Before I first made this recipe back in 2015, I had never actually tried homemade cranberry sauce. The only cranberry sauce that sat on our non-traditional Thanksgiving table was the jellied, overly sweet canned version from Ocean Spray. Truthfully, that cranberry sauce was only there because Mom loved it.
Years ago, she started experimenting with a healthier version made with orange juice and maple syrup. I was hesitant at first, but Mom encouraged me to try a little of her beautiful maroon cranberries. I scooped the orange cranberry sauce onto a baked sweet potato with a little roasted turkey breast on the side. Two bites in, and I was in LOVE! The cranberries weren’t overly sweet, they were a little tart, but oh-so-perfect in every way.
For the next week, I enjoyed the leftover homemade healthy cranberry sauce in smoothies, on butternut squash patties, on top of my sweet potato pancakes, on my yogurt, and on cottage cheese. I’m telling you, THIS is the cranberry sauce that belongs on your Thanksgiving table.
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What’s in this healthy cranberry sauce?
This homemade, healthy cranberry sauce is made with just 5 simple ingredients but is bursting with sweet and tart flavors. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Cranberries: feel free to use frozen or fresh cranberries in the sauce for ease.
- Sweetener: we’re naturally sweetening this cranberry sauce with pure maple syrup or honey instead of using any white sugar or brown sugar.
- Orange juice: some fresh orange juice (from an actual orange, not a carton!) gives the sauce a wonderful, bright flavor.
- Vanilla extract: the vanilla pairs perfectly with the fruits.
- Optional: a splash of bourbon, brandy, amaretto, or scotch whiskey really deepens the flavor and takes it to the next level.
Homemade cranberry sauce in 5 easy steps
This cranberry sauce recipe only takes 15 minutes to make and is ridiculously easy to make. Here’s how to do it:
- Mix the sauce ingredients. Add all of the ingredients (besides the orange zest) to a small pot.
- Bring them to a boil. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer the sauce. Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to low, and allow the sauce to simmer. You may notice a popping sound, which simply means the cranberries are bursting and getting nice and juicy.
- Thicken it up. Remove the lid and stir the sauce. It may need a few more minutes to simmer in order for the sauce to thicken.
- Garnish and serve. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with orange zest, then serve!
Using frozen cranberries?
If you use frozen cranberries, you may need to remove the lid in the last 5 minutes of cooking to give the sauce time to really thicken up.
How to make cranberry sauce ahead of time
You can make this healthy cranberry sauce up to 3 days ahead of time! A great task to check off of your Thanksgiving to-do list early. Here’s how to do it:
- Cook the sauce as instructed in the recipe
- Allow the cranberry sauce to cool completely
- Place it in an airtight container, and serve when ready
I prefer to serve my cranberry sauce cold, but you can also feel free to serve it at room temperature or heat it up over low heat in a small pot on the stove.
Store & freeze leftover cranberry sauce
- To store: let the cranberry sauce come to room temperature, then place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
- To freeze: feel free to add your cooled cranberry sauce to a reusable silicone bag or container and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Simply let it thaw in the fridge before serving.
Our favorite ways to serve cranberry sauce
- Of course, top your Thanksgiving turkey, ham, or chicken
- Add it to delicious turkey sandwiches using leftover Thanksgiving turkey
- Use it as a topping for ice cream or cakes like angel food cake
- Top homemade dinner rolls (my Milk & Honey Dinner Rolls from The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook would be perfect!)
See how to make the healthy cranberry sauce
More Thanksgiving recipes you’ll love
- Perfect Homemade Turkey Gravy
- Lightened Up Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Oat Streusel
- Herb Butter Maple Roasted Turkey
- Roasted Garlic and Herb Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes (so creamy!)
- The Best Homemade Healthy Green Bean Casserole
- Dad’s Creamy & Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
Get all of our delicious Thanksgiving recipes here, and even more side dishes here!
