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This healthy orange cranberry sauce is homemade with fresh cranberries, orange juice and zest, maple syrup, and vanilla. It comes together in 10 minutes and is sure to be a hit at your holiday table!
I had never made homemade cranberry sauce until I got married and started hosting holidays. That is when I made this delicious, flavor-packed orange cranberry sauce that EVERYONE LOVED! I never served store-bought versions ever again!
The best part is that it only requires a few simple ingredients and takes 10 minutes to make it! The flavors are so bright and perfectly tangy with just the right amount of sweetness that gives you a nice pucker at the end. Everything you want in a cranberry sauce!
If you have leftover cranberries then you MUST TRY these orange cranberry muffins! They are perfect for a holiday brunch paired with this irresistible cranberry chicken salad!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s easy to make, I mean really, really easy.
- You can impress your whole family and they won’t even know that it took you 10 minutes to make it.
- It is vegan, low in sugar, and has the perfect mix of tangy + sweet flavors.
- You can make it ahead and chill it or freeze it.
- It only requires 4 ingredients.
- 1000% better and more flavorful than any store-bought versions!
Is cranberry sauce good for you?
Cranberry sauce is pretty healthy if you don’t load it up with sugar. Since cranberries are naturally low in fat and have no trans fat or saturated fat they make this delicious sauce healthy too.
Look out for canned cranberry sauce though, since it can be loaded with extra unhealthy ingredients, especially sugar. Skip the canned stuff and make this 10-minute recipe instead.
Ingredients
- Cranberries – fresh cranberries work best in this recipe but frozen cranberries will also work.
- Maple syrup – this is the sweetener that gives this cranberry sauce the perfect balance of tangy and sweet.
- Orange juice and zest – you can use store-bought orange juice but you will need fresh orange zest anyway so you might as well squeeze the juice out of the orange. I found that the juice from 3 large oranges was just about the right amount.
- Vanilla extract – real vanilla extract to enhance all of the flavors.
How to make homemade cranberry sauce in 3 easy steps
This tangy, sweet orange cranberry sauce can be made in 3 simple steps in 10 minutes!
- Add the orange juice, maple syrup, vanilla, and cranberries to a pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Stir that all together and let the mixture come to a boil.
- Then reduce the heat to low, cover it, and let it simmer for about 8 minutes. The cranberries will pop and burst a little which is supposed to happen. This will also allow the sauce to thicken a little bit.
3. Remove it from the heat, stir it a little and use a masher to bring it to your desired consistency by mashing up the remaining cranberries. I like mine a little chunky so I left some cranberries whole.
Pour it into a serving bowl and top it with some orange zest. So beautiful!
Recipe Tips
- You can use fresh or frozen cranberries but I think fresh cranberries make this recipe way better though.
- I used freshly squeezed orange juice and filtered out the pulp. You can also use store-bought orange juice.
- To reduce the sugar in this recipe you can substitute the maple syrup with ¼ cup of stevia or ½ cup of monk fruit. It will alter the taste a bit but still come out super delicious.
How to make orange cranberry sauce ahead of time
You can easily make this orange cranberry sauce ahead of time, store it, then serve it later. Cook it per the recipe card below, let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before you serve it. It is great cold but you can heat it on the stove for a few minutes over low heat if you prefer to serve it warm.
Storing Tips
To store: Leftover cranberry sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze: You can transfer the cranberry sauce to a freezer-friendly container and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Easily defrost it in the refrigerator overnight when you are ready to use it.
What to do with leftover cranberry sauce
- My favorite way to use up leftover cranberry sauce is to pair it with turkey meatballs or enjoy it on a turkey or chicken sandwich. It is also super great with this homemade chickpea chicken salad.
- You can use it as a topping on pancakes, waffles, or oatmeal.
- It is also delicious on top of yogurt with a little bit of homemade granola.
Ways to serve cranberry sauce
- We love to serve it with some Thanksgiving turkey, ham or chicken alongside some mashed butternut squash and kale salad for the perfect holiday feast!
- It goes great served with some pork tenderloin or pork loin as well!
- Use it in a cranberry turkey sandwich! It adds just the right amount of flavor that everyone will love!
More delicious Thanksgiving recipes!
- Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Roasted Acorn Squash
- Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
- Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
- Apple Pear Crisp
- Roasted Boneless Turkey Breast
Did you try this orange cranberry sauce recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear how it turned out!
Print
Homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This perfectly tangy and sweet homemade orange cranberry sauce is so flavorful and will be a hit at your holiday gathering! You can make it in 10 minutes plus it stores great too! Everyone will go crazy for it!
Ingredients
- 1lb fresh or frozen cranberries – I used Ocean Spray brand
- 1 cup of orange juice – store-bought or fresh squeezed
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- The zest of 1 orange
Instructions
- Add the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, and vanilla to a pot. Stir and bring it to a boil.
- Cover, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 8 minutes. The cranberries will start to pop open. This is supposed to happen and will help the sauce thicken. Watch the pot to make sure it does not boil over. I also like to stir it a few times to help break up the cranberries.
- After 8 minutes, check the consistency of the sauce. I like mine a little chunkier so I will mash up some of the remaining whole cranberries with a masher and leave some whole.
- Turn off the heat, transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and top it with the orange zest.
- Serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature.
Notes
- You can use fresh or frozen cranberries but I think fresh cranberries make this recipe way better.
- I used store-bought orange juice but fresh squeezed also works. If you use fresh squeezed then make sure to filter out the pulp first.
- To reduce the sugar in this recipe you can sub the maple syrup with ¼ cup of stevia or ½ cup of munkfruit. It will alter the taste a bit but still come out super delicious.
- This cranberry sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can also freeze this cranberry sauce. To freeze: Transfer the cranberry sauce to a mason jar or freezer-friendly containter and freeze for up to a month. Perfect for Thanksgiving since you can make it in advance and have it ready to go on the big day.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dressings, Dips, and Sauces
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Could you put the leftovers into a mason jar? If so, how long would it keep for? (Either at room temp or refrigerated)?
Hi Laura, yes the leftovers can be put into a mason jar and stored in the refrigerator or the freezer. You just want to make sure to let it cool completely first.