This healthy cranberry sauce recipe made with orange juice and cinnamon is a healthier way to add flavour to your turkey and fixings. With its ruby red hue, it makes a beautiful festive addition to any holiday meal! {Gluten-free & dairy-free}
No Thanksgiving or Christmas menu is complete without some homemade cranberry sauce! The best part is, this holiday recipe is a healthier alternative to your classic cranberry sauce and a much tastier alternative to canned.
Made with honey, orange juice, zest, and cinnamon, this citrus flavoured sauce is nice and tangy, but not overly sweet. The cinnamon adds a wonderful warm and earthy taste that makes it perfect for your holiday table.
Enjoy a delicious healthier cranberry sauce with less processed ingredients this season!
For more healthy cranberry recipes, be sure to try this Healthy Squash Casserole with Apples and Cranberries and Cranberry Chicken Salad too!
Table of Contents
Why we love this homemade cranberry sauce with orange
- Easy: It’s so simple to make a batch of your own cranberry sauce and it’s so much more delicious than canned!
- Make ahead: Cranberry sauce keeps well in the fridge and is freezer-friendly too. The leftovers can be used in so many other recipes (like these Cranberry Party Meatballs)!
- Simple ingredients: You only need 5 main ingredients to make this sauce, plus a little salt and pepper to jazz it up.
- Healthier: The beauty of making your sauce is you can control exactly which ingredients go into it! This version is lower in sugar and made with no processed ingredients.
Ingredient notes
- Orange: We use both orange juice and zest to make this recipe for a bright and zesty flavour. Use freshly squeeze orange juice for best results.
- Honey: Use a raw unprocessed honey for the greatest health benefits. Make this recipe vegan by using maple syrup.
- Cranberries: You can make this homemade sauce with fresh or frozen cranberries.
- Seasonings: Cinnamon, salt and pepper are used to spruce up the sauce. Add the salt and pepper to taste or leave it out altogether.
Step by step instructions
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, whisk together orange juice and honey until the honey dissolves.
- Add cranberries and cook for about 10 minutes, until the berries start to pop, then reduce heat, and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
- Mash the cranberries with the back of a wooden spoon to achieve a jam-like consistency. Stir in the orange zest and cinnamon until combined. Add about a 1/4 cup of water if you prefer a thinner consistency.
- Remove cranberry sauce from heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Recipe Notes:
- Before making the cranberry sauce, rinse the cranberries well and drain any excess water. Discard any cranberries that may be on the squishier side.
- Be careful that you don’t cook the cranberries over too high heat, as the cranberries will start to pop and splatter hot liquid, which could result in a burn (and mess in the kitchen).
- Most of the cranberries naturally burst while cooking, but you can mash all of the cranberries with a wooden spoon, potato masher or fork. I typically like to leave a few whole for some added texture.
- If you want a thicker cranberry sauce, continue cooking the cranberries over low heat until desired consistency is achieved. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken more as it cools. If you prefer a thinner cranberry sauce, add about a quarter cup of water to thin it out.
- Adjust the flavours to taste. Taste the cranberry sauce once it’s cooked. If you want it sweeter, add more honey. If you want it more zesty, add more orange zest. If you want more warmth, add more cinnamon. If you want to enhance the overall flavour, add more salt and pepper.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, frozen or fresh cranberries can be used in this recipe. Frozen cranberries don’t need to be defrosted; they can be added straight to the pot.
Once made, this cranberry sauce will last well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Allow it cool fully before storing it in an air-tight container.
Yes, this sauce will keep well frozen for 2 to 3 months. Freeze it in bags, with as much air removed, or in freezer safe containers. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
This sauce can be reheated on the stovetop over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is too thick after sitting, you can stir in a bit of water to loosen it back up again.
Traditional cranberry sauce recipes uses a lot of sugar, so it’s not always the healthiest condiment to add to your plate. This particular homemade version is sweetened with honey, which is still essentially considered to be a source of sugar, but it does offer more nutrients than your typical refined white sugar. Also, with homemade, you can control exactly how much you add which is an added benefit.
The cranberries and orange juice also incorporate lots of nutrients like fibre, vitamin C, E, K phenols and proanthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants that can be beneficial for your heart, gut and urinary tract. Read more about cranberry benefits here.
You can control the sweetness of this sauce by adding more or less honey. If you prefer it less sweet, add half of the honey, then add some more later to taste if needed once the sauce is cooked.
Serving suggestions
This cranberry sauce with orange juice and cinnamon is great to serve at Thanksgiving and Christmas with your turkey, ham, beef and favorite sides. Try it with:
- Cranberry & Pistachio Stuffed Turkey Breast
- Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts
- Roasted Garlic Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Green Bean Almondine Recipe
Recipe variations
- Make it vegan: Swap the honey for maple syrup.
- Switch up the flavour: Swap the orange juice for apple sauce or cranberry juice for a different flavour.
- Spices: We love the addition of cinnamon, but nutmeg or ground ginger would work well too!
More similar recipes
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Healthy Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/3 cup honey (or to taste)
- 1.5 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together orange juice and honey until the honey dissolves.
- Add cranberries and cook for about 10 minutes, until the berries start to pop, then reduce heat, and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
- Mash the cranberries with the back of a wooden spoon to achieve a jam-like consistency. Stir in the orange zest and cinnamon until combined. Add about a 1/4 cup of water if you prefer a thinner consistency.
- Remove cranberry sauce from heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste, if desired.
Notes
- Before making the cranberry sauce, rinse the cranberries well and drain any excess water. Discard any cranberries that may be on the squishier side.
- Be careful that you don’t cook the cranberries over too high heat, as the cranberries will start to pop and splatter hot liquid, which could result in a burn (and mess in the kitchen).
- Most of the cranberries naturally burst while cooking, but you can mash all of the cranberries with a wooden spoon, potato masher or fork. I typically like to leave a few whole for some added texture.
- If you want a thicker cranberry sauce, continue cooking the cranberries over low heat until desired consistency is achieved. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken more as it cools. If you prefer a thinner cranberry sauce, add about a quarter cup of water to thin it out.
- Adjust the flavours to taste. Taste the cranberry sauce once it’s cooked. If you want it sweeter, add more honey. If you want it more zesty, add more orange zest. If you want more warmth, add more cinnamon. If you want to enhance the overall flavour, add more salt and pepper.
- This recipe makes about 2 cups of cranberry sauce. The nutritional information is based on using about 2 tablespoons per serving.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in December 2018 and was updated in December 2021 to include more helpful tips and photos.
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