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Once you try this Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce made with fresh cranberries, tangy orange juice, and pure maple syrup, there's no going back to a can! It's sweet, tart, and ridiculously easy to pull together.
You'll love how this cranberry sauce recipe adds a burst of bright citrus which helps to balance the richness of your Thanksgiving menu. It's also one of those rare side dishes that actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge overnight, making it a great dish to prep ahead.
Kristen's Keys for Cranberry Orange Sauce
I have a few tips that will help make this cranberry sauce recipe be a stand-out holiday side dish, rather than a dish everyone passes over.
- Go with Orange Juice Concentrate. It adds an intense orange flavor, along with natural sweetness that balances the tartness of the cranberries.
- Use Grated Nutmeg or Skip! Grating nutmeg fresh from a whole nutmeg bulb adds a warmer, more aromatic flavor that makes a surprising difference. If you only have ground nutmeg on hand, skip this addition.
- Make in Advance. It is best to make this cranberry orange sauce at least 12 hours in advance, as it thickens and intensifies in flavor after refrigeration. Which let's be honest, when it comes to the holidays the more things we can make in advance, the better!
- Use Fresh or Frozen Cranberries. Fresh cranberries are often cheaper around the holidays, but frozen cranberries work just as well.
5-Star Reader Review
This is just the best recipe for cranberry sauce. My kids love it and I love it because it isn't packed full of HFCS!!! Plus soooooo simple to make and so much better than the canned stuff...-Claire ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How to Make Cranberry Orange Sauce
Whether you are a seasoned cook or are completely inexperienced, this step-by-step section will guide you through the recipe so you can achieve perfect results.
Step One: Combine
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, orange juice concentrate, orange zest, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg.
👉🏻Use a Microplane. It is the best tool for grating the nutmeg and zesting the orange. I grate both right over the pan.
Step Two: Simmer
Bring the mixture to a light boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. You will know it's ready when most of the cranberries have burst and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, but keep in mind it will thicken more as it sits.
👉🏻Low and Slow Wins. A gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) helps the sauce to thicken, without scorching the natural sugars.
Step Three: Chill
Remove from heat and let the sauce cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, which will allow the sauce to thicken and flavors meld together.
👉🏻Prep-Ahead Tip: You can store cranberry orange sauce in the fridge up to 5 days prior to serving or freeze in a freezer-safe container up to 1 month in advance, making it a perfect make-ahead recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Recipe Modifications
- Maple Syrup Swap: Use honey or granulated sugar in equal amounts.
- Like it Sweeter? Double the maple syrup (or sweetener of choice).
- No Orange Juice Concentrate? Replace it with fresh orange juice and add 2-4 extra tablespoons of maple syrup (or sweetener of choice) to account for the sweetness lost from the concentrate.
- Prefer Smooth Cranberry Sauce? Blend it after it cools for a silky texture.
- Feeling Fancy? Stir in vanilla extract after simmering or top with chopped pecans for crunch.
- Use the Instant Pot: Follow my recipe for Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Cranberry orange sauce shines next to roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and bread stuffing, but don't stop there. It is my post-Thanksgiving secret weapon and can be used in so many creative and delicious ways! See some favorites below:
- As a Topping: Warm it up and spoon over ice cream, pancakes, or waffles. It is especially delicious over sweet potato waffles or sweet potato pancakes.
- As a Spread: When cooled, cranberry sauce is nearly as thick as jam and perfect spread on a cranberry orange muffin, a slice of cranberry orange bread, or on a leftover turkey sandwich.
- For Grilled Cheese: Spread buttered bread (cranberry walnut bread is exceptional here!) with cranberry sauce and top with sliced cheddar or brie cheese (use up that leftover baked brie) and toast over medium heat. Insanely delicious!
- Make a Thanksgiving Pizza: One of my favorite leftover Thanksgiving recipes is to mix leftover cranberry sauce with BBQ sauce, top with leftover turkey, and cheddar and bake. So good!
This Cranberry Orange Sauce is a staple at my family's Thanksgiving In fact, my dad and my son both insist it's the best part of Thanksgiving. I hope it finds a spot on your table, too. xo-Kristen
Cranberry Orange Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, from 1 navel orange
- ½ cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, optional
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, + more as desired
Instructions
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1 pound cranberries, 1 teaspoon orange zest, ½ cup orange juice concentrate, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once bubbling, immediately reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring often, for 20-30 minutes until the cranberries have begun to pop and burst open and the juices begin to thicken. Be sure to watch the sauce closely as it simmers, so that the sauce does not burn. If you notice too much liquid evaporating, add ¼ cup of water or orange juice as needed. And keep in mind that your sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Cool to room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published in 2017 and updated in 2025.
This sauce is fabulous! I was amazed at how much flavor it had and it just couldn't be any easier to make. Incredible!
I love hearing you enjoy this--and find it so easy!
Delicious - great recipe! My family absolutely loved it!
I am so glad you all enjoy this Melissa. Thank you for sharing.
I added the extra maple syrup because my family doesn't like things really tart. The orange zest adds such a fresh flavor. So much tastier than the stuff from a can!
So glad you enjoy so much Kara! Thanks for sharing how much you enjoyed!
Happy Thanksgiving Kristen! First of all I wanted to thank you for the time you take to put together such wonderful recipes and ideas for us! I’m a single dad that has raised both my kids by myself for 90% of their lives. My son is 16 and daughter 13, so I have my battle lines drawn 😊 We make a great team and love to cook together; and have many of your recipes in our “rotation”. So thank you! Thank you for your little weekly email that always seems to come at the right time!
Now as for this recipe, I know it’s a long shot to get a response from you soon, so hopefully I’ll have my answer for next time. I’m wondering if you have this recipe made for the Instant Pot? I’m sure I could wing it myself, but I wanted to see if you had anything.
Hope you have a great holiday!
Steve in Salem
Happy Thanksgiving to you as well Steve. You have your hands full and kuddos to you! I can't tell you how much it means to me that my recipes are a part of your life...it truly touches my heart. As for the cranberry sauce, I made this recipe for with a few modifications and it worked perfectly. I doubled it so there would be a full cup of liquid. I put 1/4 cup water in bottom of instant pot, then 2 pounds fresh cranberries, then 3/4 cup defrosted orange juice concentrate, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/3 cup maple syrup and put lid on and cooked for 8 minutes on high pressure and let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. It is in my fridge right now for tomorrow. Have a very blessed Thanksgiving!
Thank you for your response Kristen! I can’t wait to give it a try tomorrow 👍🏼 I’ll be sure to let you know how it turned out 😊 Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍁🍽
Most recipes use a cup of water for the 12 oz bag( 3 cups) of cranberries. Is the 1/2 cup oj concentrate really enough liquid?
Hi Karen! We really like thick cranberry sauce and with the juice from the cranberries, maple syrup and OJ this works perfectly for us. If you would like thinner cranberry sauce, I would add in 1/2 cup water in addition to OJ for every 12-16 ounces of cranberries. Enjoy 🙂
Oh this will be so perfect for Thanksgiving. Love the addition of citrus, it gives it a little refreshing zing!
The citrus is key!
This is just the best recipe for cranberry sauce.
My kids love it and I love it because it isn't packed full of HFCS!!!
Plus soooooo simple to make and so much better than the canned stuff.
I am making a batch tomorrow ready for the freezer....anything to make the holiday season a bit easier 😀
YAY!! I am SO glad you love this recipe. And way to get a jump on the Holiday seasons.