I hope you love this homemade orange cranberry sauce! If you make anything from AK, be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram. I love seeing your creations and featuring followers!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon whiskey, bourbon, brandy or scotch (optional)
- zest from 1 orange
Instructions
- Boil the sauce: Add cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, vanilla extract and bourbon in a small pot and place over medium high heat.
- Simmer the sauce: Once mixture begins to boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce becomes nice and thick, coating the back of a spoon. You may notice a popping sound; this is the cranberries bursting so don't worry.
- Thicken: After 10 minutes I recommend removing the lid and allowing cranberries to simmer a few minutes to thicken the sauce up. If you are using frozen cranberries, this may take a bit longer.
- Once the sauce is thick, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve, then garnish with orange zest. Serves 6 (about ¼ cup each). Feel free to double the recipe!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on November 15th, 2015, republished with new photos on November 4th, 2019, republished on November 25th, 2024, and republished on November 24th, 2025.
101 comments
Looks good! I recently went to a Cranberry Fest, and they had so many cranberries! Need to make this.
Totally making this for my Friendsgiving!
What a great way to switch up a traditional holiday table item! Yum, it looks incred!
Mhm mhm mhm! One of my fave shoots so far 🙂
I LOVE that this cranberry sauce is naturally sweetened and has lots of bright orange flavor! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
lovely photos and recipe!
bourbon, orange AND maple?! this is the best cranberry sauce recipe ever!
Ummm yes girl!!!! I love everything about this!!
Could this be made ahead and frozen?
Definitely going to add this quick and delicious cranberry sauce to my Thanksgiving menu. Thanks!
We grew up with the jellied cranberry sauce too and I would never touch it. I only started eating cranberry sauce when I had homemade. So much better, I love this vibrant color and the flavors.
Made this for our Thanksgiving gathering and loved it! Delicious and easy and love that it’s naturally sweetened. This recipe is now in my binder.
Loved it… this will grace my holiday tables from here on out…XOXOX
Made this for thanksgiving and everyone loved it, even my super picky grandmother who usually makes her own cranberry sauce. Great recipe!
Can this be made without the liquor?
Of course! Just leave it out.
Can you make this without the alcohol?
Yep! Just leave it out.
My go to cranberry sauce recipe involves a cup of sugar (I usually do half a cup brown and half white). Cranberries are so tart I just can’t imagine omitting sugar BUTTTT I know you would never steer us wrong and therefore I will definitely be making this recipe!! I’ll be sure to comment again afterwards 🙂
Give this recipe a try! The maple syrup is the perfect amount of sweetness. Let me know how you like it!
This is delicious!! I added a small container of raspberries in the last 5 minutes.
Yum!!
Soooo good! Second year making this, last year it was a hit. This year I added a cinnamon stick while it simmered-hopefully just as delicious!
Thanks.
Amazing! I hope everyone loved it 🙂
This recipe looks delicious! This is safe to water bath can, isn’t it? It seems to have a high enough acid content as is.
It’s my go-to! I haven’t done much canning before, so I’m not 100% sure. Let me know if you try it!
I like this dish very much because it’s colour.
Glad to hear it!
This recipe is amazing! I love all things cranberries and this helps me feel better about eating the comforted cranberry sauce of thanksgiving, while not needing to eat it out of a can! And it’s so easy! I made it this morning and added some to my oatmeal! It is so good!
I’m so glad you love this one! My absolute favorite for Thanksgiving, too. Sounds delicious on oatmeal!
Made this for Thanksgiving – tip – make it at least a day early as the orange flavors peak if you give it some time. Pulled it back out a week later and finished it off. Delicious and I’ll make it again! Super fast and easy for this girl who thought (growing up) that cranberry relish came from a can!!!
Love that! Great tip. Glad you enjoyed!
Adding this to my Thanksgiving menu! I have never been a fan of the canned gelatinous travesty of cranberry sauce my family usually puts out for thanksgiving. Hoping to convert them to something fresh and delicious this year—enter this recipe! The touch of boubon sounds delish, and I’m thinking that adding a cinnamon stick and a pinch of allspice would add some lovely fall flavour to the mix. No doubt it’ll be a hit!
