Add a burst of flavor with this cranberry orange sauce recipe made with fresh cranberries, orange zest, and a hint of Cointreau! Quick and easy to make, with the perfect balance of tart and sweet, this easy side dish will make its way around the table more than once.
This 20-minute cranberry sauce is the reason you’re never buying store-bought again. I make this every single Thanksgiving and it’s become quite the staple! I think every year I average about 2 to 3 texts from family members asking “are you bringing that cranberry sauce this year?” It’s the BEST. Even my kids eat it, which is huge – they’re notoriously picky!
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe
- The citrusy orange perfectly balances the tartness of cranberries.
- It’s ready in just 20 minutes and you can make it ahead of time!
- Made with fresh ingredients, so every bite tastes crisp and fresh.
- You control the sweetness, adjusting sugar levels to suit your taste.
- No fancy equipment needed—just a saucepan and a spoon!
Key Ingredients
Cointreau adds depth and a spiced aroma to this cranberry orange sauce. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Fresh Cranberries: Fresh or frozen will both work, but do not use dried cranberries.
- Orange Zest: When grating the zest, make sure to only get the orange skin part, not the bitter white pith below.
- Granulated Sugar: Light brown and dark brown sugar are both great for this too, so just use whatever you have on hand. Substitute honey or maple syrup for sugar if you prefer natural sweeteners.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger really is best, but 1 teaspoon ground ginger will work in a pinch.
- Cinnamon: You can also use a 4″ cinnamon stick and let it simmer in the mixture instead.
- Cranberry Juice: 100% cranberry juice is best, but use whichever you can find.
- Cointreau: Feel free to use Grand Marnier instead, both work great! You can also skip this and use extra cranberry juice or orange juice.
How to Make This Cranberry Sauce Recipe with Orange
Simmering this cranberry sauce will make your kitchen smell like Christmas! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.
- Bring it to a boil: Mix the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cranberry juice in a pot. Bring it to a boil.
- Add cointreau and cranberries: Stir in the alcohol and cranberries. Let the mixture return to a boil.
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- Simmer it: Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the cranberries begin to pop.
- Add the zest: Remove it from the heat and stir in the zest.
- Serve: Pour it into a serving dish and add it to your favorite holiday dishes. Enjoy!
Chef’s Tips and Variations
- Choose non-stick: It’s easy for the cranberry sauce to stick and burn in a stainless steel pot. Always go for a non-stick pot if you have one.
- Make it smooth: If you’re not a fan of chunky cranberry bits, process 3/4 of the sauce (or all of it) in the blender until smooth to your liking.
- Sweeten it to taste: Add the sugar 1/4 cup at a time and stop when it’s sweetened to taste.
- Add spices: Add a pinch of cinnamon or a dash of nutmeg for a warm, spiced version.
- Add apple: Like in my apple cranberry sauce, feel free to add a diced apple for added sweetness and texture.
- Add nuts: Stirring 1/4 to 1/2 cup of candied pecans or walnuts into the mixture will give it some crunch.
- Fresh herbs: Add a 5″ fresh rosemary sprig (or 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves) into the pot and let the herbiness infuse into the sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Remove it right before serving.
What to Serve with Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Holidays: This cranberry sauce is a great side dish for your holiday menu. Spoon it over my Thanksgiving turkey, for example. If you’re serving pork, go for my cranberry apple stuffed pork chops. My stuffed pork loin is another family-favorite.
- Slider topping: Everyone also loves spreading it on my turkey sliders.
- Side dishes: For more side dish ideas, don’t forget some green beans with bacon or creamed spinach.
Storing, Reheating and Freezing
- Storing: Pour it into an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezing: Transfer it to freezer-friendly bags or containers in serving-size portions. This is best to avoid food waste later on. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating: If you prefer your cranberry sauce served warm, pop it into the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
Yield: 10 servings
Cranberry Orange Sauce
This zesty cranberry orange sauce will make its way around the Christmas table more than once. A bit of zest and Cointreau add all the orange goodness and spice this cranberry sauce recipe needs!
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup pure cranberry juice
- ⅓ cup Cointreau, or Grand Marnier
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- zest of 2 large oranges
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Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cranberry juice. Bring to a boil.
- Add cointreau and cranberries, return to a boil.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the berries start to pop, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add orange zest and stir.
- Serve warm or refrigerate until cold and serve chilled.
Notes
Storage: Pour it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks. Keep it at the very back of the fridge where it’s coldest.
Freeze: Transfer it to freezer-friendly bags or containers in serving-size portions. This is best to avoid food waste later on. Freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: Pop it into the microwave in 15 second intervals until warm. You can also heat it in a pot over medium heat for 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 119kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 0.2g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.003g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 117mg, Potassium: 28mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 21IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 0.1mg
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Very good.
Hi
What brand of pure cranberry juice did you use in this recipe.
Hi, looks good! Is it possible to use ground ginger instead of the fresh? Was going to make it tonight. LW
Merry Christmas everybody. But I’d like to warn people who have never worked with alcohol in cooking. I made a triple batch of this recipe and as I was adding my orange liqueur it’s best if you do it too hot liquid real close and down next to the liquid!! I found out what a quick flash means when heat and alcohol mix. Everybody’s okay, except for me lol I can’t stop giggling. Again Merry Christmas to everybody this recipe is incredible and I can’t wait for it to cool down so we can try it.
Does it thicken up after sitting? Mine is staying pretty runny.
This is the way I make mine, too, except I squeeze the oranges after zesting to use that instead of cranberry juice. If I have any leftover mandarin oranges I will add those. Sometimes chopped pecans are added or diced celery. It just depends on how I feel or what’s in the fridge but your recipe is my basic recipe, too. 🙂
Awesome recipe! I will definitely make it again.
Your pictures are gorgeous! I just made a double batch and put it in tiny jars for the neighbors. They’re cute and it smelled wonderful. I’m nervous I got carried away with the orange zest – it was pretty tart when warm. The recipe was easy though so I’ll definitely make this again (even if I have to work on my zesting skills)!
Hi Jessica…! your dish cranberry oranges relish looks and sound is amazing & yummy. i will make this recipe like you. Thanks for sharing..!