Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Warm Spices

Homemade cranberry sauce brings bright orange and warm spice to a classic holiday side. Fresh cranberries simmer with orange zest and juice, a cinnamon stick, allspice, and nutmeg until the berries burst and release their natural pectin. A quick blend gives the sauce a more jellied consistency, while a lighter touch keeps some cranberry pieces intact.

This stovetop recipe uses a short ingredient list and cooks in about 10 to 12 minutes once it reaches a boil. Use an immersion blender for a smooth finish or a potato masher for a chunkier sauce. Serve it with a holiday meal, then use any extra as a sandwich condiment or spread it on toast, as the source suggests.

Dr. J’s Kitchen

Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Warm Spices

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Fresh cranberries simmer with orange, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, then are blended smooth or mashed for a chunkier homemade sauce.

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Course: Side

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

• 12 oz fresh cranberries
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 navel orange, zested and juiced

Method

 

1. Add the cranberries, sugar, water, cinnamon stick, allspice, nutmeg, orange zest, and orange juice to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to maintain a low rolling boil. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cranberries burst.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Blend with an immersion blender to the texture you prefer, or use a potato masher for a chunkier sauce.

Video

Notes

Remove the cinnamon stick before blending or mashing.

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Choose the texture you like

The cranberries release pectin as they cook. An immersion blender makes the sauce closer to a jellied texture; a potato masher leaves it chunkier. Remove the cinnamon stick before blending if it remains in the pan.

Serve beyond the holiday table

Serve this cranberry sauce with a holiday meal. The source also suggests spreading leftovers on toast or using the sauce as a sandwich condiment.

Can I make it without an immersion blender?

Yes. The source recommends a potato masher if you do not have an immersion blender.

How long does it cook?

After it comes to a boil, cook at a low rolling boil for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cranberries burst.

Watch Dr. J Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Warm Spices

Watch Dr. J make Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Warm Spices and see how it comes together.