Meet a bright, simple cranberry sauce recipe you will want to make again and again. This homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce is prepared with fresh orange juice, fragrant orange zest, and fresh or frozen cranberries for a sweet-tart flavor that works beautifully with holiday dinners, desserts, appetizers, and more.
💖 You’ll Love This Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Cranberry sauce may be a classic holiday side dish, but it deserves attention all year long. Its bold sweet-and-tart flavor can brighten rich savory meals, balance creamy cheeses, and add a jewel-toned layer to cakes, tarts, and simple desserts.
If the only cranberry sauce you have tried came from a can, this homemade version will feel completely different. Instead of a firm, wiggly slice, you get a glossy sauce with real berries, natural tartness, and a fresh citrus note from orange juice and orange zest.
This Cranberry Orange Sauce is lively, tangy, and just sweet enough. The cranberries cook down into a thick, spoonable sauce while the orange adds brightness and depth. A little vanilla and cinnamon bring warmth, making the sauce taste balanced rather than sharp.
Best of all, this easy cranberry sauce recipe uses only a handful of ingredients and comes together in about 20 minutes from start to finish. You can make it with fresh or frozen cranberries, so it is convenient for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any meal that needs a colorful, flavorful finishing touch.
🍊 More Desserts with a Hint of Orange
Orange zest is a small ingredient that makes a big difference. It adds a fresh, aromatic flavor that works especially well with cranberries, chocolate, nuts, and warm spices. If you enjoy desserts with citrus notes, recipes like orange cake, chocolate orange brownies, shortbread cookies, and fruit-topped cakes are all excellent ways to use this flavor combination.
Table of Contents
- 💖 You’ll Love This Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipe
- 🧾 What You’ll Need
- Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe
- 📸 Photo Tutorial: How to Make Cranberry Orange Sauce
- 🍽️ How to Serve Cranberry Sauce
- 💭 Variations
- 💡 Tips and FAQs for Success
🧾 What You’ll Need
Ingredients
This homemade cranberry orange sauce keeps the ingredient list short and simple while still delivering a full, festive flavor.
- Orange zest and orange juice: One large orange provides both the zest and the juice. The zest adds fragrance, while the juice helps the cranberries cook down into a sauce.
- Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries both work well. Frozen cranberries do not need to be thawed before cooking, although they may take a little longer to soften and pop.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar balances the natural tartness of the cranberries. Brown sugar can be used instead if you prefer a deeper, more caramel-like flavor.
- Vanilla extract and ground cinnamon: These optional ingredients add warmth and round out the sharp fruit flavor. They are highly recommended for a more complete-tasting sauce.
Equipment
You only need basic kitchen tools to make this easy cranberry sauce recipe.
- Saucepan: A medium saucepan is large enough for one batch. Use a larger pan if you double or triple the recipe.
- Microplane or grater: A microplane is the easiest tool for removing fine orange zest, but a small grater can also work.
- Citrus juicer: A juicer helps extract the fresh orange juice quickly and efficiently.
Ready to Make This?
- Use the recipe card below.
- Scroll for step-by-step photos.
- Read the tips and FAQs before you begin.
Cranberry Orange Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP fresh orange zest, from 1 large orange
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice, from 1 large orange
- 12 oz cranberries, (3 cups), fresh or frozen
- 7 oz granulated sugar, (1 cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
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Zest one large orange and set the zest aside.
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Juice the orange and measure 1/3 cup of juice. If you do not have enough juice, add water until you have 1/3 cup liquid.
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Combine the orange zest, orange juice, cranberries, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
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Cook, stirring frequently, until the cranberries pop and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes.
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When most of the cranberries have burst, remove the pan from the heat. Let the sauce cool completely before using or storing.
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Variation: For a smoother sauce, add extra liquid, up to 1 cup of orange juice, and blend the cooked sauce with a stick blender or regular blender.
Recipe Notes
This recipe yields about 1 lb of cranberry sauce, or 1 3/4 cups, which is roughly seven 1/4-cup servings.
Measuring Tips
This recipe includes both weight and volume measurements. Weight measurements are helpful for accuracy, especially in baking, but cup measurements are also provided for convenience.
Nutrition
📸 Photo Tutorial: How to Make Cranberry Orange Sauce
If you have about 20 minutes, you can make this cranberry orange sauce from scratch. The process is simple: prepare the orange, combine everything in a saucepan, cook until thick, and let it cool.
Zest and Juice the Orange
- Zest the orange. Use a microplane or fine grater to remove the bright outer peel from one large orange.
- Juice the orange. After zesting, squeeze the orange and measure 1/3 cup of fresh juice.
Combine and Cook
- Combine the ingredients. Add the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, and cinnamon to a medium saucepan.
- Heat the mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often so the sugar dissolves and the fruit cooks evenly.
- Cook until thickened. Continue cooking until the cranberries burst and the sauce becomes thick and glossy.
- Cool before serving. Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool. It will continue to thicken as it sits.
🍽️ How to Serve Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is often served at Thanksgiving, but its sweet-tart flavor makes it useful far beyond one meal. It can cut through rich foods, complement creamy ingredients, and add brightness to desserts.
- Dinner side dish: Serve it with turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted meats, or other rich holiday foods.
- Appetizer: Spoon it over soft cheese or serve it with crackers as part of a simple cheese board.
- Cake filling: Use it between cake layers when you want a tart fruit contrast to sweet frosting or rich chocolate.
- Mousse topping: Add a spoonful over orange, chocolate, or pumpkin mousse for color and flavor.
- Tart filling: Spread a layer of thick cranberry sauce in a tart shell before adding other fillings or toppings.
- Jam substitute: Use it anywhere you might use a chunky fruit jam, such as cookies, brownies, or sandwiches.
💭 Variations
This cranberry orange sauce is delicious as written, but it is also easy to adjust to your taste.
- Make it smoother. For a thinner, more jam-like sauce, add extra orange juice and blend after cooking.
- Change the sweetener. Replace granulated sugar with brown sugar for a deeper flavor. Maple syrup or honey can also add their own character.
- Add nuts. Stir in toasted or candied pecans or walnuts if you like a little crunch.
- Try a different citrus. Lemon can be used instead of orange, but the juice is more tart, so you may want to dilute it with water or adjust the sugar.
💡 Tips and FAQs for Success
Cranberry sauce can be served chilled, at room temperature, or slightly warm. It thickens as it cools, so a warm sauce will be a little looser than one that has been refrigerated.
Fresh and frozen cranberries both work well. Frozen cranberries can go straight into the saucepan without thawing, although the cooking time may be slightly longer.
This sauce is ideal for making ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It can also be frozen in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
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