This homemade cranberry sauce with mandarin oranges is a 5 ingredient recipe made with fresh cranberries, oranges, juice, honey, and a hint of cinnamon.
Tangy tart, but semi-sweet, I love to serve it with anything! This Christmas, ditch the unhealthy jarred cranberry sauce from the store and make your own, an even better and healthier version of cranberry sauce.
Cranberry Orange Sauce
This sauce tastes delicious with chicken, roasted turkey, duck, and pork and in overnight oats. Chop the mandarin oranges finely and it is perfect filling for crispy feta rolls.
Cranberries taste sour and tart just because compared to other berries they have a little less sugar in them.
We will need to add some flavor and sweetness back to them.
This cranberry relish has a very similar taste to my lingonberry sauce and is excellent for leftover turkey wraps.
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Ingredients
This cranberry relish is quite a simple sauce, made without preservatives, unlike a slab of canned stuff you find in the stores.
It is the real deal and my favorite thing to serve on our Thanksgiving table.
Some people like the Jell-O type of cranberry sauce, but I strongly believe that your hard work making a proper Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner meal deserves so much better!
- Mandarin Oranges - I prefer using mandarin wedges instead of whole mandarins, keeping just one whole peeled mandarin for decoration. This keeps the sauce flavorful and textured without getting too mushy since the wedges break apart over time.
- Honey - You can swap honey with white sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup. Keep in mind, sugar and maple syrup will slightly change the flavor. Since cranberries aren’t as sour as lingonberries, you can start with a small amount of sweetener, cook the sauce, and taste to see if it needs more.
- Orange Juice - It’s the base of the sauce, but if you don’t have any, you can use another juice. Darker, sweeter options like pomegranate or grape juice work great. For extra richness, try Grand Marnier, red wine, or bourbon—they sweeten and deepen the flavor beautifully.
- Cranberries - fresh is the best here as they will hold their shape well after cooking and not get too watery. The flavor is also great when fresh. Pick whole firm cranberries, that are plump and free of blemishes. This being said, you can still use a bunch of frozen ones from last year and the sauce will taste great.
- Cinnamon - a good quality ground cinnamon makes a whole lot of difference.
How To Make Cranberry Orange Sauce
Making this mandarin orange cranberry sauce has never been so easy!
It's super simple: combine all the ingredients in a saucepot and simmer over medium heat until the flavors combine.
- Prep your oranges by peeling them and separating the wedges/segments. Leave one peeled orange whole; we are going to use it for decoration later.
- Add fresh cranberries, honey, and orange juice to a medium saucepot and simmer on medium-high heat until it boils. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially with a lid, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Ideally, you should cook the cranberries just until they ''pop’’ (split open). Stir them through a couple of times so they don’t burn.
- Stir in the cinnamon and mandarin oranges. Cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened, but not very thick, as it will continue to thicken once it has cooled.
Although it is totally personal preference, once you’re reheating the sauce, add more water or juice to thin it out.
- Remove from the stovetop. Let the sauce cool before transferring it into jars.
Recommended Equipment
Tips
- Cooking cranberries - Cook cranberries just until they split open. Overcooking releases extra pectin, making the sauce too thick and potentially bitter.
- Texture - Cranberry sauce texture is all about preference—thick or thin, there’s no wrong choice! If your sauce is too thick, it was likely overcooked. The key is to cook until some cranberries split, keeping the sauce thick but pourable—not jelly-like. Remember, it thickens more as it cools.
- Fixing thick sauce - To thin thick cranberry sauce, add a splash of water, juice, red wine, or bourbon. Simmer for a couple of minutes to adjust. Practice makes perfect!
- Fixing runny sauce - If the sauce is too thin even after cooking, ingredient ratios may be off (e.g., too much liquid or too few cranberries). Cook it longer, or add more cranberries, oranges, or sweetener to help thicken. Sugar can also thicken, but add sparingly to avoid oversweetening.
- Flavor adjustments - If the sauce tastes bland, enhance it with juices, orange liqueurs (like Cointreau or Grand Marnier), grenadine, pomegranate syrup, red wine, or bourbon for complexity. You can also add spices, herbs, or a pinch of salt to boost flavor.
- Mandarin oranges - Use mandarin wedges instead of whole mandarins, reserving one whole peeled mandarin for decoration. This keeps the sauce flavorful without becoming mushy as the oranges break apart.
- Extra flavors - For a zing, add 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger. Spices like cloves, star anise, nutmeg, or herbs like thyme and rosemary can elevate the sauce. Simmer longer to let the flavors develop.
- Serving tips - Top the sauce with orange zest and garnish with rosemary or thyme sprigs for a festive touch. Swap water or orange juice with bourbon, whiskey, or sweet liqueurs for richer flavors. These deepen the taste while adding sweetness.
- Best enjoyed with turkey, pork tenderloin or meatballs in white sauce or gravy.
