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    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes » Brown Sugar Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe

    Brown Sugar Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe

    Published: Nov 20, 2015 Modified: Nov 16, 2021 by GG

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    Brown Sugar Orange Cranberry Sauce is an easy recipe for homemade cranberry sauce. Simmer fresh cranberries with brown sugar for a depth of flavor and stir in orange zest for a hint of citrus. So easy you'll wonder why you haven't made a homemade cranberry sauce before! #cranberrysauce #homemadecranberrysauce #orange #brownsugar #freshcranberries #Thanksgiving #easyrecipe #entertaining #swirlsofflavor
    homemade cranberry sauce in bowl with text overlay
    cranberry orange sauce with text overlay
    brown sugar cranberry sauce with orange and text overlay

    Brown Sugar Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe is an easy homemade cranberry sauce. Fresh cranberries simmer with brown sugar for a depth of flavor and orange zest lends a hint of citrus.

    bowl of homemade cranberry sauce with slice of orange

     

    Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe

    It's so easy to make your own homemade cranberry sauce that you'll never want to buy that canned stuff again! Just three ingredients plus water!

    Cranberry sauce with orange juice and brown sugar. So simple and it just doesn’t get much more delicious than that!

    Simply simmer fresh cranberries with a bit of water and brown sugar then stir in fresh orange zest for a bright citrus flavor. That's it!

    Homemade cranberry sauce with orange is a pure clean cranberry sauce that you made yourself in a matter of minutes with all natural ingredients.

    Dark brown sugar adds a depth of sweetness and orange zest adds citrus notes and brightens up our cranberry sauce with orange juice.

    Want even more depth of flavor? Make our cranberry sauce with port.

    Yes, a splash, about ¼ cup, of port wine cooked along with the cranberries will lend an added layer of flavor to your fresh cranberry relish.

    Whether you can it cranberry sauce or cranberry relish, this is definitely an easy recipe for cranberry relish and cranberry sauce too!

    So delicious and oh so easy to make, you'll wonder why you haven't made our easy recipe for orange cranberry sauce before!

    Cranberry FAQ’s

    Are you curious about that bag of fresh cranberries with the gorgeous ruby color? Well then, here are some fun facts about that little cranberry from Ocean Spray:

    • Legend has it that the Pilgrims served cranberries at the first Thanksgiving dinner in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
    • The cranberry is one of only three native fruits cultivated in North America. Others are the blueberry and the Concord grape.
    • Cranberries bounce because they have small pockets of air inside of them. This air also makes them float in water so they are easy to harvest in water.
    • Americans eat a total of about 400 pounds of cranberries each year. About twenty percent of the cranberries are eaten during the week of Thanksgiving!

    How many cranberries are in one pound?

    • There are about 450 cranberries in a pound.

    How much does a barrel of cranberries weigh?

    • A barrel of cranberries weighs 100 pounds.

    Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips

    • Add port wine
    • Stir in lemon zest too!
    • Add a touch of orange brandy, about ¼ cup
    • Make with lime zest for a cranberry lime sauce
    • Refrigerate your homemade cranberry relish and serve chilled

    Substitutions

    • Replace the water with orange juice for a boost of citrus flavor
    • Use light brown sugar in place of the dark brown sugar
    • Substitute granulated sugar for the dark brown sugar

    How long does homemade cranberry sauce last?

    Believe it or not, if stored properly in a covered container, your homemade cranberry sauce will last about 10-14 days in the refrigerator.

    How to store cranberry sauce

    Homemade cranberry sauce should be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

    Can you freeze cranberry sauce?

    You absolutely can freeze homemade cranberry sauce. Be sure to let your cranberry relish come to room temperature first. Then put it in a freezer safe container or freezer bag and seal.

    How to make cranberry sauce

    Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below

    1. Combine fresh cranberries, brown sugar and water in a saucepot
    2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat
    3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until cranberries have popped and mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes
    4. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest
    5. Refrigerate until chilled

    Holiday Recipes

    • Holiday Appetizer Recipes
    • Holiday Side Dish Recipes
    • Holiday Potato Recipes

    Recipes With Cranberries

    • Cranberry Salad Dressing
    • Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
    • Baked Brie With Cranberries
    • Homemade Cranberry Sauce
    • Cranberry Bread from Restless Chipotle
    • Cranberry Winter Fruit Salad from One Hot Oven

    I make commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

    cranberries, sugar and orangesIngredients for homemade cranberry relish

    • fresh cranberries
    • dark brown sugar
    • water
    • orange zest

    Related Recipes

    You’ll need some delicious side dishes to go along with your cranberry sauce and turkey. Here you go!

