Description
A tangy, sweet, and warmly spiced cranberry sauce that’s perfect for holidays or cozy dinners. Made with fresh cranberries, orange juice, and festive spices, it’s quick to prepare and packed with flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 to 4 whole cloves
- 1/2 cup water
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon stick, cloves, water, and a pinch of salt.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine the ingredients.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. As it heats, the cranberries will begin to pop.
- Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the berries burst.
- Remove from heat and discard the cinnamon stick and cloves.
- Let the sauce cool to room temperature. It will thicken further as it cools.
- Serve warm or chilled as desired.
Notes
- Use frozen cranberries if fresh are unavailable — no need to thaw.
- Adjust sweetness at the end depending on tartness of berries.
- For a smoother texture, mash the cranberries or blend the sauce.
- Stores well in fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 23g
- Sodium: 15mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: cranberry sauce, holiday side dish, spiced cranberry, thanksgiving cranberry recipe, orange cranberry sauce