Description
This Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipe is a simple, flavorful accompaniment perfect for holiday meals or year-round enjoyment. Combining fresh cranberries with orange juice, zest, brown sugar, and a touch of vanilla, this homemade sauce is bright, tangy, and sweet with a delightful texture from reserved whole cranberries stirred in at the end. Ready in just 25 minutes, it’s a fresh alternative to canned cranberry sauce, perfect served warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 12 ounce bag cranberries, rinsed*
- 3/4 cup (150g) water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh orange juice (about 1/2 large orange)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar*
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare Orange: Zest the orange first and set the zest aside. Then cut the orange in half and juice about half to get 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice. This ensures zesting is easier and you have fresh juice ready for the recipe.
- Reserve Cranberries: After rinsing the cranberries in a colander, set aside 1/2 cup of whole cranberries. These will be added at the end of cooking to provide extra texture to the sauce.
- Cook Cranberries: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining cranberries, water, orange juice, and brown sugar. Stir occasionally as the mixture heats and begins to simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low-medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and the cranberries burst, about 15 minutes.
- Finish Sauce: Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the reserved 1/2 cup cranberries, orange zest, and vanilla extract. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Serve and Store: Serve the sauce warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze after cooling completely for up to 3 months and thaw before serving.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing: Prepare sauce up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate. Reheat gently before serving if desired. Freeze cooled sauce for up to 3 months; thaw in refrigerator and rewarm before use.
- Cranberries: Use fresh or frozen cranberries directly from the freezer—no need to thaw fully. Rinse before cooking but no need to dry completely.
- Brown Sugar: 3/4 cup gives a moderately sweet sauce, increase to 1 cup for more sweetness.
- Recommended Tools: Zester, citrus juicer, medium saucepan, and wooden spoon for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup (about 60ml)
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 0.2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
