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Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce

Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce - featured image
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This easy homemade cranberry orange sauce is a vibrant, tangy, and sweet holiday side dish made from fresh cranberries, orange juice, and zest. It comes together in under 20 minutes and is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any festive gathering.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries (about 3 cups)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 large orange)
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1 large orange)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Optional: 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Optional: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

  1. Rinse cranberries and pick out any shriveled ones. Zest and juice the orange.
  2. Add cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and water to a medium saucepan. Add cinnamon or vanilla if using. Stir to combine.
  3. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture comes to a gentle boil (about 3-5 minutes). Cranberries will start to pop.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every minute or so, for 10-12 minutes until cranberries burst and sauce thickens.
  5. If sugar clumps, keep stirring until dissolved. For chunkier sauce, mash only half the berries.
  6. When most berries have popped and sauce coats the spoon, taste and adjust sweetness or citrus as needed.
  7. Stir in nuts if using.
  8. Transfer to a heat-safe bowl and let cool to room temperature. Serve chilled or at room temp.

Notes

Make the sauce a day ahead for best flavor. Adjust sugar to taste for a tarter or sweeter sauce. For chunkier texture, mash only some of the cranberries. Sauce thickens as it cools. Store in the fridge for up to 10 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry sauce, holiday side, Thanksgiving, Christmas, orange, homemade, easy, vegan, gluten-free

Find it online: https://yumyep.com/fresh-cranberry-orange-sauce-recipe-easy-homemade-holiday-side/