This easy orange cranberry sauce uses fresh cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, and cinnamon for a sweet-tart addition to your Thanksgiving dinner. It’s simple to prepare ahead, keeps well in the refrigerator, and travels easily for a Thanksgiving potluck. Serve it alongside roasted turkey, stuffing, or your favorite holiday sides. Looking for more dishes to bring? Explore our Thanksgiving Side Dish recipes.
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Ingredients list for the orange cranberry sauce recipe
- 1 (12-oz / 340g) bag of fresh cranberries
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks
Homemade cranberry sauce
Homemade cranberry sauce has a fresh, sweet-tart flavor and a texture you can adjust to your liking. This version uses maple syrup instead of granulated sugar, with orange zest, orange juice, and cinnamon sticks for a warm citrus flavor. As the cranberries simmer, they soften and burst, and the sauce thickens further as it cools.
How to make cranberry sauce
Making cranberry sauce is simple: zest the orange before squeezing for the juice. Cook all ingredients together in a small pot or saucepan. For our recipe, we add orange zest and a cinnamon stick to infuse slowly into the cranberry sauce.
Can you make cranberry sauce ahead of time?
Yes! Orange cranberry sauce is a great make-ahead Thanksgiving side. Prepare it ahead of time, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Transfer it to a covered serving dish or jar when you’re ready to bring it to a Thanksgiving potluck, keeping it chilled during transport. Serve chilled, at room temperature, or gently warmed.
Directions
1. To make the orange cranberry sauce: Add cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, and maple syrup to a pot or saucepan and stir well to combine.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries are tender and blistered. Remove the lid and continue cooking, stirring occasionally and gently crushing the cranberries with a wooden spoon. Simmer until the cranberry sauce thickens and there are no whole cranberries left. Count about 5-10 minutes.
3. Remove the cranberry sauce from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Add more orange juice and maple syrup if you want a more liquid cranberry sauce. Serve the orange cranberry sauce at room temperature, warmed, or chilled. Enjoy! ❤️
What to do with the cranberry sauce leftovers?
Store leftover cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Did you know you can mix cranberry sauce with mayo to flavor your turkey sandwiches?
Can we use frozen cranberries to make cranberry sauce?
Yes, you can! Frozen cranberries will take a little longer to reach a simmer, but the flavor and texture will be the same.
More cranberry recipes
- Sugar Coated Cranberries
- Apple Cranberry Sauce
- Cranberry Nut Cream Cheese Balls
- Roasted Bacon Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Glaze
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