American
Stovetop Orange Cranberry Sauce
Fresh cranberries simmer with orange juice, zest, and sugar until they burst into a glossy sauce. It sets as it cools and brightens rich holiday plates.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Fresh berries beat canned texture.
- Orange lifts the tart fruit without extra spice clutter.
- Finishes in one saucepan.
- Keeps for days so you can make it early.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Rinse cranberries and pick out any soft ones.
- 2
Combine sugar, orange juice, water, cinnamon, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- 3
Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
- 4
Add cranberries and orange zest; bring to a gentle boil.
- 5
Cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until most berries burst and the sauce thickens.
- 6
Cool to room temperature; it will thicken further as it sits.
Pro tips
- Stop cooking when a few whole berries remain for texture.
- Taste after cooling before adding more sugar.
- A wide pan reduces faster than a deep pot.
Easy substitutions
- orange juice
- apple juice
- granulated sugar
- honey, start with 1/2 cup
- fresh cranberries
- frozen cranberries, no thaw needed
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a sealed jar up to 10 days.
Reheating
Serve cold or warm gently on the stovetop with a splash of water.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 95
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop · Vegetarian
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