Homemade Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Cinnamon
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Fresh Cranberry Sauce is essential for your Thanksgiving meal and this recipe is so easy to make! If you want to make a homemade, wholesome cranberry sauce with less processed ingredients, this is your recipe! Simply take frozen or fresh cranberries and simmer them with fresh orange wedges, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water and you have a wonderful sauce in about 15 minutes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Homemade – It’s simple enough to make homemade. Takes only 15 minutes and is less processed and more wholesome.
- Bright and flavorful – The fresh ingredients make for a very bright and beautiful sauce.
- It lasts for 10 days – yes! Fresh cranberry sauce has a long shelf life and can be used for leftovers. Especially on these Turkey Cranberry Sandwiches. YUM.
- Make ahead friendly – because it lasts so long, it can be made days in advance if needed.
What you need and how to make
The full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries – fresh or frozen work.
- Orange – for brightness and acidity.
- Sugar – to sweeten the sauce. It also helps preserve it.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg – to add warmth and spice.
- Water – water is needed to cook down the cranberries to form a sauce.
- Vanilla extract – this is optional, but I love the aroma it adds.
Directions
This foolproof cranberry sauce recipe could not be any easier to make. It’s made in just one pot and it’s ready in 15 minutes.
Simply add all of the ingredients into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer for about 10-12 minutes or until thickened. Add vanilla and stir. Let cool completely before storing in your refrigerator.
Storage and Leftovers
Store the sauce in an airtight container for up to 10 days in your refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Simply thaw it overnight in your fridge.
Leftovers can be enjoyed in all sorts of ways. I personally love it on turkey sandwiches, over Greek yogurt and on buttered toast. There are plenty of ways to make sure it doesn’t go to waste! Heck, it would be very yummy over vanilla ice cream.
Final Thoughts
In the end, this quick homemade cranberry sauce is everything I love about wholesome cooking. It’s fresh, bright and so much less processed than anything from a can. All it needs is 15 minutes on the stove to create a flavorful side that complements your Thanksgiving menu. It also easily carries into the next day for leftovers and all of your creative uses. It’s simple, cozy and always worth the few extra minutes. Enjoy!
Homemade Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Cinnamon
Tart cranberries are boiled down with sugar, water, nutmeg, cinnamon and oranges until they burst and thicken to become a flavorful yet simple cranberry sauce.
Ingredients
- 16 ounce bag cranberries (frozen or fresh)
- 1 orange, cut into quarters
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Place cranberries in a medium sauce pan.
- Cut orange into quarters and squeeze juices into the sauce pan with the cranberries then place oranges in the pan, too.
- Add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water. Bring to a boil then turn to a gentle boil and cook until cranberries burst and start to break down, stirring a few times, about 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool completely then transfer to a bowl to chill in the refrigerator. Sauce will thicken as it chills. Recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce, plenty for your Thanksgiving meal and leftovers.
Made it and everyone loved it! It was easy but would love a recipe of what to do with the left overs.
awesome! You can freeze it or use it for turkey sandwiches with harvati cheese. Also would be good on a bagel with cream cheese.