Perfect 3-Ingredient Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe
A simple, 15-minute cranberry orange sauce made with just three ingredients: fresh cranberries, sugar, and an orange. It’s naturally gluten-free, vegan, and better than canned.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces (340 grams) fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large orange (zest and juice)
Instructions
- Wash the orange thoroughly. Zest the entire orange using a microplane, avoiding the white pith. Set zest aside. Cut the orange in half and juice it to get about 1/4 cup of juice.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, and orange juice. Do not add the zest yet.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, about 3-4 minutes, until the cranberries start to pop.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the reserved orange zest.
- Let the sauce cool in the pan for about 10 minutes; it will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Taste and adjust sweetness if desired. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Notes
For best flavor, add the orange zest at the end to preserve its bright essential oils. The sauce thickens as it cools. If too thin, simmer longer; if too thick, stir in a tablespoon of orange juice or water. Make ahead: flavors meld and improve after a day in the fridge. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Not recommended for freezing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 2
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 2
Keywords: cranberry sauce, orange cranberry sauce, 3-ingredient cranberry sauce, easy cranberry sauce, homemade cranberry sauce, Thanksgiving cranberry sauce