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Cranberry Orange Sauce

Made with only five simple ingredients, this Cranberry Orange Sauce is a must for your holiday menu. Bursting with flavour from the fresh juicy cranberries and orange juice, this sauce is the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword cranberry sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 People
Calories 125kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pound fresh cranberries rinsed with cold water
  • Orange zest for garnish

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, combine the orange juice, maple and vanilla extract and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Then, add cranberries and orange zest. Mix all well. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce gets thick. You may notice a popping sound. This is just the cranberries popping and it’s totally normal.
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool down for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a bowl and place it in the refrigerator. When it’s time to serve, garnish with orange zest.

Notes

  • Frozen cranberries can be used. No need to thaw them first.
  • You can use fresh or bottled orange juice but since you need orange zest, you can easily juice it afterward.
  • When zesting, don't dig too far down into the white part of the skin. It can be bitter.
  • Make sure you're using real maple syrup and not pancake syrup.
  • If possible, use pure vanilla extra rather than imitation.
  • You can add salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, or ginger to this recipe if you want to mix things up.
  • Cranberry sauce can be served hot or chilled!
  • To store: Store leftover cranberry orange sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • To reheat: You can reheat the sauce on the stovetop or serve it chilled.
  • To freeze: Once the sauce has cooled to room temperature, transfer the sauce to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 22g