You’ll love this one! I’m not a fan of the canned stuff either 🙂 Enjoy!
wow .., I love everything
I normally don’t like cranberry sauce, but holy cow this was so good! Definitely a keeper and will be filing this away to make every year.
Amazing! So glad you found this one 🙂
This was SO good! Very easy and so flavorful! I’ll never have canned again 🙂
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
THE best cranberry sauce I’ve had! This was my first year making my own, and I won’t be trying any other recipe than this one.
So happy to hear that!
I’m making this for the first time, and doubled it. I followed the timing, covered, but now my cranberries are a sad grayish red, and there is WAY too much liquid. Maybe the liquid should be less for a double batch? I’m going to throw this out and try again tomorrow. Man, I hate wasting alcohol like that! lol
Make sure your heat isn’t too high.
I’m always a fan of cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving..but if you aren’t, this will change your mind!! It is the best recipe I’ve ever made. It’s the perfect amount of sweet and tart. It might have been my favorite side this year! I added some pomegranate seeds on top and loved the texture and flavor it added 🤗
Agreed! So happy you loved it, too!
Delicious and simple. I skipped on the bourbon bc I didn’t have any and it was still amazing
Perfect! 🙂
This recipe was phenomenal! We tried it out on Wednesday before Thanksgiving and had to make more before the meal because we ate it all! It took a little longer to thicken up, but it was well worth the wait!
We used a TBSP Maple Bourbon and it took the recipe over the top!
This is definitely a new Thanksgiving staple!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
This recipe is amazing! It’s super easy to make, and now I can’t have my Thanksgiving without it. I’ve been making it for the past few years and it’s ALWAYS a hit! If you have any left when all your turkey leftovers are gone, it’s great on oatmeal too!!!!
So happy to hear that! And great idea for using up leftovers 🙂
This recipe is so easy and delicious! I have always been a canned cranberry sauce girl, last year I tried this recipe and I don’t think I’ll ever buy canned cranberry sauce again! I made this for Thanksgiving and Christmas last year because it was so good. This year I made it for Thanksgiving and am making more so we can continue eating it with our leftovers!
The best alternative! Glad it was a hit 🙂
I made this for recipe for Thanksgiving this year and it was exactly what I was looking to make. It was tart (from the cranberries) but balanced with sweetness from the syrup and the orange. Comes together really quickly and was an easy win for my Thanksgiving meal.
I’m glad you found this one! The perfect side 🙂
Made for the second year in a row and this is honestly the only cranberry sauce I’ll eat. The fact that it is incredibly easy to l make is just the cherry on top!
I’ve been mixing the leftovers with Greek yogurt or putting on toast. Delicious!
Amazing! Love that idea for leftovers – YUM.
YUM! Love this cranberry sauce. It’s the perfect balance of tart and sweet, and just tastes so fresh thanks to the fresh cranberries and orange zest. I made this for Thanksgiving, and ended up making it this week as well as I was craving more. It comes together so quickly, and keeps well in the fridge for several days. Can see myself enjoying this year round!
So happy to hear that!
My go-to cranberry sauce. So good and easy.
Love that!!
OMG! I really loved it. I used this sauce for chapati. Thanks for sharing.
This is probably such a silly question but when you say “freshly squeezed OJ” do you mean bought from the store or literally juicing a couple oranges? Lol beginner here! Cannot wait to make this, thanks!!
All good, I mean squeezed from whole oranges (not store bought)!
I’d love to make this but only have mandarin oranges – has anyone substituted them for the oranges?
Hi, there! Apologies for the delay. I haven’t tried those but they might work!
This cranberry sauce is the best! Delicious with or without the alcohol and it makes your house smell amazing! I make this regularly and eat it throughout the holiday season for dessert every night.
My go-to cranberry recipe, didn’t even really like cranberry sauce before I started making them like this!
YAY!! Glad you love this one!
