This gourmet homemade Spiced Cranberry Orange Sauce is 100 times better than the canned variety and so easy to make. This post includes ideas for using leftover cranberry sauce, too!
This Spiced Cranberry Orange Sauce with Triple Sec is our family's favourite sauce to serve with turkey or roast chicken. It's lightly flavoured with orange juice, cinnamon, and cloves and (optionally) spiked with Triple Sec.
It's a gourmet homemade cranberry sauce for your holiday dinners that may just become your family's new favourite, too. Once you make it, you'll wonder why you ever bought it in a can.
🛒 Ingredients
- cranberries: fresh or frozen
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- orange juice
- orange zest
- cinnamon
- cloves
- orange liqueur: like Triple Sec or Gran Marnier
Instructions
- Combine the cranberries, sugar, and orange juice in a medium pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook until the cranberries pop. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the finely grated orange zest, cinnamon, and cloves. Add a tablespoon or two of Triple Sec for extra orange flavour.
- It may look thin, but cranberries contain a lot of natural pectin, so the sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Can I make this cranberry sauce ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely. It will last up to a week tightly covered in the fridge. You can also freeze any leftover sauce.
Cranberry sauce is something that we only make a few times a year. This recipe is one I've used for years, but since I don't make it often, I haven't committed it to memory. My original reason for posting it here was simply to have it at my fingertips here on my blog when I need it! But it's just so good that I wanted to share it with you, too.
What to do with leftover cranberry sauce
Don't despair if you have leftover cranberry sauce! It's good for more than simply adding to your turkey sandwiches!
I make several batches of this Cranberry Orange sauce at holiday times so I can use it to make these spicy Cranberry Glazed Chili Chicken Wings, Cranberry Jalapeño Whipped Feta Dip and Cranberry Brie Jalapeño Crostini. I even have it for breakfast in this Cranberry Orange Breakfast Parfait.
No time to make anything with leftover cranberry sauce right now? Freeze it for another time, then thaw it in the refrigerator and use it in a recipe.
Recipes for whole cranberries
Cranberries are a good source of vitamins (especially Vitamin C) and fiber. They're considered to be a superfood. You can read more about their antioxidant properties and their nutritional value in this article: Cranberries 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits.
Cranberry Rosemary Boneless Chicken Thighs
Gluten-Free Cranberry Lemon Muffins - Keto
Grain-Free Apple Cranberry Bread with Maple Pecan Glaze
Cranberry Lemon and Pear Relish
Spiced Cranberry Orange Sauce with Triple Sec
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup orange juice
- zest from one organic orange
- pinch of cinnamon
- ½ pinch ground cloves
- 1 - 2 tbsp Triple Sec or other orange liqueur optional
Instructions
- Combine the cranberries, sugar and orange juice in a medium pot.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer until cranberries pop. Remove from heat.
- Stir in zest, cinnamon and cloves. Add Triple Sec, if desired.
- Cranberries contain lots of natural pectin so this sauce will thicken as it cools.
- This sauce can be made up to a week in advance. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
*This post was originally published in 2016. I have updated the instructions and added nutrition information.
Jackie says
Elaine, thank you for being in my life!!! You have no idea how often I go to your blog for recipes. I have not tried this one before and have a bottle of orange brandy burning a hole in the liquor cabinet, apparently just waiting to be invited into the sauce.
Flavour & Savour says
I'll bet that orange brandy would be fabulous in this sauce! I wasn't going to post this recipe,, because, well, it's just cranberry sauce, but every year I'm digging around in my recipe files, looking for it. Now it's here for next year, too! Enjoy!
Kathi says
This looks like something I need to make on Thursday! Boy, your pics just get better and better!
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks Kathy! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Bonnie Orr says
Oh my goodness -- this is heaven!!! I followed the recipe and added 2 T Triple Sec 😉 to it after cooking. Just absolutely fabulous!! The orange flavors are a nice addition -- settles down the tartness of the cranberries and it is delicious. This is a keeper -- Thanks!!
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks so much Bonnie! We LOVE this cranberry sauce, too!