This Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice is incredible and it screams Thanksgiving! It is tart and flavorful with notes of citrus and cinnamon. It's so easy to make with just a few ingredients. Skip the canned sauce and serve this homemade cranberry sauce on the Thanksgiving Table this year!
Cranberry Sauce is an absolute must on my Thanksgiving Dinner Plate. I've got to have it! It has the tart taste I am looking for to counter balance the rest of those savory dishes, like these Mashed Red Skinned Potatoes, Baked Turkey Drumsticks and Sausage Cornbread Dressing.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It's only a few ingredients and so easy to make.
- It is made from real cranberries!
- The added citrus and cinnamon are real keepers. You'll know what I mean when you try it!
- Homemade cranberry sauce is so simple to make and not at all intimidating!
Looking for more Thanksgiving Recipes, try these Whipped Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Sweet Potato Slices, and Mini Apple Pies.
Ingredients for Homemade Cranberry Sauce:
Fresh Cranberries: Fresh, tart little gems of goodness. During the Holidays, you can get fresh cranberries for really inexpensive, and the taste is 100 times better than the canned version.
Sugar: To sweeten up the sauce.
Water: Helps to boil the cranberries into a delicious sauce.
Orange Juice and Zest: For a citrus kick.
Cinnamon Stick: The perfect fall spice for a tiny hint of cinnamon flavor.
Full quantities and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
You can remove the orange juice, zest or cinnamon sticks and still get a classic version of homemade cranberry sauce, if you prefer to leave out any of those flavors.
If you have leftover sauce or make a few batches of cranberries, try my Cranberry Brie Bites, Turkey Salad with Cranberries & Cranberry Turkey Sliders too! This Cranberry Sauce is also a great dip with these mini meatballs!
How to Make Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice:
Step 1: Into a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add in the strained cranberries, sugar, water, cinnamon stick, orange juice and zest. Stir.
Step 2: Bring to a boil. Stir and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for an additional 10 to 11 minutes and turn off heat. *If you like the cranberry sauce more on the mashed side, take a potato masher or wooden spoon and crush some of them. I like about half and half, I want some cranberries remaining, but also a lot of sauce.*
Step 3: Remove the cinnamon stick.
Let the cranberries reach room temperature before transferring into a dish and storing in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 2 days in advance.
Serve cold and Enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- You can create the texture based on your preferences. If you want smoother sauce, mash the cranberries more.
- Don't skip the fridge time before serving. These taste best cold.
Recipe FAQs:
I like fresh cranberries for this recipe, to avoid mushy texture. I only make this recipe a few times a year, and fresh cranberries are always on sale at Thanksgiving. Use fresh and thank me later:)
Absolutely and I suggest it! Prep up to 2 days ahead of time u0026 save more time for other sides and the big bird.
Storage:
This is a great recipe to make ahead the day before Thanksgiving to save on time. Cranberry sauce is served cold, so just pull it out of the fridge at serving time. Don't forget it though, because it's a must have!
Any leftovers can be stored in a sealed container and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
More Holiday Recipes You Will Love:
If you tried this Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This cranberry sauce with orange juice screams Thanksgiving Dinner! It is so festive with citrus and cinnamon tones. Your family will love this recipe! It's so easy to make with only a few ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) bag of fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¾ cup water
- the zest and juice from 1 orange
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Into a dutch oven or large pot, add in the cranberries, sugar, water, cinnamon stick, orange juice and zest. Stir.
- Place the dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat and allow the mixture to come to a boil. This takes about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Stir and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for an additional 10 to 11 minutes. If you like the cranberry sauce more on the mashed side, take a potato masher or wooden spoon and crush some of them.
- Turn off the heat and remove to another burner. Remove cinnamon stick.
- Let the cranberries reach room temperature before transferring into a dish and storing in the fridge for at least an hour, or up to 2 days.
- Serve cold.
Notes
- You can create the texture based on your preferences. If you want smoother sauce, mash the cranberries more.
- Don't skip the fridge time before serving. These taste best cold.
- This is a great recipe to prepare the day ahead of Thanksgiving and store in the fridge overnight.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Thanksgiving Sides
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Robert says
5 STARS! Loved the orange addition.