This cranberry sauce has converted my whole family! None of us like cranberry sauce but after making many ambitious kitchen recipes I have come to trust any recipe on AK. I made it last minute and it was super easy, so fresh and absolutely delicious! I used amaretto in mine and it was awesome. I highly recommend giving it a try.
Awesome, I’m so happy everyone loves it!!
Wow- I’m definitely going to try this. For years I have been making my own, but not cooking it or adding the alcohol . Just ground up the berries and whole orange adding sugar. Everyone always loved it. Time to try this one, Thank you for an alternate recipe.
I made this cranberry sauce last Thanksgiving and it is SO GOOD! Currently printing the recipe so I can make it again. Thank You!
Ah yay! Happy to hear you are loving this recipe 🙂❤️
I’m using just 1 bag of cranberries which is 12oz. How would u scale back the rest of ingredients?
I’m using 1 bag of cranberries which is 12 ounces. How would u scale back the test of ingredients?
One bag should be the correct amount that you need for this recipe.
Thank you! nice dish…!
Made this completely according to the recipe. The result is a beautifully fresh and tangy, tart cranberry sauce. The consensus here was that it has a very alive cranberry flavor and it’s wonderful. We did have a few oldsters at our table who wanted a more sweet and dark cranberry encounter, so I took some of the cranberry sauce and cooked it up with a splash of red wine and a scoop of brown sugar for them. It is a lot of fun to have people try both and see who prefers what. Great recipe, a keeper, and so easy! Thank you.
WOO! This is SO great to hear. Glad you loved this recipe and it turned out amazing for you!
I’ve tried several cranberry sauce recipes over the years and find this one to just be perfect! Another AK staple on our Thanksgiving table!
This makes me SO happy! Glad you’re loving this one, thanks so much for your comment!
Yum!! This homemade cranberry sauce really is 1000x better than the canned stuff. I love making it with Cointreau or bourbon. And leftovers are great in oatmeal or Greek yogurt.
Great idea to add Cointreau or bourbon! I’m all about reusing the leftovers, too 🙂
I’m making this right now. Can’t wait to try it
Enjoy!!
Yummmm. I made it ahead for Thanksgiving and I’m not sure it’s going to make it to the table! It’s so good! Using maple and vanilla instead of sugar, Brilliant! I already had some on left over chicken and it took it to the next Level! I can’t wait to serve this at Thanksgiving! I don’t even have to tell people that there’s no sugar! I omitted the brandy Bc I don’t drink, I added a little more Mexican white vanilla than called for and 6 segments of an orange cut into smaller pieces. I did cook it longer and it set up beautifully! Thank you! I’m now going to try a few of your other recipes!
So good!! Hope everyone loves it!
This cranberry sauce has perfect ratios—it’s not too tart or too sweet! I didn’t add the optional splash of alcohol but did use bourbon barrel aged maple syrup as my sweetener and it gave it that little je ne sais quoi.
Made this for Thanksgiving and it came out great ~ I didn’t change a thing ~ used 1 Tbsp of whiskey . Definitely will be making again!
So happy to hear that!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious!! And so easy! I’ve been making the same cranberry sauce from Bon Appetit since the 1990s until now. this is my new go-to.
Love that!!
I make this recipe every single year since you first posted it. It is pure perfection and I couldn’t do turkey day without it.
So happy to hear that!!
This is my usual recipe. (sans Bourbon) But I thought I would try the splash of Bourbon. Not my favorite. I will not use Bourbon again.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy that addition!
Seriously the best cranberry sauce! It’s always a hit in our household. Perfectly balanced between sweet and tangy. We’re in a rental this year, and the stove works a bit differently than the one in our old home, so it took a little longer for the sauce to thicken. But the trusty “spoon test” never fails. Just adding this as a reminder to be patient. This recipe is truly a keeper and one we look forward to making year after year.
So happy to hear that! And great reminder 🙂
I make your recipe (and many others) for Thanksgiving every year….thank you!! Can you make a Thanksgiving cookbook?!? Love yours by the way 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving !
So happy to hear that! Ooo that would be fun 🙂 I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!