Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe
This homemade Cinnamon Cranberry Orange Sauce is bursting with fresh juicy cranberries and is perfect served with Roast Turkey. You will be surprised how easy this is (with just 4 ingredients) and it’s way better than canned or storebought sauce.
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Orange Cranberry Sauce is iconic for the holiday table along with classic sides like Mashed Potatoes, easy Turkey Gravy, creamy Sweet Potato Casserole, and of course soft Dinner Rolls. This Cranberry Orange Sauce proves that homemade is best.
Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe
You’ll love this spin on Classic Cranberry Sauce infused with cinnamon and orange flavors. You can’t beat homemade because it has a real cranberry texture. The cranberries burst and release their juices as they heat, which turns into a jelly-like sauce as it cools. This one is bursting with bites of sweet, tangy cranberries.
This is one of the easiest side dishes you’ll make but Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without it. Make this once and you’ll quickly realize canned cranberry sauce is no match for the real thing.
How Long Does Cranberry Sauce Last?
You can make cranberry-orange sauce ahead and take a little pressure off the biggest cooking day of the year! Homemade orange-cranberry sauce will keep well covered and refrigerated for 10-14 days.
Can I Freeze Cranberry Sauce?
Cranberry Sauce freezes really well. Transfer it to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag, remove excess air and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Ingredients for Orange Cranberry Sauce
The sauce is infused with orange and cinnamon and sweetened with honey. The honey gives this sauce a boost of flavor and makes it healthier than using sugar. This recipe has all-natural, unprocessed ingredients.
Can I use Frozen Cranberries?
Yes! We love keeping a bag of fresh-frozen cranberries in the freezer for when the cranberry sauce craving strikes. Did you know fresh cranberries can be frozen in their original bag or a freezer-safe bag for 10 to 12 months?
You can use fresh or frozen cranberries to make orange cranberry sauce. Frozen will take slightly longer to reach a simmer but the flavor and consistency will be the same in the finished sauce.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Sauce
This recipe is EASY and comes together quickly. It takes just 10 minutes for the sauce to form.
- In a medium saucepan, combine honey, water, orange juice, zest, and 1 cinnamon stick. Bring it to a simmer.
- Add fresh (or frozen) cranberries then simmer at a low boil 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until cranberries start to burst.
- Add more honey to taste then remove from heat and discard cinnamon stick.
Pro Zesting Tip: Zest the orange before juicing it (it’s much easier!). When zesting, be sure you only remove the orange peel and not the white portion underneath which can make your sauce taste bitter. Don’t go crazy with the zest. Using more than a teaspoon can overwhelm the sauce. If you only have store-bought orange juice, you can omit the zest and it will still work well.
How to Serve Orange Cranberry Sauce
If you have never tried homemade, you are in for a deliciously easy treat! As the sauce cools, it thickens and becomes spreadable – perfect for the Thanksgiving Turkey, with Pork Tenderloin, chicken, ham, and on Dinner Rolls. That combination of sweet and savory is irresistible. You could even use it as a topping for Cheesecake. The possibilities are endless!
Cranberry Sauce Can be served hot or cold right out of the refrigerator. We usually serve it cold or at room temperature.
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Try these top-rated holiday sides to make this your best holiday menu yet! If you’re looking for more Thanksgiving menu ideas, check out all of our Thanksgiving recipes here.
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes – with bacon and garlic
- Scalloped Sweet Potatoes – a twist on the classic
- Mashed Potato Casserole – loaded and so cheesy
- Green Bean Casserole – completely from scratch
- Quiche Lorraine – delicious hot or cold
Q: Do YOU have a special cranberry sauce you make every year? I’d love to hear about it. If you haven’t started that tradition, I invite you to try this recipe and hope it becomes a new favorite for you and your loved ones. Have a beautiful and memorable Thanksgiving!
Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup honey, or add to taste
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed from 1 large orange
- 1 tsp orange zest, lightly packed, from the same orange*
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 12 oz cranberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine 2/3 cup honey, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 tsp orange zest and 1 cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve honey.
- Add 12 oz cranberries and bring to a boil. Once boiling, adjust heat to keep at a low boil and cook 10 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cranberries will burst and sauce will begin to thicken. A minute or so before turning off the heat, taste for sweetness and add more honey to taste for a sweeter sauce. Keep in mind the sauce will thicken when it cools.
- Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick and cool cranberry sauce to room temperature then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
P.S. I am truly thankful for you, my readers, whether you just stumbled upon my blog today or have been following along since 2009 when this blog was born, I truly appreciate you. Because of you, my husband and I can do what we love to wake up to daily. We have especially been blessed to hear how our recipes have blessed your families, nourished your children and impressed your parents! This Thanksgiving, we are thanking God for you.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Exceptional!! Honey over sugar wins big (especially the creamy type from Germany we use) and orange zest is a must (and your suggested 1 tsp. limit, which I tend to exceed;)) ***Tip: for those “hesitant of cranberry sauce” : pulse fresh cranberries in the food processor/blender to minimize chunkiness. Add a can of mandarin oranges and/or crushed pineapple (skip the water).
Thank you for the feedback, Janice!
Delicious! I had to substitute granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and mandarin oranges, but it was so good – I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
So glad you loved it, Valarie! Thank you for sharing.
Excellent recipe. I doubled it and added 8 whole cloves into the mix and it was incredible. I could have eaten the whole pot while still hot 😂
That’s wonderful! Thank you.
I see the ingredients but don’t see what amount of each ingredient to use
Click “Jump to Recipe” at the top of the recipe post, that will take you to the printable recipe card where you can see the ingredient details. I hope that helps!
Love this recipe! Making a double batch right now, for the second year in a row!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Deborah!
I also add a little Grand Mariner Liqueur instead of cinnamon, try it, you’ll like it.
Sounds yummy!
Hi Natasha,
Can I use maple syrup instead of honey?
Thank you and your recipes are always yummy
Hi Kenya, I have not tried it but I’m sure that will work well too!
I use fresh cranberries and a whole orange and mix in food processor. It’s delicious
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I was wondering if you can freeze this? I want to try this and save for later.
Hi Elizabeth! I have not tested freezing this recipe. I worry the texture will not be the same. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha do you have a recipe using different berries such as cranberries, black berries and cranberries as well…I love all of your recipes.
Yolanda
Hi Yolanda! No, I do not have one. But you may enjoy my cherry sauce or strawberry sauce recipes.
Hi how much ground cinnamon would you use instead of the stick?
Hi Angela, I would suggest using just a pinch of ground cinnamon – no more than 1/4 tsp. You can also omit cinnamon and it would still work well 🙂
I have tried several of your recipes and have loved them all! I am excited to try this one for thanksgiving. I see that this keeps in the fridge for 9-14 days. If I were to make this the day before thanksgiving do you think the flavor or consistency would change when serving? Or do you think it’s best prepared and served same day? Thanks in advance!
Hi Kailey, good to know that you are enjoying my recipes! I love making and serving it on the same day but refrigerating will just be as delicious too!
This is the BEST cranberry sauce I’ve ever tried. I can’t believe how good it is. My family could eat it every single night! I made it as stated in the recipe—found it to be just perfect! Using a really good local honey probably helped. So happy I stumbled upon this recipe!
I’m so glad you discovered this recipe and my blog! Welcome, Emily! Thank you for sharing your excellent review with me!
Last minute and we realized no one got cranberry sauce for Christmas dinner. I was just going to make Sugared Cranberries, but saw the link to this. Had to substitute ground cinnamon, and dried orange peel, but this is wonderful, and cooked up so quick. We will end up having it warm with our turkey, but it is heavenly. Thank you so much for your recipes and the ease of preparing them.
Great to hear that the recipe was a success! Thank you for the review, Jeanette.
Could I use dried cranberries instead of fresh/frozen. I was thinking of soaking them before.
Thanks for your recipes 🙂
Hello Joanne, I haven’t tested that and I can’t say that it will work with dried cranberries.
Planning on making this and serving it over a softened block of cream cheese with dippers for our church Christmas party. I will try to get a picture!
I can’t wait to see it, Pat! I hope you love this recipe!
can I put this recipe into pint jars and process it in a canner? I’d like to have several on hand.
Hi Janice, I honestly haven’t tried canning it for storage. I have frozen it but haven’t tried canning, so I can’t say the canner will work.
I have never liked cranberry sauce until I made this recipe (exactly). 8 now love cranberry sauce! Thanks for this (and all of your) great recipes.
This cranberry sauce is such a treat! I’m so happy to hear you loved it!
LOVE, LOVE this sauce! My family requests it every Thanksgiving and I am happy to make it 😃
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Maria!
Easy and delicious! What more can you ask for? This is my second time making this and it’s a request. Thank you
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Rose!
