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Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Cinnamon

Cranberry sauce with orange and cinnamon made by simmering fresh cranberries until they burst, then chilling until thick. Bright orange zest and warm cinnamon sticks give a spiced, spoonable texture.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 220
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry sauce base
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 0.75 cup orange juice
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 2 sticks cinnamon sticks
  • 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 0.0625 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Cook the cranberry sauce
  1. Combine sugar, orange juice, water, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat with bubbling throughout the syrup.
  2. Add fresh cranberries and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the sauce thickens.
  3. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the orange zest until evenly distributed.
  4. Let the cinnamon sticks stay in the sauce as it cools for extra spice, then remove them once the sauce is cool enough to handle.
Chill and serve
  1. Transfer the cranberry sauce to a bowl, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours until thick and spoonable.

Notes

For the best texture, simmer only until the cranberries burst and the sauce coats the back of a spoon; it will thicken further as it chills. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and stir before serving. For a lower-sugar option, use a sugar substitute that measures 1:1 (follow package directions for simmering).