This orange cranberry sauce recipe is a quick, easy holiday side dish with only 5 ingredients! Serve this festive homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s sweet and tart, infused with orange juice and zest, and ready to serve in 20 minutes or less.

Cranberry sauce in jar with tag

Before you reach for the can this Thanksgiving, I urge you to try this easy recipe for homemade cranberry sauce! This orange cranberry sauce is a million times fresher and more flavorful than store-bought. It’s the best I’ve tasted, infused with real orange juice and fresh orange zest. I especially love that it comes together with 5 ingredients in just 20 minutes.

I tested this cranberry sauce freshly made, and after it sat in the fridge for a few days. I’d recommend making this a day ahead of serving. The flavours mellow and meld together after a little resting time in the fridge!

About This Easy Orange Cranberry Sauce Recipe

  • Simple ingredients. When you’re making Thanksgiving dinner, you need all the easy recipes you can find! This cranberry sauce is as simple as it gets.
  • Perfectly balanced flavours. The sugar in this recipe balances out the tartness of the cranberries, leaving you with a sweet and tangy sauce that’s so much better than canned.
  • Versatile. This orange cranberry sauce isn’t just for Thanksgiving! You can use it as a topping for vegan yogurt, spread it onto vegan lemon poppyseed muffins, and so much more.
  • Quick to make. No need to spend hours in the kitchen making cranberry sauce for the holidays. It only takes 20 minutes from start to finish!
Overhead view of ingredients for cranberry orange sauce

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

  • Cranberries – Frozen or fresh; both are equally delicious.
  • Orange juice and zest – I like to use freshly squeezed orange juice, but store-bought is also fine.
  • Cane sugar – Or use sucanat, coconut sugar, or maple syrup.
  • Vanilla extract – This adds some cozy flavour.
  • Cinnamon – Either ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick.

How Long Do Fresh Cranberries Stay Fresh?

Fresh cranberries can last up to 3 to 4 weeks in the refrigerator, making them a great fruit to stock up on during the holiday season. If you’re not planning on using them anytime soon, you can freeze them for later. Frozen cranberries can last up to a year in the freezer.

How to Make Orange Cranberry Sauce

You won’t believe how easy it is to make cranberry sauce with orange juice from scratch! Here’s what you’ll need to do.

Overhead view of cranberries and cinnamon stick in glass bowl with wooden spoon
Overhead view of cranberries and cinnamon stick simmering in pan
Overhead view of cranberry sauce in pan with wooden spoon
  • Combine. Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil. Set the pan on the stove and bring the mixture to a boil. The berries will begin to pop.
  • Simmer. Lower the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Cool. Allow the cranberry sauce to cool, then serve immediately or store for later.
A spoonful of cranberry sauce held over a jar.

Tips for Best Results

  • Don’t overcook the sauce. It may look thin, but don’t worry, it will thicken as it cools. 
  • Adjust the sweetness level to your liking. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, add more sugar. Just taste as you go and adjust accordingly. 
  • Smash the berries with a wooden spoon. If the berries aren’t breaking apart on their own, you can smash them against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. This releases their pectin, helping thicken the sauce.

Try These Easy Variations

The beauty of this recipe is that it only requires a few simple ingredients, but if you’re feeling creative, here are some variations to try:

  • Add more spices. Cardamom and nutmeg are also fantastic in cranberry sauce, as is fresh or dried ginger. Try adding pumpkin pie spice for a festive twist.
  • Stir in some dried cranberries. They’ll soften with time, giving the cranberry sauce a little more texture.
  • Swap the orange juice for ginger beer. You’ll still get the citrusy flavour from the orange zest, then a bit a zing from the ginger beer.
Two jars of orange cranberry sauce on cutting board

Serving Suggestions

I love adding a spoonful of this homemade orange cranberry sauce to vegan meatloaf, vegan turkey, or vegan chicken. I’ll round out our holiday dinner with more vegan-friendly sides, like sweet potato casserole or stuffed butternut squash and cornbread stuffing. Don’t forget the fluffy gluten-free dinner rolls for sopping up the leftover vegan gravy and a slice of vegan pumpkin cheesecake for dessert!

How to Store Leftovers

  • Refrigerate. Store any leftover cranberry orange sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. 
  • Freeze. You can freeze this cranberry orange sauce for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and placing it in the freezer. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before using.

Ways to Use Leftover Cranberry Sauce

Go beyond Thanksgiving and use this easy orange cranberry sauce as a topping for ice cream, yogurt, toast, pancakes, and waffles. I love cranberry sauce so much, I even dedicated a post to 4 Ways To Use Your Leftover Cranberry Sauce.

More Thanksgiving Side Dishes

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A spoonful of cranberry sauce held over a jar.

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
You only need 5 ingredients and 20 minutes to make this juicy, sweet-tart orange cranberry sauce recipe for Thanksgiving dinner!
5 (from 5 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 4 cups cranberries, frozen or fresh
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup cane sugar, sucanat or coconut sugar or maple syrup
  • Zest of an orange, optional but peel before juicing
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or simmer 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions 

  • In a pot, mix the cranberries, orange juice, cane sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract and cinnamon together.
  • Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil. You should hear the cranberries bursting.
  • Bring the mixture down to a simmer on your stove, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring every now and then to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Remove from heat. Allow the cranberry sauce to cool fully. If using the cinnamon stick, remove it now.
  • Serve immediately or you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for 2 months.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

To store: Store any leftover cranberry orange sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To freeze: You can freeze this cranberry orange sauce for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and placing it in the freezer. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Calories: 120kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 113mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 30g, Vitamin A: 92IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 7mg, Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American
Course: Jams, Sauces, Dips & Spreads
Author: Jessica Hylton