Cranberry Orange Sauce with Cinnamon

Last Updated on December 30, 2023 by Michele Tripple

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Cranberry orange sauce with cinnamon is the perfect addition to your holiday table this year. The tartness of the cranberries mixed with the fresh oranges and cinnamon gives this cranberry sauce the perfect flavor combination that will wow your guests.

Cranberry orange sauce with cinnamon in spoon

 Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce

If you are like me you are scouring the internet for the perfect recipes for your Thanksgiving table and stumbled upon a picture on the internet that made you go yessss! If this is you welcome!

Let me tell you, you are absolutely going to love this cranberry sauce with orange and cinnamon. The cinnamon is subtle but delightful mixed with the tart cranberries and oranges. The cinnamon is what elevates this cranberry sauce to the next level and makes it stand out above the rest! This is perfect on your turkey and even better on your leftover turkey cranberry sliders!

As an added bonus, this is a 4 ingredient cranberry sauce. It uses cranberries, oranges, cinnamon, and sugar.

bowl of Cranberry orange sauce with cinnamon with orange slice

Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Cinnamon

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Serves 6-8 people
spoonful of Cranberry orange sauce

Ingredients for Cranberry Sauce

ingredients for Cranberry sauce
  • 1 16 oz package of fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2 oranges
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick

How to Make Cranberry Orange Sauce with Cinnamon

Cranberries in bowl with orange zest in bowl
  • First you will want to place the cranberries and sugar saucepan and stir until combined together.
pot of cranberries
pot of cranberries with orange slice
  • Then zest and juice 1 orange.
  • Add the juice and zest to the saucepan.
  • Peel and slice the second orange into bite size pieces and to the saucepan mixture. Stir.
pot of cranberries, orange zest, and orange pieces.

  • Place a cinnamon stick on top and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until cranberries start to pop and the sauce begins to thicken.
  • Once thickening begins remove the cinnamon stick before serving.
  • You can serve the cranberry orange sauce at room temperature, or chilled.
cranberry sauce thickened in pot
Cranberry orange sauce in bowl with second bowl in background.

Tips and Tricks and FAQs

closeup of cranberry sauce in bowl.
  1. This side dish is obviously great with turkey, but try it on some bread, yogurt or ice cream too!
  2. For a fancy garnish, you can add extra orange zest or orange peels.
  3. ¾ cups of sugar may seem like a lot, but the tart cranberries you need the sweetness to mellow them out. You might even find that you want more or less. Start with ½ cup if you are worried, and add a ¼ cup at a time.
  4. You can adjust the texture of this side dish by using the wooden spoon to kind of mash the berries after they are done cooking.
  5. Careful, this dish will sputter! You can use a dish or lid if desired or lower the heat a bit so that the cranberries aren’t popping all over your stove. Once all the berries have burst, cooking will be a lot cleaner!

How long will cranberry sauce last?

This usually lasts 3-4 weeks in the fridge. You will want to keep it in a plastic bag or in a covered container.

Can you freeze cranberry sauce?

Yes! You can freeze cranberry sauce! Plan to make a double batch or freeze your leftovers! Let your cranberry-orange sauce cool completely and then place it in a freezer-safe airtight container. This will store for up to 2 months.

Can you make cranberry orange sauce ahead of time?

Yes! You can make this up to 3 days in advance. You can make this the day of, but I recommended making it one day in advance. This helps the flavors meld together.

Cranberry orange sauce in bowl.

How can I use my Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Sauce?

This is delicious served with turkey or even ham.

It also makes a great topping to cream cheese as an appetizer. Just take a block of cream crease. Dump some cranberry sauce on top and serve with crackers.

A spoonful of cranberry relish is also delicious on vanilla yogurt, or on the top of pancakes.

You can also use it for our delicious Turkey Sliders, perfect for leftovers!

What can I do with my leftover cranberries?

If you are like me you always have leftover cranberries for one reason or another. Use them for your cranberry banana smoothies or freeze them for you to use later.

Cranberry Relish

Check out these other great cranberry dishes!

Yield: Serves 6-8

Cranberry Orange Sauce

Cranberry Orange Sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz package of fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2 oranges
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

      1. First, you will want to place the cranberries and sugar saucepan and stir until combined together.
      2. Then zest and juice 1 orange.
      3. Add the juice and zest to the saucepan.
      4. Peel and slice the second orange into bite-size pieces and to the saucepan mixture. Stir.
      5. Place a cinnamon stick on top and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until cranberries start to pop and the sauce begins to thicken.
      6. Once thickening begins remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Notes

You can serve the cranberry-orange sauce at room temperature, or chilled.

Yield: 6-8 people

Cranberry Relish

Cranberry Relish

Cranberry relish is a tart delicious treat which combines, cranberries, oranges, and apples for a flavorful punch to your Thanksgiving turkey.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz package of fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2 oranges
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

    1. Place the cranberries and sugar in a saucepan and stir until combined.
    2. Zest and juice one orange, adding to the saucepan mixture.
    3. Peel and slice the second orange into bite size pieces and add to the saucepan mixture, stirring to combine. 
    4. Place a cinnamon stick on top and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until cranberries start to pop and the sauce begins to thicken. 
    5. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving. You can serve this side dish at room temperature, or chilled. 

Notes

  1. This side dish is obviously great with turkey, but try it on some bread, yogurt or ice cream too!
  2. For a fancy garnish, you can add extra orange zest or orange peels.
  3. ¾ cup of sugar may seem like a lot but the tart cranberries need the sweetness to mellow them out.
  4. You can adjust the texture of this side dish by using the wooden spoon to kind of mash the berries after they are done cooking. 
  5. Careful, this dish will sputter! You can use a dish if desired or lower the heat a bit. Once all the berries have bursted, cooking will be a lot cleaner!

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