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. 
I’ve made the Ocean Spray recipe for years and been satisfied but the depth of flavor with this recipe is sooo much better. I chose to use 1/2 sugar and 1/2 honey since some commented the honey flavor was powerful, i added a sprinkle of cinnamon and dash of cloves. So yummy, my new go to recipe for the holidays! thanks!
That’s great, Linda! I’m so glad you found a new favorite!
I followed the recipe but found the cinnamon taste too strong. I remade it using cranberries, honey, and 1/2 cup of store bought premium orange juice and was much happier with the results.
Thank you for sharing, Marc!
I normally make my cranberry sauce with orange and cinnamon but I never used honey. I thought I would give this a try. I didn’t care for it because I feel the honey overpowers the cranberries. Going back to the old way.
Hi Barbara, I haven’t sensed the honey overpowering the cranberries – did you use a flavored honey? You might just prefer our classic Cranberry Sauce.
Amazing! Will never have cranberry sauce another way! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You’re welcome, its my pleasure sharing! Thanks so much for your great feedback.
My favorite cranberry sauce is just 1 bag of fresh cranberries, one orange (quartered, remove pith and bottom end) and 1 cup of sweetener. I often use. I/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup artificial sweetener. Blend till fairly fine. Refrigerate overnight, serve cold or room temp.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This is the absolute best cranberry sauce ever!!! I did put an extra 1/4 cup of honey in it because we like it a little sweeter since the cranberries are so tart, and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon in it instead of a cinnamon stick. I can’t wait to try this for Christmas in top of homemade cheesecake! Thanks for this great recipe! It’s definitely going into my recipe box and will be a new annual tradition!
That’s wonderful to hear, Angie! Thank you for sharing.