This cranberry orange sauce is bright, sweet-tart, and spoonable, with fresh orange juice simmered into the cranberries and zest stirred in at the end for a fresh citrus aroma. The berries burst as they cook, then the sauce thickens naturally as it cools without cornstarch or gelatin.
It takes about 15 minutes on the stove and can be made ahead, which makes it especially useful for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Fresh or frozen cranberries both work, and the finished sauce pairs naturally with turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and leftover sandwiches.
Why Use Both Orange Juice and Orange Zest?
They do different jobs. The juice cooks into the sauce and softens the berries’ sharp tartness. The zest holds most of the orange’s aroma, so stirring it in after cooking gives a strong citrus scent without adding liquid.
Zest the orange before you juice it; a whole orange is much easier to grate. Take only the orange outer layer, because the white pith underneath is bitter. You will need juice from one or two oranges to measure 1/2 cup.
How to Know When Cranberry Sauce Is Ready
Look for split berries and a glossy, loose syrup. Most of the cranberries should have burst, with a few left whole for texture. The liquid should look lightly syrupy, not thick like jam, because the sauce keeps thickening as it cools.
Cranberries are naturally high in pectin, which is what sets the sauce in the refrigerator. If the sauce looks thin while hot, let it cool completely before deciding it needs more cooking. Cooking it until thick in the pot will make the chilled sauce too firm.
Cranberry Sauce With Orange
A bright cranberry orange sauce made with fresh cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, and sugar that thickens naturally as it chills
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Ingredient quantities change with servings. Metric amounts appear when an equivalent is available. Cooking times, temperatures and method steps do not scale automatically.
Ingredients
Measurement help for this recipe
Metric equivalents use the values entered for this recipe or GUSTANA conversion data when available. Ingredients without an equivalent remain in their original units.
| 12 ounces fresh cranberries | 340 g |
| 3/4 cup granulated sugar | 150 g |
| 1/2 cup fresh orange juice | 120 mL |
| 1/2 cup water | 120 mL |
| 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest | 6 g |
| 1 pinch fine sea salt | 0.5 g |
Instructions
- Rinse the cranberries and pick out any shriveled or mushy ones. Finely grate the zest from 1 orange and set it aside. Then juice the orange, adding juice from a second orange if needed to measure 1/2 cup (120 mL).
Zest the orange before juicing it; a whole orange is much easier to grate.
- In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar, orange juice, water, and salt. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Use a nonreactive saucepan, such as stainless steel or enamel-coated; aluminum or bare cast iron can react with the acid and give the sauce a metallic taste.
- Add the cranberries and keep the pot at a steady simmer, stirring now and then. After 10 to 12 minutes, most of the berries should have split open and the liquid should look glossy and lightly syrupy.
The berries pop as they burst. Lower the heat slightly if the sauce splatters.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the orange zest. Pour the sauce into a heatproof serving bowl and let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.
The sauce looks loose while hot. It reaches its final texture after chilling.
- Refrigerate the sauce, covering it once it is cool, until cold and set, at least 2 hours. Stir and serve cold, at room temperature, or gently warmed.
Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. For the best texture, chill it longer, even overnight.
Recipe Notes
- Fresh and frozen cranberries both work. Add frozen berries straight from the freezer; they take a little longer to return to a simmer.
- For a more tart sauce, reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup. Do not omit it completely.
- For a smoother sauce, press some berries against the side of the pan near the end of cooking. For more texture, leave them mostly whole.
- Total time includes 30 minutes of cooling and at least 2 hours of chilling.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
- Calories: 82 kcal
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Sugars: 17 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Sodium: 20 mg
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Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
Make the sauce one or two days before the meal. Once it is cool, cover it and refrigerate. The texture firms up and the flavors blend as it chills. Serve it cold, at room temperature, or gently warmed, and stir it before serving.
Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow airtight container within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days. For best quality, freeze the cooled sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months, and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
Ways to Serve Cranberry Orange Sauce
Spoon it next to roast turkey, glazed ham, stuffing, and creamy mashed potatoes. Leftovers work in turkey sandwiches, on baked brie, or stirred into plain yogurt or oatmeal.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
2-Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan with Cover
Simmer cranberries, orange juice, water, and sugar together in this saucepan until the berries burst and soften
View on Amazon
Stainless Steel Citrus Zester with Black Handle
Finely grates fresh orange zest to add bright citrus aroma to cranberry sauce after the berries finish cooking
View on Amazon
24-Oz Electric Citrus Juicer with Two Cones
Extracts fresh orange juice for the cranberry sauce, making it easy to prepare the citrus before cooking
View on Amazon
Set of Two 114-Oz White Ceramic Serving Bowls
Use these roomy ceramic bowls to serve cranberry orange sauce at the table, with an extra bowl for other sides
View on AmazonSome links may be affiliate links. If you purchase through them, GUSTANA may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen cranberries instead of fresh?
Yes. Use the same amount of frozen cranberries and add them directly to the saucepan without thawing. They may take a minute or two longer to return to a simmer, but otherwise follow the recipe the same way.
Can I make cranberry orange sauce ahead of time?
Yes. Cranberry sauce is an excellent make-ahead side because it needs time to cool and set. Make it one or two days before serving, keep it covered in the refrigerator, and stir it before bringing it to the table.
Why is my cranberry sauce still thin while it is hot?
That is normal. Cranberries contain natural pectin, so the sauce thickens considerably as it cools and chills. Take it off the heat when most of the berries have burst and the liquid looks glossy and lightly syrupy rather than waiting for it to become thick like jam in the saucepan.
How do I fix cranberry sauce that is too thick?
Stir in warm water or orange juice one tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches the consistency you prefer. This is especially useful after refrigeration, when the natural pectin can make cranberry sauce noticeably firmer than it was on the stove.
Can I reduce the sugar in cranberry orange sauce?
Yes. For a more tart cranberry sauce, reduce the granulated sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup. Keep in mind that sugar does more than add sweetness: it also helps balance the cranberries’ acidity and contributes to the final texture, so reducing it further will change both the flavor and the set.
Should cranberry sauce be served hot or cold?
Cranberry sauce can be served chilled, at room temperature, or gently warmed. Chilled sauce will be firmer and more spoonable, while warmer sauce will be softer and looser. For this recipe, chilled or room temperature works especially well because the sauce has time to reach its intended texture.
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