Orange and cinnamon are a natural complement to the sweetness of cranberry sauce! This Orange Cranberry Sauce uses one small 12 ounce bag of cranberries, but can easily be doubled and frozen.
I have to admit that I didn't grow up eating cranberry sauce, and I didn't really start enjoying it until a few years ago.
But it's like Samin Nosrat says: food needs salt, fat, acid and heat. And I now know Thanksgiving certainly needs the acidity of a good cranberry sauce!
This recipe follows the same rules for classic cranberry sauce, just with the addition of fresh orange juice and orange zest to make it a little extra zesty and interesting.
The recipe yields 3 cups of cranberry sauce and can easily be doubled and frozen. Use it on my Thanksgiving Casserole or check out more of my Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes!
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Ingredients
- Cranberries: One 12-ounce bag typically yields about 3 cups of cranberries.
- Orange juice: One large navel orange typically has about ¼ cup of orange juice and 1 teaspoon of orange zest. If only small oranges are available, make sure to grab two.
- Sugar: I use a mix of granulated sugar and maple syrup. The maple syrup adds a nice flavor, and granulated sugar keeps the cranberry sauce from being too tangy. Feel free to use all maple syrup or all sugar.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: For that fall feeling! This can be omitted for a more "neutral" cranberry sauce.
Recipe steps
- Bring the water, sugar, and maple syrup to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the cranberries.
- Simmer until the cranberries have burst, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the orange juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg, simmering another 2-3 minutes to marry the flavors. Taste for orange flavor and add the orange zest, if desired. The sauce will continue to thicken up as it cools.
Make ahead, storage, and freezing
- You've probably seen canned cranberry sauce, so you know that thickens up a lot as it cools. No problem! Just heat up leftovers in the microwave (make sure to cover the bowl to avoid a big mess) to thin it, or add a splash of water.
- This cranberry sauce freezes very well! In fact, I froze the cranberry sauce from these pictures and plan to thaw it for Thanksgiving day.
- Let the sauce thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stove. If you forget to thaw it, no worries; just add it to a sauce pot with a splash of water and stir frequently over medium-low heat, until thawed.
More Thanksgiving favorites
Recipe
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Orange Spiced Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup to ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 12 ounces cranberries equal to 3 cups
- 2 medium navel oranges
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Combine ¾ cups water, ½ cup sugar, and ¼ cup maple syrup in a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, carefully stir in the cranberries. Reduce to a rapid simmer, simmering until the cranberries have all burst, about 10 minutes.
- Zest one of the oranges. Juice both oranges. Stir¼ cup orange juice, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg into the cranberry sauce. Taste for sweetness and orange flavor, adding the remaining ¼ cup of sugar if desired. Add the orange zest for a stronger orange flavor, if desired.
- For a thicker sauce, simmer over medium-low to evaporate off some of the liquid. Let cool to room temperature before transferring to the fridge to cool completely. This will take about 2 hours.
Notes
- This cranberry sauce freezes very well! In fact, I froze the cranberry sauce from these pictures and plan to thaw it for Thanksgiving day.
- Let the sauce thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stove. If you forget to thaw it, no worries; just add it to a sauce pot with a splash of water and stir frequently over medium-low heat, until thawed.
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