5 from 3 reviews

This Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Orange is one of my most beloved Thanksgiving recipes here on Healthy Seasonal Recipes. It’s an annual tradition! It’s made with whole fresh cranberries, apples, orange segments, orange juice and allspice, and cooked into a chunky, sweet and tart sauce. It’s made with about half the sugar, but it’s full of natural sweetness and spice for a unique and gourmet cranberry sauce that’ll become a tradition for you too. 

Cranberry Sauce with Orange on a white tablescape with sedum and red wine

I originally shared this post on November 15th, 2013. This post contains affiliate links.

Table of contents

Why you’ll love this Cranberry Sauce Recipe with Orange

We’re getting ready for Thanksgiving and making all of our lists. From Herb Roasted Turkey to all the trimmings! Not to be forgotten is a delicious homemade Cranberry Sauce recipe. While I love my Mom’s Cranberry Relish made with raw cranberries, I am a big fan of this cooked variation. It has fresh apple and orange in it to help naturally sweeten the sauce. (I think I may make both this year!)

Whole berry cranberry sauce is probably the easiest kind to make. Simply combine cranberries, sweetener (usually sugar) and some sort of liquid. Cook the mixtures in a saucepan until the cranberries burst (this takes 5 minutes.) Then as the mixture cools, the natural pectin in the cranberries will thicken the sauce and make it thick. It is that easy! 

In the case of this cranberry sauce with apples and orange I used about half the sugar as traditional recipes and orange juice for the liquid. The resulting sauce is a sweet, tart and unique taste. {I love it so much I spoon it over Greek yogurt for breakfast.}

overhead view of cranberry sauce with apple and orange with sedum and a spoon

Orange Cranberry Sauce Ingredients

  • Apples and Oranges – You’ll need a whole orange to zest and segment. When using the zest in a recipe I opt for organic citrus.
    • In addition to the zest you’ll also need to “supreme” the oranges. I have included instructions and a video to show you how to cut the orange away from the pith below. Supreming the orange helps it blend into the sauce and makes the final texture of the cranberry sauce nicer.
    • I like to use Cortland or golden apples for this sauce because they don’t break down too much, but they do soften enough in the 5 mintes of cooking time. Read more about which apples are best to use in cooking in my guide to apples.
  • Brown Sugar or Another Sweetener – I used brown sugar in this recipe, but if you prefer to use an unrefined sugar, I recommend using pure maple syrup or honey. 
  • Orange Juice – The purpose of the juice is to give the cranberries something to simmer in, so they can cook and break down. Otherwise, they would burn! Many recipes just use water which is a missed opportunity for flavor. Here the orange juice makes the sauce taste more sweet and fruity.
  • Cranberries – For making this recipe, you can use either fresh or frozen cranberries. Buy them in bulk or bagged. Avoid cranberries that are wrinkled or look like they are softening. Once you get them home, make sure they are dry and store them in the refrigerator. 

TIP: Pick Over The Cranberries 

Sometimes along with the cranberries, you’ll a fine and hard thread-like stem attached to the berry. To sort the berries, pour them onto one side of a sheet pan. Push some of the berries across the sheet pan as you visually scan for stems or berries that have become wrinkled or are not ripe. This is the same method I use to sort dried beans for bean soup, and it makes it so much easier to see foreign objects. 

How to Make Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Apple

I recommend using a good quality heavy bottom saucepan to make this sauce to prevent the brown sugar and juice from scorching. 

Step 1: Cook Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice

Stir together cranberries, apples, brown sugar, orange juice, allspice and salt in a large saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Continue cooking, stirring often until the cranberries have popped and the mixture thickens (about 5 minutes.) Remove from heat.

Step 2: Add Orange and Zest To The Cooked Cranberry Sauce 

While the sauce cooks, zest orange. Then supreme it by doing the following:

  1. Cut skin and white pith off the orange.
  2. Cut between membranes to remove individual segments, working all the way around the orange.

Finally, gently stir the zest and orange segments into the cranberry compote. Discard the orange membrane and peel. Cool the cranberry sauce compote completely (about 2 hours.)

a side view of cranberry sauce in a white farmhouse pottery bowl

How far in advance can you make cranberry sauce?

This cranberry sauce can be made five days in advance. The oranges will be stained red by the cranberries but the flavor and texture will be great.  

You can also freeze this sauce up to 3 weeks. Thaw for 48 hours before stirring well and serving.

What to do with Cranberry Sauce

In addition to serving with your Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey, this cranberry sauce is excellent in a number of other ways.

  • Pair with Roast Chicken Herb Roasted Chicken at a Sunday Supper.
  • Go classic and spread it on Turkey Sandwich.
  • Dollop over Greek yogurt for a quick snack or breakfast
  • Make cranberry cheese bites (Link: Cranberry Cheddar Pita Bites )
  • Use as a glaze for meatloaf or on cold turkey meatloaf sandwiches Turkey Meatloaf
  • Make Cranberry Sauce meatballs (you can puree the sauce to make it smooth)
  • My favorite morning after Thanksgiving breakfast (besides pie) is to add turkey to my Sweet potato hash Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash {Paleo} and serve with a little leftover gravy and cranberry sauce dolloped on the side.

More Cranberry Recipes To Make This Holiday Season

Cranberry orange muffins on parchment paper on counter, sugared cranberries in a bowl

Cranberry Orange Muffins
a slice being lifted out of the cake

Cranberry Christmas Cake (with Sugared Cranberries)
overhead ofthe bars cut and spread out on a baking sheet

Cranberry Crumb Bars with Clementines
a waffle with cranberry syrup on a red and white plate

Almond Waffles with Cranberry Orange Honey Syrup

Thanks so much for reading. If you make this recipe, please come back and let me know by leaving a star rating and review. It helps so much! 

Happy Cooking!

~Katie 

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Cranberry Sauce overhead and close up with oranges

BEST Recipe for Cranberry Sauce

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5 from 3 reviews

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Description

Here is a gourmet way to make homemade Cranberry Sauce with Apple and Orange. Cook the whole fresh cranberries with apples, orange juice, allspice and less sugar than traditional sauces. Then add in fresh orange zest and orange segments at the end for a fresh and unique cranberry sauce to share on Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 12–ounce bag fresh cranberries, picked and rinsed
  • 2 apples, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • pinch salt
  • 1 orange

Instructions

  1. Stir together cranberries, apples, brown sugar, orange juice, allspice and salt in a large saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Continue cooking, stirring often until the cranberries have popped and the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  2. Meanwhile, zest orange. To supreme the orange: Cut skin and white pith off the orange. Cut between membranes to remove individual segments, working all the way around the orange. Gently stir the zest and orange segments into the compote. Discard orange membrane and peel. Cool compote completely, about 2 hours.

Notes

You can use frozen cranberries instead of fresh, simply cook a little longer in step one, until the cranberries thaw and then start to pop and burst.

This cranberry sauce can be frozen, though the apples will lose some of their texture and become a little mushy as a result.

This can be made up to 5 days ahead. Store in a resealable container in the refrigerator.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 cup
  • Calories: 53 cal
  • Sugar: 10 g
  • Fat: 0 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 13 g
  • Fiber: 1 g

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