• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Toasty Kitchen

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • FAQ
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Spices & Condiments

    Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest

    Published: Nov 5, 2019 · Modified: Aug 9, 2021 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 447 words. · About 3 minutes to read this article.

    Jump to Recipe
    Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest by The Toasty Kitchen
    Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest by The Toasty Kitchen
    Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest by The Toasty Kitchen

    Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest is a classic holiday side dish. Cranberries are cooked into a sweet relish with a hint of orange zest and cinnamon.

    A bowl of cranberry sauce topped with orange zest.

    Homemade cranberry sauce is a must at the holiday dinner table. My cranberry sauce with orange zest recipe is so incredibly easy, you'll never reach for the canned stuff again.

    You'll love the dash of cinnamon as well as orange zest - it has the perfect balance of tart and sweet flavors.

    Cranberry sauce is served in the United States, Canada, and the UK, with varying degrees of sweetness.

    Popular for Thanksgiving and Christmas, this sauce is ready in just 15 minutes on the stove top - making it one of the easiest holiday dishes to prepare.

    Ingredients and substitutions

    Ingredients for cranberry sauce.Fresh cranberries can be substituted with frozen cranberries.

    Cinnamon is optional but adds extra depth of flavor and warmth to your cranberry sauce that is perfect for the holidays.

    All granulated sugar can be used for this recipe, but I like the combination of granulated and brown sugars.

    Cranberries cooking in a sauce pan.Variations

    Cranberry sauce, in it's simplest form, can be made with just cranberries and sugar. Anything extra should be there to add flavor. I like my cranberry sauce with the addition of orange zest and cinnamon.

    While orange juice can add some flavor, the flavor is much more intense in the zest of the orange. 

    Ground ginger can also be used instead of, or in addition to, the ground cinnamon. 

    A spoon of cranberry sauce.

    What to serve with cranberry sauce

    Cranberry sauce is traditionally served at holiday meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here are a few other recipes to make a complete holiday menu:

    • Marmalade Glazed Ham
    • Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
    • Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
    • Creamy Mashed Potatoes
    • Southern Cornbread Dressing
    • Easy Pecan Pie
    A bowl of cranberry sauce topped with orange zest.
    Print Recipe
    4.64 from 11 reviews

    Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest

    Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest, a classic holiday dish. This cranberry sauce is spiced with cinnamon and orange zest, and is ready in just 15 minutes.
    Prep Time3 minutes
    Cook Time12 minutes
    Total Time15 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 121kcal
    Author: Heather

    Ingredients

    • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoons orange zest
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 cup water

    Instructions

    • In a saucepan over medium-low heat, add cranberries, sugars, orange zest, cinnamon, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
    • Cook cranberries over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, until cranberries burst and sauce begins to thicken. Optionally, gently mash cranberries with the back of a spoon as they cook.
    • Remove from heat and pour into serving bowl. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Sauce can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.

    Equipment Recommendations

    • SS 3-Quart Saucepan
    • Microplane Zester
    • Dry Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons

    Notes

    • Ground ginger can be used in addition to, or instead of, ground cinnamon.
    • Cranberry sauce can be served warm, room temperature, or cold. Keep in mind the sauce may thicken substantially if refrigerated.  
    • Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 6.4mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American

    More recipes

    • A round log of compound butter filled with herbs and garlic.
      Roasted Garlic and Herb Compound Butter
    • Pouring gravy over a bowl of mashed potatoes.
      How To Make Gravy Without Drippings
    • Strawberry jam in a glass jar.
      Strawberry Freezer Jam
    • A white bowl filled with strawberry cheesecake topping.
      Strawberry Topping for Cheesecake

    More Spices and Condiments Recipes

    • A slab of steak butter melting on top of a steak.
      Steak Butter
    • A knife with a serving of whipped honey butter over a glass jar.
      Whipped Honey Butter
    • A glass bowl filled with basil aioli with a metal spoon.
      Basil Aioli
    • Chicken tender being dipped into a bowl of spicy aioli.
      Spicy Aioli

    Share this post:

    Subscribe

    Get our newest recipes delivered to your inbox for free!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Karen Seaman

      December 12, 2021 at 4:07 pm

      Can cranberry sauce be jarred for later use? If so, should I water bath it and for how long

      Reply
      • Heather

        December 12, 2021 at 4:13 pm

        Hi Karen, I'm not very familiar with canning so I can't say for sure what changes would need to be made to this recipe. Here's a recipe for canning cranberry sauce that might work for you: https://jamjarkitchen.com/2021/08/03/cranberry-sauce-for-canning/

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

    Hi, I'm Heather of The Toasty Kitchen. I love cooking with real, unfussy ingredients, and I want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

    More about me →

    Spring recipes

    • Close up of strawberries, walnuts, feta cheese, and onions on a bed of lettuce.
      Strawberry Walnut Salad
    • Roasted potatoes and asparagus on a metal sheet pan.
      Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus
    • White bowl filled with arugula, potatoes, tomato, and red onion.
      Roasted Potato Arugula Salad
    • White bowl filled with salad ingredients.
      Salmon Cobb Salad

    Reader Favorites

    • A spoon scooping raspberry sauce from a white bowl.
      Raspberry Sauce For Cheesecake
    • Cooked steak tips in a cast iron pan.
      Garlic Butter & Herb Sirloin Tips
    • Red spatula covered in white frosting.
      Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
    • Graham crackers dipped in a bowl of strawberry cheesecake dip.
      Strawberry Cheesecake Dip

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Contact

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    As seen in

    logos of publications The Toasty Kitchen has been published in.

    Copyright © 2023 The Toasty Kitchen®