Orange Cranberry Sauce

Easy to make Orange Cranberry Sauce is bursting with bold, bright flavors! Fresh cranberries sweetened with honey and maple syrup make this an outstanding no-sugar recipe to serve with turkey or ham.

Classic dishes like this homemade sauce, Scalloped Potatoes, Southern Green Beans, and Deviled Eggs are sure to make your holiday celebrations extra special.

I’ve been making homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce for so many years that it has become a tradition. Something is thrilling about getting just the perfect bite of slightly sweet sauce with savory Crock Pot Turkey Breast and Southern Cornbread Dressing. That bite is even more delicious when you get that little burst of fresh cranberry that’s soaked up amazing flavors of honey, maple syrup, and orange. 

This fresh cranberry sauce is made even more flavorful with the addition of fresh orange juice and zest. The bright citrus punch softens the cranberries’ tartness in an unexpected way that’s absolutely mouthwatering with Thanksgiving side dishes.

Ingredients Needed To Make Orange Cranberry Sauce

• Fresh cranberries, fresh orange peel, orange juice, honey, and maple syrup are all you need to make this simple recipe.
• Frozen cranberries can be used as well. And since you are cooking them, there’s no need to thaw.

Variations And Additions

• Spices – ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or fresh ginger for additional flavor.
• Fruit – chopped apples, or pears for texture. 
• If you want to get a little fancy, sprinkle chopped walnuts or candied pecans over the top before serving.

How To Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce

1. Start with fresh cranberries. Wash them, then sort through the “squishy” and bruised ones. Throw those out! Next, zest the orange using a microplane or grater. Make sure to do this before you juice the orange.
2. Put the cranberries in a medium saucepan along with the orange juice, orange zest, honey, and maple syrup. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stir, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture thickens. The sauce will thicken on its own due to the natural pectin in the cranberries. That’s it, you’ve got homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce!

Ways To Serve Orange Cranberry Sauce

There are so many ways to serve cranberry sauce! It can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold, so the options are endless for serving this yummy dish.

• With turkey or chicken for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. And, since the sauce freezes so well, I can serve it with Air Fryer Roasted Chicken or Air Fryer Turkey Breast any time of the year.
• I love serving it alongside Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Stuffed Baked Potatoes for Sunday supper.
• In our house, leftover Turkey sandwiches made with cranberry sauce are favorites after the holidays.
• It makes a great dipping sauce for Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or Air Fryer Chicken Wings for something unexpected.

5 from 3 votes

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Author: Donya Mullins

Course: Extras, Side Dish

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 84kcal

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Easy to make Orange Cranberry Sauce is bursting with bold, bright flavors! Fresh cranberries sweetened with honey and maple syrup make this an outstanding no-sugar recipe to serve with turkey or ham.

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 12 ounce package fresh cranberries
• ▢ 1 orange – zested and juiced
• ▢ ½ cup honey
• ▢ ½ cup maple syrup

Instructions

• ▢
  Wash the cranberries, then sort through the “squishy” and bruised ones. Throw those out! Next, zest the orange using a microplane or grater. Make sure to do this before you juice the orange.
• ▢
  Add all ingredients to a medium-sized saucepot. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stir, and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture thickens.
• ▢
  Remove from heat, let cool, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

• You can make this recipe up to four days before serving. It’s better once you’ve let all the flavors hang together.
• Cranberry sauce will last 10 to 12 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
• To freeze, after making the sauce, put it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw it in the fridge. I like to let the cranberry sauce come to room temperature for maximum flavor before serving.
• If you are not a fan of the cranberry skin, you can strain it using a metal sieve for a smoother sauce after cooking.

The nutrition information provided are estimates and will vary depending on the brands used.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.01g | Saturated Fat: 0.002g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Did you make my Orange Cranberry Sauce?I’d love to see! Share on Instagram, tag @asouthernsoul, and use the hashtag #asouthernsoul!

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