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Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Cinnamon

Cranberry sauce with orange and cinnamon—quick stovetop simmering until the berries burst, then chilled for a thick, spoonable texture. Spiced with cinnamon sticks and finished with bright orange zest for a balanced sweet-tart side.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 140
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry sauce base
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 0.75 cup orange juice
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 0.125 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Simmer the sauce
  1. Combine sugar, orange juice, water, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, keep the surface bubbling for even heating.
  2. Add fresh cranberries and simmer at a steady boil for 10-12 minutes until the berries burst. Stir occasionally so the mixture thickens evenly and the cranberries split.
Finish and chill
  1. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in orange zest. This keeps the zest bright instead of dulling with more cooking.
  2. Let the cinnamon sticks remain in the sauce as it cools for extra spice, then remove them. The color should deepen to a glossy ruby as it cools.
  3. Chill before serving so the sauce thickens to a spoonable consistency. Transfer to the fridge uncovered at first, then cover once cool to avoid condensation.

Notes

For the thickest texture, chill the sauce at least a few hours before serving; it will continue to set as it cools. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Freezing is not recommended because cranberries can lose some texture after thawing. For a lower-sugar option, use a 1:1 sugar substitute designed for cooking (check package directions) to maintain the same thick gel-like consistency.