This Easy Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce is the perfect addition to your next Thanksgiving dinner!
Cranberry sauce from scratch is so simple and so tasty, you’ll never go back to the canned version. Even better, it can be made ahead for extra ease during holiday dinners.
I love adding orange to the mix when making cranberry sauce because I find it takes the edge off and rounds out the cranberry flavor. Then, with just a touch of sweetener, you have a sweet/tart sauce perfect for pairing with turkey.
How to make Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce
- You start by grating the orange zest with a microplane grater . This is essential, in my mind, because the microplane produces a super-fine orange zest that melts into the sauce. -No chewy bits of rind around here!-
- Then, to that, you add the juice of that same orange along with the cranberries, water, and a touch of sweetener.
- Next up, you simmer until the cranberries begin to pop.
- Finally, adjust the amount of sweetener to your taste, and thicken it with a touch of tapioca/cornstarch if desired.
Tip: You can make this Cranberry Orange Sauce 2-3 days in advance, and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve. I like to warm it briefly on the stove before serving.
Cranberries naturally contain a lot of pectin, which will thicken up as your cranberry sauce cools. You can also mix 1-2 teaspoons tapioca or cornstarch until smooth. Then add it to the simmering sauce while whisking constantly, and simmer just until thickened. But do keep in mind that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools due to that pectin we talked about above!
My answer is that either one works just as well, so buy whatever is more affordable. Here in Montana, frozen is much more reliable and cheaper. I’ve often found the fresh cranberries (the organic ones, anyway) we get here have quite a lot of moldy ones mixed in, where the frozen ones are mostly in good shape! I’ve made this sauce with both fresh and frozen, and I absolutely cannot tell the difference.
Yes! I’ve often frozen cranberry sauce for later. It’s perfect if you want to make it well in advance, or if you have more leftovers than you’ll use. Thaw the frozen sauce in the refrigerator, and gently reheat it before serving.
First up, you can freeze the cranberry sauce for another time. I’ve also tossed my leftover cranberry sauce with sliced apples to make a cranberry apple crisp. If you have just a small amount (say less than 1/2 cup), you might consider making a chicken salad out of it with some mayo, diced celery, and thinly sliced green onions – this is always a knockout, although very pink! And finally, I’ve blended it up with oranges as a cranberry orange smoothie on several occasions and loved it.
This cranberry orange sauce recipe is part of my gluten-free and paleo Thanksgiving recipes for more inspiration for a complete holiday dinner!
- Gluten Free Gravy
- Butternut Sausage Stuffing
- Best Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans with Bacon and Mushrooms
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
If you make this Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I love hearing from you, and please don’t hesitate to ask questions. And of course, you can always tag me over on Instagram #getinspiredeveryday. I really enjoy seeing all your creations!
INGREDIENTS1x2x3x
- 1 orange
- 12 ounce package frozen or fresh cranberries - 3 cups
- 1/4 cup maple syrup - or honey, to taste
- 1 cup water
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoons tapioca or cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- Additional: 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract and/or small pinch of cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
- Using a microplane grater , grate just the darkest orange part of the orange zest into a medium-sized saucepan. Then slice the orange in half and juice it.
- Add the juice, cranberries, maple syrup or honey, and water to the pan. If you want to add a touch of cinnamon, now is the time to add it!
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer the cranberry sauce until the cranberries begin to pop, and the sauce begins to thicken, 10 minutes.
- Next, you can thicken it if desired, or let it cool and thicken naturally. I prefer a thick cranberry sauce, so I do use the 1-2 teaspoons tapioca/cornstarch, depending on how reduced the sauce is.
- You can always simmer the sauce to reduce the liquid, but bear in mind there will be less sauce when you’re finished.
- Add the optional vanilla and serve immediately. Or you can let the sauce cool then refrigerate it for 2-3 days until you’re ready to reheat and serve it.
NOTES
nutrition facts
Cranberry Orange Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 orange
- 12 ounce package frozen or fresh cranberries 3 cups
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey, to taste
- 1 cup water
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoons tapioca or cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- Additional: 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract and/or small pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Using a microplane grater, grate just the darkest orange part of the orange zest into a medium-sized saucepan. Then slice the orange in half and juice it.
- Add the juice, cranberries, maple syrup or honey, and water to the pan. If you want to add a touch of cinnamon, now is the time to add it!
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer the cranberry sauce until the cranberries begin to pop, and the sauce begins to thicken, 10 minutes.
- Next, you can thicken it if desired, or let it cool and thicken naturally. I prefer a thick cranberry sauce, so I do use the 1-2 teaspoons tapioca/cornstarch, depending on how reduced the sauce is.
- You can always simmer the sauce to reduce the liquid, but bear in mind there will be less sauce when you’re finished.
- Add the optional vanilla and serve immediately. Or you can let the sauce cool then refrigerate it for 2-3 days until you’re ready to reheat and serve it.
Notes
Nutrition
The recipe Cranberry Orange Sauce appeared first on Get Inspired Everyday! on November 8, 2019
https://getinspiredeveryday.com/food/easy-homemade-cranberry-orange-sauce/