    Left to Right: Pomegranate Salad; Mashed Potatoes; Brussels Sprouts; Sweet Potatoes

    Left to Right: Pomegranate Salad; Mashed Potatoes; Brussels Sprouts; Sweet Potatoes

    You can take your salad to a new level with Pomegranate Apple Mixed Greens With Walnut-Crusted Goat Cheese! Greens are lightly tossed in a perfectly balanced Pomegranate Vinaigrette and topped with apple slices, pomegranate arils and fancy goat cheese rounds. 

    Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without potatoes!  Panko Garlic Mashed Potatoes combine buttery creaminess with the perfect crunchy topping of panko breadcrumbs, parsley and butter!

    Smashed Brussels Sprouts With Crispy Prosciutto will be your new go-to side dish recipe for special occasions! Smashed sprouts are roasted with two cheeses and then topped with crispy prosciutto for the ultimate side dish recipe! 

    But don't forget the sweet potatoes! Pecan Crumb Sweet Potatoes are so decadent that every mouthful is filled with creamy sweet potatoes and buttery cinnamon crumbs…..the perfect combination of a side dish and a dessert! 





     

     

    Brown Sugar Orange Cranberry Sauce is an easy recipe for homemade cranberry sauce. Simmer fresh cranberries with brown sugar for a depth of flavor and stir in orange zest for a hint of citrus. So easy you'll wonder why you haven't made a homemade cranberry sauce before! #cranberrysauce #homemadecranberrysauce #orange #brownsugar #freshcranberries #Thanksgiving #easyrecipe #entertaining #swirlsofflavor
    Print
    5 from 2 votes

    Brown Sugar Orange Cranberry Sauce

    Brown Sugar Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe is an easy homemade cranberry sauce. Fresh cranberries simmer with brown sugar for a depth of flavor and orange zest lends a hint of citrus.
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Keyword cranberry orange sauce recipe, cranberry relish, cranberry sauce, orange cranberry sauce
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 25 minutes
    Servings 10
    Calories 105kcal
    Author Gwynn Galvin

    Ingredients

    • 1 package (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
    • 1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • 1/2 tsp. orange zest

    Instructions

    • Combine fresh cranberries, brown sugar and water in saucepot.
    • Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
    • Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until cranberries have popped and mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
    • Remove from heat and stir in orange zest.
    • Refrigerate until chilled.

    Notes

    Makes 2 1/2 cups.
    Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips
    • Add port wine
    • Stir in lemon zest too!
    • Add a touch of orange brandy, about ¼ cup
    • Make with lime zest for a cranberry lime sauce
    • Refrigerate your homemade cranberry relish and serve chilled
    Substitutions
    • Replace the water with orange juice for a boost of citrus flavor
    • Use light brown sugar in place of the dark brown sugar
    • Substitute granulated sugar for the dark brown sugar

    Nutrition

    Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
    First Published: November 20, 2015... Last Updated: November 16, 2021 for better readability and user experience

     

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    About GG

    Gwynn Galvin, known to many as GG, is the creative and talented chef and nutritionist behind Swirls of Flavor. Gwynn is an award-winning culinary professional with over twenty five years of recipe development, food styling, test kitchen management and culinary innovation experience. Gwynn's passion is gathering people around the table with her simple real food recipes to savor the moments together.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Allyssa

      November 17, 2021 at 3:58 am

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for sharing this amazing sauce recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!

    2. Liz

      November 21, 2021 at 9:36 am

      5 stars
      I love the idea of simmering the cranberries in brown sugar! Sounds delicious! Can't wait to give this recipe a try!

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    Hi there, I'm Gwynn, the creator of Swirls of Flavor. Welcome to my kitchen where delicious memories are made. My passion is bringing people together through food. I create easy, family friendly recipes made with fresh, simple ingredients. So come on in and gather round the table. Let's Cook, Share and Savor the Moments together.

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