Cranberry and Orange Sauce Recipe
Oct 13, 2025
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No holiday table is complete without this Cranberry and Orange Sauce recipe. It’s made with just a few simple ingredients – cranberries, orange juice and sugar – plus the zest of an orange for brightness.
It’s tart, sweet and bursting with citrus flavor, the needed complement to your Thanksgiving or holiday spread. Once you see how easy it is to make homemade orange cranberry sauce, you’ll never even consider that canned stuff again. This is the only way I’ve made cranberry sauce for my entire adult life – once I escaped those ridges of the sliced canned version.
Why you’ll love this recipe
This Cranberry and Orange Sauce recipe is a step up from a basic cranberry sauce, yet it’s an extremely approachable recipe.
- Quick and simple: Only 3 ingredients and ready in 15 minutes.
- Fresh flavor: Real orange juice adds natural sweetness and zing.
- Perfect make-ahead dish: Tastes even better after chilling overnight and stays fresh for a week.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
How to make Orange Cranberry Sauce
Simmer the ingredients. In a medium saucepan, combine orange juice and sugar. Bring to a simmer and add in cranberries.
Cook until thickened. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens. Watch carefully, as sauce will start to bubble up and can boil over easily.
Add zest and cool. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest. Transfer to a bowl or serving dish and allow sauce to cool. It will continue to thicken as it sets.
Serve or store. Put a lid on the bowl or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Orange cranberry sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance.
Why we serve Cranberry Sauce at Thanksgiving
Bright red orange cranberry sauce provides a bright, acidic punch to a table of mostly brown foods. The tradition of cranberries at Thanksgiving dates back to the earliest harvest celebrations, as the native North American fruit was one of the only ones still available when weather turned cold.
The bright, tart flavor of cranberries became a natural way to balance the richness of turkey and higher-fat side dishes. Acidity from cranberry sauce cuts through heavier bites of mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy, bringing a pop to wake up your plate and your palate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Because there is natural sweetness in the orange juice, you can reduce the sugar to ½ cup for a less sweet and more tart sauce. You might have to increase the cooking time be a couple of minutes to thicken the sauce.
Try a few pinches of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg or a splash of vanilla extract to mix up the flavor. This sauce also could be elevated with a few tablespoons of orange liqueur.
Absolutely. This is one of the best dishes to make ahead to save time on Thanksgiving day. Make this up to 3 days in advance and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Just stir up the sauce when you’re ready to serve.
Yes. This orange cranberry sauce freezes well. Let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. It will last for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and stir to revive the texture before serving.
If your orange cranberry sauce turns out too thick, stir in orange juice a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, return the sauce to a pan over low heat and simmer to continue to reduce and thicken naturally.
What to do with leftover cranberry sauce
The sweet and tart nature of this orange and cranberry sauce lends itself to a number of applications. Try using a spoonful to make a Cranberry Old Fashioned, or make an easy appetizer like a goat cheese crostini topped with a dollop of cranberry and orange sauce.
No matter how you enjoy this recipe, it’s sure to become your new go-to tradition for enhancing holiday meals and entertaining.
Cranberry and Orange Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine orange juice and sugar. Bring to a simmer and add in cranberries.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens. Watch carefully, as sauce will start to bubble up and can boil over easily.
- Remove from heat. Stir in orange zest. Transfer to a bowl or serving dish and allow sauce to cool. It will continue to thicken as it sets.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
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This worked exactly as written, thanks!