Sunflower Seed Butter too.

Blender vs Stovetop Cranberry Juice (Which Is Better?)

Here's a comparison of two of the most common ways to make cranberry juice.

Blender Method

• Faster and easier
• Keeps more fiber (unless strained)
• Slightly thicker texture
• More “whole food” option

Stovetop Method

• Smoother, more traditional juice
• Slightly milder flavor
• Easier to strain
• Closer to store-bought texture

In summary, the blender method is great for convenience, while the stovetop method is ideal if you want a classic cranberry juice experience.

In addition to the blender and stovetop methods, you can also make cranberry juice using a slow cooker or Instant Pot. These methods are more hands-off and work well for larger batches, but they take longer and typically produce similar results to the stovetop version.

If you want the quickest, most nutritious option, go with the blender method. If you prefer a smoother, more traditional juice, the stovetop method is the better choice.

Equipment You Will Need

Depending on the method you use, you will need some, or all, of the following:

• fine metal strainer
• small spatula
• blender (like the Vitamix)
• saucepan (this is the exact size pan that I use ALL the time)
• slow cooker

What About Lead in Slow Cookers?

Apparently, no slow cookers have tested definitely for being lead free and since cranberries are acidic, any lead present might leach into your juice. Using an Instant Pot's slow cooker function or getting a stainless slow cooker like one from 360 Cookware is the way to go to remove that concern.

Should You Strain Cranberry Juice (Pulp vs No Pulp)?

When making homemade cranberry juice, one of the biggest decisions is whether to strain out the pulp or leave it in. Both options work, but they give very different results in terms of texture, flavor, and how similar the juice is to store-bought versions.

Some people prefer cranberry juice with pulp for a more whole-food option, while others strain it for a smoother drink similar to store-bought cranberry juice.

Reasons to Strain Cranberry Juice

Here's why you might want to strain homemade cranberry juice. Strained juice is:

• smoother
• closer to store-bought cranberry juice
• better for kids and people who are picky about texture

Reasons to Leave the Pulp In

And here are some reasons why you might want to leave the pulp in your cranberry juice. Unstrained juice has:

• more fiber
• thicker texture (some people like that)
• slightly more bitter (again, some people like this)

If you decide to strain your juice, here are the easiest ways to do it.

Best Ways to Remove Pulp

Here's what you can use to remove the pulp from the juice:

• fine mesh strainer
• nut milk bag
• cheesecloth

To strain the juice, pour the blended or cooked cranberry mixture through your strainer or nut milk bag into a bowl or pitcher. Press gently with a spoon or spatula to extract as much liquid as possible without forcing too much pulp through.

What Can You Do with Leftover Cranberry Pulp?

Of course you can toss the cranberry pulp, but I'm not one to waste good food. Here are some ways to use it:

• Use it to make more juice (I've actually used the pulp many times to make more juice. Yes, it's a thinner juice, but it's still juice.)
• Blend it into smoothies or smoothie bowls.
• Add it to oatmeal, Cream of Rice, or yogurt.
• Dehydrate it into fruit leather (you'll likely want to combine it with another type of fruit pulp or add some sweetener to it because it will be very tart otherwise).
• Mix with a low-carb or natural sweetener for a tart spread.

How to Use Cranberry Juice

This homemade cranberry juice is delicious on its own, but it’s also great for making simple drinks like cranberry spritzers and mocktails and for other uses as well.

• Serve chilled over ice
• Add sparkling water for a refreshing cranberry spritzer
• Use in mocktails and cocktails
• Make Homemade Gummies or Homemade Jello

Special Diet Notes

• AIP: This recipe cannot be AIP because berries are not allowed on the AIP diet.
• Paleo: For paleo, use coconut sugar, stevia, honey, or maple syrup.
• Keto/Low-carb: Use the low-carb sweetener in the post or stevia extract, or any combination.
• Vegan: This recipe is naturally vegan.
• Gluten-free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
• Sugar-free: Unless you choose to add a higher glycemic sweetener, this recipe can be considered sugar-free. It has some natural sugars in it, but it's very minimal.

Sweetener Notes

We tried this recipe using several different sweeteners. Stevia extract, liquid stevia, or a stevia glycerite, are the easiest ones to use. You can use whatever you like, however. Our family eats low carb, but you could even use honey or maple syrup, or even regular cane sugar.

I hope you enjoy this homemade cranberry juice, however you make it!

Let me know how this works once you try it!