I use 1/3 can of frozen, unsweetened and pulp free OJ and 2 Tbsp of Triple Sec or Grand Marnier. I also use 1/4 cup of Stevia to sweeten instead of sugar or honey due to being diabetic.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I find this recipe too sweet..it seems good but my recipe has less sugar.i add lemon juice&lemon zezt &3-4 tbspoons of sugar.. and I don’t put so much water ..just a little..and as soon as berries pop up that’s it.
Hi Valerie, thanks for sharing your version. I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving
This looks incredible….I tried making cranberry sauce a long time ago and it was so much work, grinning the berries! This looks easy and sounds delicious!! I am definitely trying it this year.
I hope you try it soon! I look forward to your feedback, Amanda!
easy, quickly and yammy!!!!Thank you
Great! Thank you.
So very easy and delicious! I added a handful of fresh raspberries while cooking the cranberries and it kicked it up a notch! Yum!
Very nice! Thanks for sharing that with us, Gayle.
How long will the cranberry last if refrigerated?
Hi Joyce, a homemade cranberry sauce will keep about 9-14 days in the refrigerator. Keep it covered in an airtight container for best results.
This is very good when I followed the recipe, but I don’t have any oranges, can I use lemon, with maybe a little more honey?
I haven’t tried that substitution before, I imagine it would be quite a bit more tart. If you get a chance to try it please let me know.
You are my favorite. I appreciate you letting me print recipes…makes it easier to cook .
Thanks for your appreciation. I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes!
My mom made this for years. Thanks now I know how she did it. MERRY CHRISTMAS
That’s so great! Merry Christmas!
I love this recipe This is my 3rd year everyone can’t wait for a jar!
That’s so awesome! It sounds like you found a holiday favorite!
This is the best cranberry sauce I’ve ever had! Not too sweet or tart. The orange flavor is perfect and hint of cinnamon is delicious! I’ll definitely be making this again!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I made this for the first time for our Thanksgiving meal and it was phenomenal! We doubled the recipe. I usually like to test out recipes before I serve them to others, especially for holidays. But your recipes never disappoint, so I only made them in Thanksgiving Day (yesterday). Everyone raved about the flavor. My husband loved how the flavor intensified with cooling and over time as we enjoyed this sauce with our other leftovers. This will definitely be included at all holiday meals from here on out. Thank you!
Hello Amber, that is so nice to hear. Thank you so much for sharing, reading comments like this really inspires me to do more recipes for you all.
Natashas has the best recipes on the internet, never a dud, always perfect.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
We made this recipe but also added cutup Granny Smith apple to it . Turned out amazing.
I absolutely love that idea of making an apple cranberry sauce! Do you dice the apple and simmer it first or add it with the cranberries?
I added the apple with the cranberries. served it with a turkey I smoked with maple wood and praline sweet potatoes. Topped off the meal with a pumpkin cheesecake that I made from a pumpkin I smoked.
Can you use ground cinnamon instead of a cinnamon stick?
Hi Stephanie, that should work but definitely add to taste – a little goes a long way.
This is one of my favorites! Super easy, and I love that it has honey instead of sugar. I’m making a second batch today and adding almond extract.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Kristen!
Hi Natasha… I have been following your wonderful recipes for a long time and always forward them on to friends and family.
Your cranberry sauce looks delicious! I am going to make it, but also add Grand Marnier. I think it would add a lovely kick to the sauce…who knows…maybe adding it at the last minute to the table and flambaying it would be a nice presentation! What do you think?
I haven’t tried that yet, Nancy but I think it is worth experimenting with. If you try it, please share with us how it goes!
Easy to make and delicious to eat.
Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome. Thank you for your perfect rating and great review, Frank!
Love it. I omitted the cinnamon bc my husband hates it and I strained it to get rid of skins and seeds (used those to make tea). And my kids just eat it by the spoon, good thing I got more cranberries.
I’m glad you and your kids love this recipe!
I love fresh cranberry sauce. One way I use leftovers is to top vanilla greek yogurt and add granola. Yum!
Sounds delicious and healthy! Yummy.
This recipe look amazing! Have you tried Maple Syrup instead of Honey? I’m not a huge fan of honey, so looking for an alternative!
Hi Brie, I have not tried it but I’m sure that will work well too!
Don’t toss that cinnamon stick! Rinse, let dry and reuse
Hi, Natasha I love your recepies. Thanks to you I learned how to cook.
