This Orange Cranberry Sauce recipe only requires 7 ingredients and 20 minutes to make! It is tart, packed with fresh orange zest and juice, can be made ahead of time, and is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table.
Quick Look: Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Method: All ingredients simmer together for just 20 minutes.
- Why Make THIS Version? Less sweet than store-bought and most other cranberry sauce recipes, this recipe is the perfectly tangy contrast to rich Thanksgiving foods.
- Secret to Success: Mash the cranberries with the back of a wooden spoon to your liking. Make it as chunky or as smooth as you prefer.
- Key Ingredients: Fresh cranberries, orange zest and juice, white and brown sugar.
- Calories/Serving: 111 kcal.
- Pairs Well With: Anything you'd find on a Thanksgiving plate or on top of toast or oatmeal.
- Freezer-Friendly: Yes. Freeze for up to a month.
Every single year I go to a potluck Friendsgiving dinner. And since I'm a baker, you would probably assume that I bake a Vegan Pumpkin Pie, or Vegan Apple Pie, or a pan of Vegan Dinner Rolls. But you'd be wrong.
I always make this Orange Cranberry Sauce recipe. Mostly because I'm afraid that no one else will bring it! I love cranberry sauce, but I only like it when it is homemade because the canned stuff is way too sweet. But my tangy, homemade version is the perfect contrast to all of the other rich foods like vegan mushroom gravy. And it is so quick and easy to make!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Cranberry Sauce Recipe
- This recipe only requires 7 simple ingredients.
- And it is ready in just 20 minutes!
- This Orange Cranberry Sauce is the perfect tangy contrast to the rich dishes on your holiday table.
- It is packed with flavor from fresh orange zest and juice.
- And most importantly, it is absolutely delicious!
Ingredient Notes
Fresh Cranberries: Fresh cranberries are essential! And you can only find them in grocery stores during the Fall, so make the most of them. Typically, they are packaged in 12-oz bags, so you will need one bag for this recipe. Cranberries are natually high in pectin, which is how this cranberry sauce thickens.
Orange Zest and Juice: Cranberry and orange is a classic combination that is delicious in vegan cranberry orange muffins and in this cranberry sauce. Most of the orange flavor lives in the zest, because that is where the essential oils live. The orange juice provides some flavor, but mostly it provides a little extra sweetness and some liquid. You will need 2 oranges for this recipe.
White and Brown Sugar: Cranberries are super tart, so sugar is necessary! I like to use a combination of white and brown sugar because white sugar is neutral while brown sugar has a warm, deep flavor that balances out the bright and tart flavor of the cranberries.
How to Make Orange Cranberry Sauce
Step 1. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice, water, brown sugar, and orange zest.
Place the mixture over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Step 2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 13-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After about 8 minutes, the cranberries will begin to pop. You will actually hear the popping! Once the cranberries have popped, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush them to your liking. I like a smoother sauce, so I really press the cranberries with the back of my spoon.
Once the sauce is your desired consistency and is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, remove it from the stove.
The cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, so don't worry if it looks slightly looser than your desired consistency while it is still warm.
Serve!
Serving Suggestions
- Vegan Cornbread
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts
- Vegan Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole
- Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits
Orange Cranberry Sauce FAQs
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, or freeze for up to a month.
For baking, my favorite flavor to pair with cranberry is orange, but lemon and vanilla are also delicious. In drinks, cranberry pairs well with gin to make a Cranberry Gin Cocktail or with ginger beer for a Cranberry Juice Mocktail.
Technically, you can eat fresh cranberries, but people typically don't because they are incredibly tart and bitter.
Bad cranberries look shriveled and have soft or mushy spots on them.
Megan's Expert Tips
Be sure to thoroughly pick through the cranberries to remove any old, soft berries. I always find at least 10 in every bag! I just discard any mushy cranberries. The good cranberries should be hard, glossy, and sound hollow when tapped.
I make this Orange Cranberry Sauce recipe ahead of time if I'm making a bunch of other Thanksgiving dishes on the holiday. I'll typically make it up to 4 days before the actual dinner because I want some time to eat it after with the other leftovers!
Use the back of a wooden spoon to smash any cranberries that have not fully popped once everything is really soft. But if you like your cranberry sauce to be chunky, just skip this step!
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📖 Recipe
Orange Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
- 1 2 Quart Saucepan
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
- 12 Ounces Fresh Cranberries, picked through to remove any soft berries
- ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ Cup Fresh Orange Juice this is approximately the juice of 2 oranges
- ½ Cup Water
- 2 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Orange Zest this is approximately the zest from 1 orange
- 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
Instructions
- In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice, water, light brown sugar, orange zest, and salt. Stir to combine.12 Ounces Fresh Cranberries, picked through to remove any soft berries, ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar, ½ Cup Fresh Orange Juice, ½ Cup Water, 2 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar, 2 tsp Orange Zest, 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
- Place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixtrure simmers.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 13-15 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped and the mixture has thickened.
- Remove from the heat and use the back of a wooden spoon to pop any cranberries that have not fully popped yet, if desired. If you like a chunkier cranberry sauce, skip this step.
- The cranberry sauce is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Allow the cranberry sauce to cool slightly and serve or store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Megan Calipari says
This cranberry sauce is so much better than anything you'd find at the store! The fresh orange juice and zest give it the perfect citrusy flavor, and I love that it's a little less sweet and has just the right amount of tang. So delicious!