Healthy Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Sauce

This cinnamon orange cranberry sauce recipe is a healthier garnish for your Thanksgiving turkey, holiday fixings, and leftover turkey sandwiches. With its ruby-red hue, bright orange flavor, and a hint of cinnamon, it makes a festive addition to any holiday meal! {Gluten-free & dairy-free}

Table of Contents

Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Sauce

No Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner is complete without homemade cranberry sauce! Although many of us grew up with the canned stuff, fresh cranberry sauce has so much more depth of flavor!

This version is made with honey, orange juice, zest, and cinnamon, adding plenty of sweetness, warmth, and fresh orange flavor to balance the tart cranberries. It’s the perfect choice for any holiday table (and can be made weeks before to simplify your prep)!

For more healthy cranberry recipes, be sure to try this Butternut Squash Apple Casserole and Chicken Salad without Mayo too!

Cinnamon cranberry sauce on a wooden spoon above a saucepan of cranberry sauce.

Why We Love This Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce with Honey

Easy: It’s so simple to make a batch of your own cranberry sauce and it’s so much more delicious than the jiggly canned cranberry sauce from the store!

Make ahead: Cranberry sauce keeps well in the fridge and is freezer-friendly too. Make a double batch and freeze the extra for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas, and the rest of the holiday season. Any extra sauce can be used in so many other recipes (like these cranberry chicken meatballs)!

Simple ingredients: I bet you can raid the pantry and fridge to find most of the ingredients for this homemade cinnamon cranberry sauce. It’s so much easier than you’d expect!

Healthier option: The beauty of making your sauce is you can control exactly which ingredients go into it! This version was formulated by a Registered Dietitian to make it lower in sugar and without processed ingredients.

Ingredient Notes

Individual ingredients for the cinnamon orange cranberry sauce.

Orange: We use both orange juice and zest to make this recipe for a bright and zesty flavor. Use fresh orange juice for best results.
Honey: Use 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. Frozen cranberries can be added directly to the pot; no need to thaw.
Seasonings: Ground cinnamon and salt are used to spruce up the sauce. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to bring out all the flavors. For a bolder flavor, feel free to add some black pepper or other spices!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Whisking the honey and orange juice in a saucepan.

Mashing the cranberries with a spoon in a saucepan.

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, to taste.

A small bowl of cinnamon orange cranberry sauce with a spoon in it.

Expert Tips

Before making the cranberry sauce, rinse the cranberries under cold water 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 flavors 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 flavor, add more salt.

Recipe FAQs

Is cranberry sauce healthy for you?

Traditional cranberry sauce recipes use 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 fiber, vitamin C, E, and 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.

How do you make cranberry sauce less sweet?

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.

Can you make cranberry sauce with frozen cranberries?

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. Stash a few bags of fresh cranberries in the freezer to make sauce long after cranberry season ends!

How to Store

To refrigerate: Once made, let the cranberry sauce cool to room temperature then transfer it to an airtight container or jar. Store for 10-14 days. It will thicken as it sits in the fridge, giving it that spoonable consistency.

To freeze: Yes, homemade cranberry 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.

To reheat: Cranberry orange sauce can be served warm or cold, depending on your preference. If you prefer it warm, add it to a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally. If the sauce is too thick after sitting, you can stir in a bit of water to loosen it back up again.

A small bowl of cinnamon orange cranberry sauce on a decorative plate next to orange slices and cinnamon sticks.

Serving Suggestions

This honey cranberry sauce with orange juice and cinnamon is great to serve for Thanksgiving and Christmas with your turkey, ham, beef, and classic sides. Try it with my favorite healthier Thanksgiving recipes:

If you end up with leftover cranberry sauce, you can add it to these delicious cranberry chicken meatballs. We love making these for New Year’s!

Recipe Variations

Add a festive garnish: Top your cranberry sauce with some of these sparkling cranberries before serving. They’re so pretty!
Make it vegan: Swap the honey for maple syrup. You can also use coconut sugar for a deeper flavor.
Switch up the flavor: Swap the orange juice for apple sauce, apple cider or cranberry juice for a different flavor.
Spices: We love the addition of cinnamon, but nutmeg, allspice, cloves, or ground ginger would work well too.

Cinnamon orange cranberry sauce in a small bowl garnished with cranberries on a decorative plate.

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Cinnamon orange cranberry sauce in a bowl topped with fresh cranberries and rosemary.

Course Side Dish