Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce with Fresh Cranberries
This homemade cranberry orange sauce combines tart cranberries with bright citrus flavour for a sweet, tangy holiday side dish that’s perfect with roast turkey or ham.
This homemade cranberry orange sauce is a simple holiday favourite made with fresh cranberries and bright citrus flavour. The berries simmer into a rich, ruby red sauce with a lovely balance of sweet and tart, while a few whole cranberries add texture. Easy to prepare ahead of time, it’s a colourful addition to Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner and pairs beautifully with roast turkey or ham.
Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce with Fresh Cranberries
Fresh cranberries and bright orange flavour come together in this sweet and tart holiday sauce. As the berries simmer, they create a rich, ruby red texture with just the right balance of sweetness and tang.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Cranberry Sauce
Homemade cranberry sauce tastes wonderfully fresh, and you can adjust the sweetness to your liking. It thickens naturally as it cools, making it an easy, flavourful addition to any holiday meal.
A Classic Side Dish for Holiday Dinners
Serve this festive cranberry orange sauce with roast turkey, baked ham, or Christmas dinner. Make it ahead to save time, and enjoy any leftovers with turkey sandwiches the next day.
How to Make Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce
Preparing Fresh Cranberries for Homemade Orange Sauce
Start by rinsing the fresh cranberries and removing any soft or damaged berries. Add them to a saucepan with sugar, ready to simmer into a sweet and tart holiday sauce. As the cranberries heat, they’ll begin to pop and release their natural juices, creating a beautiful ruby red colour. Stir occasionally to help the sugar dissolve evenly.
Simmering Cranberries into a Rich, Ruby Red Sauce
As the cranberries simmer, they begin to burst and release their juices, creating a beautiful red sauce with a lovely sweet and tart flavour. The mixture will bubble and foam as it cooks, so keep the heat at a gentle simmer and stir occasionally. Some berries will remain whole, giving this homemade cranberry orange sauce its wonderful texture. It will thicken naturally as it cools.
My Kitchen Tip for Perfect Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce
One thing I like about making cranberry orange sauce is leaving some of the berries whole for a lovely, chunky texture. As the cranberries simmer, they’ll naturally pop and release their juices, so there’s no need to mash them all. I also find it’s best to taste the sauce before adding extra sugar, since the tartness balances the sweetness beautifully. Don’t worry if it looks a little thin while warm. It thickens nicely as it cools.
Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Microplane or zester for the orange zest
- Citrus juicer, optional
- Small bowl for rinsed cranberries
- Airtight container for storing the cranberry sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz cranberries fresh and rinsed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ¼ tsp cinnamon optional
- 1 Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, orange zest, cinnamon and salt to a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring often.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cranberries start to pop and the sauce thickens.
- Mash a few cranberries with the back of a spoon if you want a thicker, jammy cranberry sauce.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool. The sauce will thicken more as it sits.
- Serve chilled, room temperature or slightly warm.
Notes
- This homemade cranberry orange sauce thickens as it cools, so do not worry if it looks a little loose when it first comes off the stove. After chilling, it becomes glossy, spoonable and more jammy.
- Fresh cranberries are best for this easy cranberry sauce recipe. Rinse them first and remove any berries that look soft, wrinkled or bruised.
- The cranberries will pop as they cook. That is exactly what you want. Once most of the berries have burst, the sauce will start to thicken naturally.
- Orange juice and orange zest give this cranberry orange sauce a bright, fresh flavour that balances the tart cranberries. It makes the sauce taste homemade without needing many ingredients.
- For a thicker whole berry cranberry sauce, simmer a few minutes longer and gently mash some of the cranberries with the back of a spoon.
- For a chunkier sauce, stop cooking once most of the cranberries have popped but some berries are still holding their shape. I like that texture because it looks more rustic and homemade.
- This is a great make-ahead Thanksgiving side dish because the flavour improves after a few hours in the fridge. Overnight is even better.
- Serve this holiday cranberry sauce with more than just turkey. It goes beautifully with Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas ham, roast chicken, pork tenderloin, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cheese boards and leftover sandwiches.
- If the sauce tastes too tart, stir in an extra tablespoon or two of sugar while it is still warm. Cranberries can vary, so a little tasting near the end helps.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and use them through the week for holiday leftovers, turkey sandwiches, toast, biscuits or a quick festive cheese board.