Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice

Cranberry sauce with orange juice is a simple homemade sauce that is tart, lightly sweet and full of bright citrus flavor. Fresh cranberries pop and soften in a pot of orange juice, sugar and orange zest, and the whole thing is ready in about 15 minutes.

It is thicker and fresher than the canned kind, and it takes only five ingredients. Serve it with turkey, roasted vegetables, stuffing or on a slice of toast, and it is vegan and gluten free.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (340 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cinnamon stick, optional

Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice

• It takes about 15 minutes and uses only a handful of ingredients, so it is easy to add to a busy holiday menu.
• The orange juice and zest give it a fresh, citrus flavor that canned sauce does not have.
• It can be made days ahead and reheated, which frees up stove space on the big day.
• The sauce is vegan and gluten free, so almost everyone at the table can eat it.

Ingredient Notes

Cranberries: Fresh and frozen cranberries both work. You do not need to thaw frozen berries. Add them straight to the pot and cook for a minute or two longer. Look for firm, plump berries that are deep red, and discard any that are soft or shriveled.

Orange juice: Freshly squeezed juice gives the brightest flavor, and you need about 2 large oranges for 3/4 cup. Store bought juice works too. Choose one with no added sugar, since the recipe already has sweetener. Juice with pulp gives the sauce a little more texture.

Orange zest: The zest holds the aromatic oils of the orange and gives the sauce its fragrance. Grate only the orange part of the peel, because the white pith is bitter. Zest the oranges before you juice them, because it is much harder afterward.

Sugar: Granulated sugar is the standard choice. The recipe gives a balanced sauce that is tart with a gentle sweetness. If you like it sweeter, add another 2 tablespoons at the end. Maple syrup, in the same amount, also works and adds a warm flavor, and it keeps the sauce vegan.

Salt: A small pinch of salt does not make the sauce taste salty. It sharpens the fruit flavor and balances the tartness.

Cinnamon: A cinnamon stick adds a mild warm spice. Remove it before serving. Ground cinnamon can make the sauce look cloudy, so a stick is the better choice.

How to Make Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice

Rinse the cranberries and pick through them, discarding any soft or damaged ones. Zest the orange first, then squeeze it to get fresh juice.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, orange juice, water, zest, salt and the cinnamon stick if you use it. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. This is the first step where a mistake ruins the sauce. If you add the cranberries before the sugar dissolves, the sauce can turn grainy, so wait until the liquid is clear.

Add the cranberries and return the pot to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then. You will hear the berries pop as they cook. Stop when most of the berries have burst and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Taste the sauce and add more sugar if it is too tart. The second step that matters is the timing. Cranberries are full of pectin, and the sauce thickens a lot as it cools, so take it off the heat while it still looks slightly loose. If you cook it until it looks thick in the pot, it turns stiff and gluey once it is cold.

Remove the cinnamon stick, pour the sauce into a bowl and let it cool for at least 30 minutes. It will set as it cools. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

Tips for Success

• Mash some of the berries against the side of the pot for a thicker sauce with less whole fruit.
• Add a splash of water if the sauce gets too thick after chilling. Stir it in while the sauce is warm.
• Use a pot that is wider than it is tall. The sauce reduces faster and the berries cook more evenly.
• Do not walk away from the stove. Cranberries foam and can boil over quickly.
• Let the sauce rest before you judge the thickness. It looks looser in the pot than it does once cooled.

Storage

Fridge: Store the sauce in an airtight container for up to 10 days. The flavor improves after a day or two.

Make ahead: Make it up to a week ahead and keep it chilled. Serve cold or warm it gently on the stove for a few minutes.

Freezer: Freeze the cooled sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and stir before serving.

FAQ

Can I use frozen cranberries?

Yes. Use them straight from the freezer. They may need 1 or 2 extra minutes of simmering, and the result is the same as with fresh berries.

How do I fix cranberry sauce that is too tart?

Stir in a tablespoon of sugar or maple syrup at a time while the sauce is warm, tasting as you go. A small pinch of salt also softens the tartness.

Why didn’t my cranberry sauce thicken?

It may not have cooked long enough, or you have not let it cool yet. Cranberry sauce thickens as it cools because of the natural pectin in the fruit. If it is still thin after chilling, simmer it for 3 to 5 more minutes.

Can I make it with less sugar?

Yes. You can cut the sugar to 1/2 cup and the sauce will be tarter. Taste at the end, and add sweetener only if you need it.

Is cranberry sauce with orange juice vegan?

Yes. The sauce is made from cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest, with no animal products. If you are strict about sugar, choose an organic or vegan certified sugar, since some refined sugar is processed with bone char.