I’ve tried so many recepies of yours and they all tured up to be so delicious.
Thanks so much.
Lots of love.
Hello Milena, I’m happy to know that you enjoyed the recipes that you tried! Thanks for sharing that with us, we appreciate it.
Love your recipies!!
Can I use dried cranberries for this recipe?
Hi Aletta, I haven’t tested that and I can’t say that it will work with dried cranberries.
Dried cranberries will not work. Buy fresh cranberries in the produce department of your local grocery store. Very inexpensive.
Love this recipe! I made it as Christmas gifts, as well as for family and it was so good. Used local honey and only organic ingredients. What impresses me about this sauce (besides the use of honey instead of sugar) is the taste of the cranberry really shines. The second time I made it, I reduced the amount of honey slightly to give it more tartness. Either way, it is now my go-to recipe. First time making cranberry sauce and it couldn’t have been easier.
Thanks!!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Dean!
Excellent! We only have adults around at the moment, so we add Grand Marnier and Port Wine to it. Bam!
That’s awesome! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
This was easy to make and it came out tasty. My first homemade cranberry sauce. Never again buying the canned one. Thanks Natasha!
Thank you so much for that wonderful feedback! We seriously can’t get enough of this recipe.
Homemade is always better and this cranberry sauce was a hit….then, especially delicious when leftovers made an cranberry galette….yum!
Thank you for that amazing review, Zina! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made a double recipe for Thanksgiving & it was a big hit. I’ll be making it again!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it, Patti! It is one of our favorite cranberry sauce recipes!
Hi Natasha, it was the first time I made fresh cranberry sauce, it was so easy, delicious and everybody loved it. I just added a little brandy! How long can you keep it in the refrigerator?
Anyway thank you for the recipe!!
Hi Mary, I have some tips and advice for storing the cranberry sauce in the post above which should help. I love your idea of adding brandy. Was that at the very end that you added it?
Yes I added the brandy at the end.
Thank you Mary!
I did not have enough honey for this recipe so I substituted a powdered sugar replacement (Swerve) and it still turned out great! It makes the house smell amazing while it cooks down! Also, I wanted to sneak in a bit of fiber into the dish so I chopped up a Fuji apple and tossed it in, cooked it down and used a potato masher to blend it all together. The orange zest is a must in this dish.
That sounds delicious!! Thank you for that great review, Rosie!
I had o.j. but no oranges for zest could I use lemon zest instead?
Hi Phillip, that should still work fine. I would probably just leave out the zest and it will still work out great.
I tried this recipe. It is sooooo easy and yes so good. Thanks
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Aman!
Natasha, I too have been making my own cranberry sauce for many years and while I have used orange juice and white sugar in the past I never thought about using honey (which tonight I used an orange blossom honey) and a cinnamon stick. I just finished making your recipe a few minutes ago and I had to test a sample, you know for quality control, hehe! Anyways it is amazing and by far my favorite ever! I will admit I used 3/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice and completely omitted the water. I cannot wait to see what my guests think about it tomorrow! Now on the prep the rest of what I can tonight to make tomorrow a bit easier! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Oh I’m so happy you loved the cranberry sauce! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Natasha, I have been my own cranberry sauce for years now but I must say this recipe is far by the best I’ve made, thank you for your yummy recipes! Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍽🍁
I’m so happy to hear that you found a new favorite cranberry sauce! Thank you for sharing that with me and Happy Thanksgiving!
I love the addition of a cinnamon stick in this recipe! It adds such nice warmth to the sauce. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Julia! I agree – it absolutely does add warmth and infuses the sauce with lovely yet mild cinnamon flavor.
This is great. I usually use dark brown sugar, but the taste can be fairly intense using DBS. The honey gives the cranberries a much lighter, cleaner flavor and lets the citrus and cranberry flavors shine!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Betsy! Thank you for that great review!
I’ve never tried to make my own but this recipe looks so easy. I think I’m going to give it a try.
I hope you love it, Jen! Thank you for that awesome review.
1 bag cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cop port wine
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
put all in pan with a lid
bring to a low boil for 10 minutes
I love this one got it out of a magazine 20 years ago
Thank you for sharing that with us!
If you make this day before thanksgiving…what do you do to it in order to serve it on thanksgiving day?
Hi James,I would just give it a little stir and serve.
I am going to try this.
If I don’t use honey how would Maple Syrup work.
