Cranberry Orange Sauce
This cranberry orange sauce is a quick, easy recipe that will impress your holiday guests. Sweet, tart, and all-around perfect, you only need 20 minutes to make this crowd-pleaser!
Cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving staple, but a lot of people rely on the canned version, assuming that itās difficult to make from scratch. This isnāt the case at all! This cranberry orange sauce is so much more flavourful than store-bought, and it comes together in just 20 minutes.
Homemade cranberry orange sauce easily tops any others that I have tasted, and you only need a handful of simple ingredients to make it. The sugar balances the tartness and acidity of the cranberries, leaving you with a tangy flavour reminiscent of cranberry juice.
I had this both fresh and after it sat in the fridge for a few daysāI would recommend making this before the actual day you plan to serve it. The flavours just seemed to mellow and meld together a lot more after that resting time in the refrigerator!
Why Youāll Love This Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe
Hereās why this cranberry orange sauce will be a welcome addition to your Thanksgiving table:
- Simple ingredients. When youāre making Thanksgiving dinner, you need all the easy recipes you can find! This cranberry orange 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 thatās so much better than canned.
- Versatile. This cranberry orange sauce isnāt 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 orange sauce for the holidays. It only takes 20 minutes from start to finish!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Cranberries ā Frozen or fresh; both are equally delicious.
- Orange juice and zest ā I like to use freshly squeezed orange juice, but store-bought is also fine.
- Cane sugar ā Or use sucanat, coconut sugar, or maple syrup.
- Vanilla extract ā This adds some cozy flavour.
- Cinnamon ā 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 youāre not planning on using them right away, you can freeze them for later. Frozen cranberries can last up to a year in the freezer.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Sauce
You wonāt believe how easy it is to make cranberry sauce from scratch! Hereās what youāll need to do.
- 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.
Tips for Success
Thereās not much to this recipe, but these additional tips will help make sure your cranberry orange sauce turns out perfect!
- Donāt overcook the sauce. It may look thin, but donāt worryāit 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 arenāt 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.
Variations
The beauty of this recipe is that it only requires a few simple ingredients, but if youāre feeling adventurous, here are some variations to try:
- Add more spices. Cardamom and nutmeg are also fantastic in cranberry sauce, as is fresh or dried ginger.
- Stir in some dried cranberries. These give your cranberry sauce a little more texture.
- Swap the orange juice for ginger beer.Youāll still get the citrusy flavour from the orange zest, then a bit a zing from the ginger beer.
Serving Suggestions
I love adding a spoonful of this homemade cranberry sauce to vegan meatloaf, vegan turkey, or vegan chicken, but you can go beyond Thanksgiving and use it as a topping for ice cream, yogurt, toast, pancakes, and waffles. (Here are some more ideas for putting your cranberry sauce to use: 4 Ways To Use Your Leftover Cranberry Sauce)
How to Store Leftovers
Store any leftover cranberry orange sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
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.
More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole (From Scratch)
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potato SoufflƩ
- Vegan Gravy
- Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
Cranberry Orange Sauce
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
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.
This looks so good!! Definitely pinning š
Thank you Kristen!
Beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing this recipe š
Thank you Samantha! And you’re welcome!
I found your site through Foodgawker, it’s beautiful. I’ve linked readers here for this recipe.
Thank you so much Celeste!
So good and so easy! Will be remembering this next time Iām tempted to buy canned this is much better
Awesome we’re so happy you enjoyed it Amanda! Thanks so much for reading!
Super simple, which is just what I needed this year! I went with half the sugar and it was extra tart (which I prefer), but I would say for anyone thinking it’ll be “too sweet” I think the full amount of sugar would be perfect for most people.
I would especially recommend this recipe for anyone considering the can version, as it’s super fast and way better to do it this way.
Thank you for all your recipes! I have your pumpkin pie in the oven as we speak and I’ve made your biscuits prior to this; Fantastic.
Thanks so much Brittany! We’re so happy that you enjoyed it. We really appreciate your super sweet review.
I can’t wait to try this!
Thanks Helen!! We scooped this onto everything last holiday season and into muffins too. Hope you enjoy so much!