Whole Berry Cranberry Orange Sauce

A vintage orange and white Pyrex dish of homemade cranberry orange sauce with a silver spoon, styled on a dusty rose linen with scattered fresh cranberries, mandarin oranges, a bay leaf, and dried baby's breath on a lace doily.

No ratings yet

This whole berry cranberry orange sauce is made with fresh cranberries, orange, apple cider, brown sugar, and warm spices for a thick glossy holiday sauce that comes together in one saucepan in about fifteen minutes. Make it up to a week ahead and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Additional Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Condiments and Seasonings

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1/2 cups

Calories: 424kcal

Author: Emily Rider

Equipment

1 Medium saucepan
1 Colander
1 Immersion blender or countertop blender
1 Wooden spoon or spatula

Ingredients

2 cups fresh cranberries 200 grams
1 medium orange or tangerine 130 grams (peeled, deseeded, cut into small pieces)
½ cup pure apple cider or apple juice 120 grams
¾ cup packed brown sugar 150 grams
1 pinch fine sea salt 0.2 grams
1½ teaspoons apple pie spice 4.5 grams (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of ground cloves, and a pinch of ground nutmeg)

Instructions

Rinse the cranberries – Place the fresh cranberries in a colander and rinse under cool water. Pick out and discard any soft or damaged berries. Let drain fully before adding to the saucepan.
Prepare the orange – Peel the orange, remove any seeds, and cut it into small pieces. The orange goes into the saucepan whole rather than just juiced so the pulp cooks down into the sauce.
Combine everything – Add the rinsed cranberries, orange pieces, apple cider or apple juice, packed brown sugar, apple pie spice or individual warm spices, and fine sea salt to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
Bring to a simmer – Cover the saucepan and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to help the brown sugar dissolve evenly before the cranberries begin to break down.
Cook until thickened – Once the cranberries begin to pop, remove the lid and reduce the heat slightly. Continue cooking, stirring more frequently, until most of the berries have burst and the sauce has thickened to a spoonable consistency, about 5 to 8 minutes after the berries begin popping.
Blend the sauce – Remove from the heat and blend using an immersion blender or carefully transfer to a countertop blender. Blend to your preferred texture – mostly smooth with some small pieces remaining, fully smooth, or left chunky with most of the berries intact.
Cool and chill – Transfer the sauce to a heat-safe container and let it cool to room temperature before covering. Refrigerate until fully chilled and thickened, at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. The sauce will thicken significantly as it cools.

Notes

Apple cider is the preferred liquid – Apple cider gives a warmer, fuller flavor than plain water or orange juice. Apple juice works well as a substitute with a slightly lighter result.

Use the apple pie spice blend – Our homemade apple pie spice blend gives a more rounded holiday flavor in one step. Find the full recipe at Homemade Apple Pie Spice Recipe.

Cool completely before refrigerating – Covering while warm creates condensation that thins the sauce. Let cool to room temperature before covering and chilling for the best texture.

Sauce thickens significantly as it cools – Do not judge the final consistency while the sauce is still warm. It will be much thicker after an hour in the refrigerator.

Nutrition