Cranberry Orange Sauce
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This easy homemade cranberry orange sauce only needs 3 ingredients! And you can make this ahead of time (also freezes up to 3 months!).
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Why you’ll love cranberry orange sauce
- Thanksgiving staple. Cranberry sauce is a quintessential Thanksgiving side dish! And it has to be one of the easiest dishes to make in just 20 minutes using only 3 ingredients, tasting so much more fresh and vibrant than canned alternatives.
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly. This can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months, making holiday prep an absolute breeze.
- Leftovers are even better. You can repurpose the leftovers for toast, yogurt, turkey sandwiches, overnight oats, french toast, and so much more!
Key Ingredients
Orange
Use freshly squeezed orange juice whenever possible. And another bonus of using fresh oranges? All the fresh orange zest, of course! Use a microplane when zesting, working carefully to avoid the bitter white pith.
Sugar
Brown sugar can be substituted in a pinch.
Cranberries
Fresh cranberries are best but frozen cranberries can also be used, although they will take longer to cook through and simmer.
Optional
Cinnamon stick, ginger, lemon zest (in place of orange zest), or vanilla extract can also be added to your liking.
How to make cranberry orange sauce
- Combine. Stir together the water, orange juice, orange zest, and sugar over medium heat in a medium saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Simmer. Add the cranberries and reduce the heat to gently simmer until most of the berries pop and the sauce is thickened and glossy, about 15 minutes.
- Let cool and thicken. Remove from heat and let it cool completely to room temperature. It will thicken as it sets.
ways to use up leftover cranberry sauce
- Sandwiches and sliders: spread a layer on sandwiches or sliders
- Breakfast: stir into oatmeal or plain yogurt
- Baked goods: fold into muffin batter, quick breads, or scones
- Appetizer or cheese boards: spread a layer on a goat cheese log, sprinkle with chopped pistachios or pecans, and serve with crackers
- Dessert: spoon on top vanilla ice cream or cheesecake
how to make cranberry sauce ahead of time
Make-ahead
Prepare the cranberry sauce as directed. Remove from heat and let it cool completely. Then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Freeze
Let cool completely. Portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). Label, date, and freeze up to 3 months.
Reheat
Thaw the cranberry sauce overnight in the fridge. Serve chilled (once completely thawed), at room temperature, or gently reheated on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
Tools For This Recipe
Cranberry Orange Sauce: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use brown sugar or pure maple syrup for the granulated white sugar.
You can add warm spices such as a cinnamon stick, allspice, ground cloves, and nutmeg.
Cranberry sauce tends to look a little runnier when hot but will naturally thicken as it sits and cools.
Simmer the sauce for longer, or let it chill in the fridge to allow it to set.
Some like it hot, some like it cold! But I personally find that cranberry sauce is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Absolutely! Store the cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Cranberry sauce can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes! This is one of my favorite holiday Instant Pot recipes to save on stovetop space.
Cranberry Orange Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- ½ cup sugar, or more, to taste
- 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine water, orange juice, orange zest and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Stir in cranberries and bring to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer until sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Let cool completely before serving.
Equipment
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen cranberries. Fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries can be used here. When using fresh, use plump cranberries that are bright red in color and firm to the touch. Avoid using dried cranberries.
- Rinse and sort the berries. Rinse the cranberries in a colander prior to cooking, discarding any soft, shriveled, or bruised berries.
- Adjust the consistency. For a jammy consistency, mash some of the cranberries with the back of a wooden spoon directly on the side of the saucepan. For more of a whole berry texture, keep the heat low and gently stir without mashing.
- Prep ahead of time. Cranberry sauce is one of those holiday side dishes you can make ahead of time and store in the fridge up to 1 week in advance.
- Serve hot or cold. This really depends on personal preference but cranberry sauce can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature.
- Repurpose leftovers. Leftover cranberry sauce works well in breakfast dishes, appetizers, savory meals, and desserts.
Did you make this recipe?
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Just made it for this Thanksgiving. Absolutely delicious. Easy to make, too, which is great for a busy mom!
Tell us about your cranberry loaf you make with the leftovers!
This homemade cranberry orange sauce looks so good! I’ve always stuck to the canned version for Thanksgiving, but seeing how easy it is with just 3 ingredients makes me want to try making it from scratch this year. It looks way more fresh and flavorful than the store-bought kind.
Wonderful recipe. I added toasted walnuts and pomegranate arils. Damn delicious, indeed!
Very easy to follow recipe. I added one cinnamon stick. Came out perfect. Thank you!
How far in advance can you make the cranberry sauce and it be ok for Thanksgiving?
Thank you
Darlene
Quick, simple and delicious
excellent..far better than store bought
Love it! This is my go-to cranberry sauce recipe for the holidays and have made it several times. I like it as is, but have found that a little extra sugar makes it more crowd pleasing.
I tripled the recipe for a thanksgiving of 28 people. Took longer to thicken than the recipe stated (reasonable as there was so much more liquid) but was delicious!
I doubled the recipe and it definitely needed more cook time.
Our family has used this recipe for years now, its the only Cranberry Orange Sauce that I make or recommend. Thank you so much for making such a deliciously easy Thanksgiving go-to recipe. It is wonderful buy itself, but it is also very lovely warmed up over goat cheese with crackers. Now I’m starving. Thank you Thank you Thank you!
Made it- loved it added 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and for yummy overkill added a shot ( 2 oz) of Grand Marnier- liquor. Yum!!!
200 stars!!!
I have made this for the last three years at Thanksgiving. It’s always a big hit. The only variation I add is 1 cup of chopped pecans.
I have made this recipe in the past and it was delicious. This year I am going to try to use Alaskan High Bush Cranberries in place of the store bought brand. The only question I have, is this recipe safe to water bath can for shelf storage?
Great recipe my Gigi has never had homemade cranberry sauce and she loves it the only thing I did as a twist was add cloves and cinnamon.
GREAT recipe! Thank you so much and Happy Thanksgiving!!!
How much cinnamon and cloves did you add?
Just made this for tomorrow (Thanksgiving) and it’s just fantastic! Thanks!! K:-)
This is the ultimate cranberry sauce! Love the simplicity but it’s the amazing flavor.
this is the recipe I make for the fall holidays every year & the family love’s it. Thank you for a great recipe!!!!!