Serving Suggestions
Oh, there are plenty of options! Use this beautiful sauce in your Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes as well as your everyday cooking.
This cranberry orange sauce is the perfect semi-sweet and tart sauce to balance out the juicy and savory Thanksgiving Turkey, Chicken, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts.
There are not many cranberry recipes during this time of year, and we like to serve this broccoli salad or millionaire cranberry salad during holidays.
Try something different. Here are our favorite ways to serve cranberry orange sauce:
- For cheesecake instead of jam layer.
- Serve with turkey shepherd's pie or gluten free stuffing.
- On french toasts or drizzled over warm and spiced Pumpkin Pancakes.
- Stir into oatmeal and other porridges.
- Combine fresh cranberries with other berries and make a fruit salad.
- Add lingonberries to your hot tea or drink for a proper vitamin boost!
- Serve with pork, beef poultry, or meatballs, which are very common in Sweden. This is why the popular recipe is Swedish Meatballs. In fact, you can find this dish in almost every IKEA restaurant.
- Drizzle over your roasted veggies, YUM!
How Do You Fix Overcooked Cranberry Sauce?
If your cranberry sauce is too thick, it was likely overcooked. Cranberries release pectin, a natural thickener, so the longer they cook, the thicker the sauce gets.
To fix it:
- Add a splash of water, juice, or even red wine or bourbon to thin it out.
- Warm the sauce gently, stirring until it reaches the desired consistency.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- For the leftover cranberry sauce recipe, let the cranberry orange relish cool completely before transferring it into jars or any airtight container. It should be kept in the fridge for 7-9 days, assuming that you won’t open the lid every other minute.
- For freezing, the same way, let the fresh cranberry sauce cool and transfer it to containers or freezer-friendly bags. Make sure to squeeze out the excess air before sealing the bag. It freezes well for 6 or even more months.
- Thaw before use and reheat on the stovetop by adding juice, and water.
How Do You Fix Bitter Cranberry Sauce?
If your cranberry sauce tastes bitter, it may be from overcooking the berries.
While it can be tricky to fix, here are some tips:
- Add a pinch of salt: Salt enhances sweetness and may help mask bitterness. Start small and taste as you go.
- Balance the flavor: Try adding a splash of sweet liqueur like Cointreau or Grand Marnier, pomegranate syrup, grenadine, bourbon, or red wine for a more complex flavor.
- Use spices and zest: Spices like cloves, star anise, or nutmeg and fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme can mellow bitterness. Orange, lemon, or lime zest also works well. Let the sauce simmer longer to fully release these flavors.
Festive Side Dishes
For more festive recipes, be sure to take a look at our Christmas recipes.
ALL SIDE DISH recipes.
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Recipe Card
Cranberry Orange Sauce (with Mandarin Oranges)
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INGREDIENTS
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 cup mandarin oranges + 1 whole, peeled and wedges separated, see notes
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 cup honey , or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prep your oranges by peeling them and separating the wedges/segments. Leave 1 peeled orange whole as it is, we are going to use it for the decoration later.1 cup mandarin oranges + 1 whole
- In a medium saucepot add in cranberries, honey, and orange juice. Simmer on medium high heat and take it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes. Ideally you should cook cranberries just until they ''pop''.¼ cup orange juice, 1 cup honey, 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- Make sure to stir through a couple of times so berries don’t burn.
- Stir in the cinnamon and mandarin oranges. Cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened but not very thick as it will continue to thicken once cooled. Although it is totally personal preference. Once you’ll be reheating the sauce, you can always addmore water or juice to thin it out. Remove from the stovetop. Let the sauce cool before transferring it into jars.½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
VIDEO
NOTES
- This recipe makes about 3 cups of sauce.
- Can you make cranberry sauce ahead of time? It is the best make-ahead sauce! Like with any jam or sweet sauce, the best flavor and texture will be on the next day. This sauce needs it’s time to thicken and I highly recommend making it a day or two in advance of the big day.
- For even more complex flavors, instead of water or orange juice, you can use bourbon, sweet-flavored liquor, or whiskey. All of these add richness as well as give it a sweeter taste.
- Cloves, star anise, nutmeg, thyme, rosemary sprigs, raisins, orange, lemon, or lime zest - all these aromatics and herbs work amazingly and will fix your cranberry sauce in seconds. You might need to simmer the sauce for longer for the spices to open up.
- Mandarin oranges - what I like to do is to use wedges instead of whole mandarins. I leave only one whole for decoration. This way you’ll be able to enjoy all the flavor, texture, and mandarin pieces without the sauce becoming too mushy as the oranges will break apart eventually.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Cranberry Sauce: FAQs
YES! Cranberry sauce is perfect for making ahead. Like jams or sweet sauces, it tastes even better the next day.
It thickens as it sits, so preparing it a day or two before your event is highly recommended.
In my opinion, the best cranberry sauce tastes a little tart and semi-sweet.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Tangy, sweet and tart cranberry sauce for any occasion!