I know some people add walnuts what do you think?
Hi Lorraine, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
You might want to try my favourite no cook recipe.
. Large bag fresh cranberries
. 1 large orange, cut into small chunks
. Honey or sugar to taste
Blend together on high until tiny pieces. (Add just enough OJ to blend)
Thank you for sharing that with me!
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for sharing wonderful and easy recipes. I did try this cranberry sauce, and it’s tastes yum! Can you tell me how long will this stay once I refrigerate the sauce.
Thanks
Megs
Hi Megs, a homemade cranberry sauce will keep about 9-14 days in the refrigerator. Keep it covered in an airtight container for best results.
I made this sauce, before I always bought it at the store, but now I just make my own. Thank you Natasha, this sauce is sooo yummy, way better that the one I used to buy in the stores. Thank you!!!!!!!!
I”m’ so happy to hear that!! Thank you Cristina!
Perfection! Dad always opens a can of cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, so this year I told him I’ll bring homemade cranberry sauce. New addition to our Thanksgiving table. Thank you Natasha!
You’re so welcome! I hope you love it!
I’m a novice at hosting Thanksgiving Dinner. I will be using all of your recipes and crossing my fingers that all will turn out well. Thanks for the inspiration.
Wow! I’m so inspired reading your review! I’m looking forward to your feedback!!
Sounds delish! Can this be processed to have on hand? Maybe 10-15 minutes in a water bath?
Hi Laurie, I honestly haven’t tried canning it for storage. I have frozen it but haven’t tried canning so I’m not sure.
I made this recipe with about 5 oz of cranberries (I used the rest of the bag to make Orange Cranberry Bread), and I scaled the rest of the ingredients accordingly. Wow…so good! I love that I don’t have to use processed sugar. This is going to be my go-to cranberry sauce recipe from now on!
I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Tammy! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
Made this for thanksgiving this year and it was a huge hit! I also added a granny smith apple and it turned out great. Definitely will make this one again.
I’m glad to hear the recipe is such a success. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review Ellen!
And I forgot to give it 5 stars.
Awesome, thanks! 😃
I made it for Thanksgiving,and it was awesome. i’ve always made my own cranberry sauce since I cannot stand the store bought but this one is so yummy and not too sweet.
I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review Simona!
I made this today and YUM! Such a hit. My hubby says it’s a 6 out of 5 star recipe! Thanks for sharing and for making our Thanksgiving just a little brighter. Oh yeah, I didn’t have cinnamon stix, so used a 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. Delish. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome Yvonne! I’m happy to hear the recipe is a HIT! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Made this tonight for Thanksgiving ..and my husband and kids loved it! We’re officially done with the canned version! This so so easy and so much better!
I’m happy to hear the recipe is a HIT!!! Thanks for sharing your excellent review Kaya!
HI natsha, it looks delish, but how many people does it serve?
Thanks!
Hi Daniela, this makes 2 1/2 cups of sauce so it should feed 8-12 depending on how much everyone loves cranberry sauce! 🙂
Thanks again!
What if I only have ground cinnamon?
Hi Kaya, you can add a small amount (maybe 1/4 tsp) while it is cooking. You can also omit the cinnamon if you prefer and it will still work.
Thank you so much.
Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for your great recepies! I am so happy i found your website and now trying and cooking every week something new! 🙂 question – if i don’t have a cinnamon stick but I do have ground cinnamon. What would be the righ measurement then? Or should i just go and buy sticks? 🙂
Thank you !
Natalia
Hi Natalia – I would suggest using just a pinch of ground cinnamon – no more than 1/4 tsp. You can also omit cinnamon and it would still work well 🙂
I am so making this for our family Thanksgiving dinner this week! Thanks so much for the recipe! 🙂
You’re welcome Maria! I hope everyone loves it!
Hi Natasha! This looks good! I like sweet and salty, and this sauce with Turkey must be good! I want to make this for our Thsnksgiving lunch. I have a question though, can i not use the cinnomin stick?
Hi Katya, yes absolutely! That would still work great if you prefer to omit the cinnamon stick.
Natasha, do you have canning instructions for this recipe? I would like to make this to give to family/friends in pretty little jars as gifts. I would also like to have some in my panty when I need it. I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Shirley, I haven’t tried canning this recipe so I can’t provide any specific instructions on that and I’m not sure if this is a good candidate for that. It does refrigerate well if you wanted to make it as a refrigerator sauce.