We Blind-Tasted Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauces, and Found a Clear Winner

Published on November 19, 2025

Cranberry sauce is one of those Thanksgiving dishes that everyone has an opinion about. Some people love it, other's will gladly skip it. And then there's the debate of smooth jellied cranberry sauce vs. whole berry sauces. For me, there's only one option for jellied cranberry sauce, and that's Ocean Spray. It's the one I grew up eating, and the canned sauce I still love today. I am, however, open to trying a new whole berry sauce. So in an effort to find one that's worthy of Thanksgiving dinner, I put four popular options to the test.

The 4 Whole Berry Cranberry Sauces We Tried

To test the canned cranberry sauce, a panel of food editors sampled each blind and evaluated them on flavor, consistency, and if we'd buy the cranberry sauce again.

• Woodstock Organic Whole Cranberry Sauce
• Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
• Sweet Harvest Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
• Farmer's Market Organic Cranberry Sauce

Woodstock Organic Whole Cranberry Sauce

This whole berry sauce was the most mild in flavor we tried. Our editors really enjoyed the sweetness level of this sauce but wished the tart flavor cranberries are known for came through a bit more. Texturally this was the most "jellied" whole berry sauce we tasted. While some loved the combination of sauciness and berries, others found it a bit watery. This is a good option if you're looking for a mild sauce that's a nice cross between whole berry and jellied.

Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Despite the tasting being blind, many of our editors clocked this as Ocean Spray cranberry sauce. With comments ranging from "classic" to "tastes like my childhood." This option was the sweetest of the bunch, which divided our tasters. It did earn praise for its balance of jelly texture and whole berry pieces. Choose this can if you're looking for a whole berry cranberry sauce that evokes instant holiday nostalgia.

Sweet Harvest Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

This option from Aldi scored points with our tasters for its natural flavor; our editors loved how it was equal parts sweet and tart. Some felt the dark color was a bit off but praised the sauce for its thick, jam-like texture. This is a great sauce option for eating with your protein or veggies. It's consistency and flavor balance make it our pick for pairing with turkey.

Farmer's Market Organic Cranberry Sauce

Our editor's favorite canned cranberry sauce earned the top spot for its smooth texture and cranberry flavor. This option only has two ingredients: fresh cranberries and sugar. The mixture is also slightly more pureed than other options. Bottom line: if you're looking for a canned cranberry sauce that tastes just like the fruit without any fillers, this is the best option.