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Sweet with maple and cinnamon spice and tangy with juicy orange, this easy Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce will have you hooked from the first bite! It’s so quick and easy to make, you will never go back to the gelatinous canned stuff again!
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As the saying goes, “The sauce makes the meal!” No Thanksgiving menu is complete without some cranberries and this is the BEST easy Cranberry Sauce there is.
So much flavor with just a handful of ingredients. I think it’s pretty perfect as is, but it can be easily adapted to your own tastes.
Want sweeter? More tart? More texture? Smoother? No problem…have it your way with this versatile Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce.
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Cranberries ~ You can use fresh or frozen. Do not use dried.
I tend to overbuy the fresh ones when they finally hit the stores so I can freeze them and make these vegan cranberry recipes all year long! - Pear ~ I love the added texture and sweet juicy flavor that bites of pear bring.
Apples would be a great substitute if you prefer. I suggest using a sweet apple, like a honeycrisp, fuji, or gala to contrast the tart flavor of the cranberries. Pineapple would also be a great choice.
You could leave this out totally if you want a pure cranberry sauce. And if you prefer a smoother sauce, you could even go one step further and purée it a bit using an immersion blender. - Sweetener ~ I like the flavor of pure maple syrup. It works really well with the orange and cinnamon.
You could use coconut sugar or organic cane sugar instead. If using granulated sugar, be sure to cook long enough so all the sugar gets dissolved. Cane sugar tends to be sweeter, so you may need to use less. Taste and adjust to your liking. - Spices ~ I use ground cinnamon and ginger in this Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce. You can use just one or the other. Nutmeg or cardamom would also be delicious.
You could also add in some fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme for a unique twist. - Add-ins ~ If you like lots of texture in your sauce, feel free to add in a handful of chopped nuts, like walnuts or pecans.
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
This vegan cranberry sauce with orange is the real deal and it couldn’t be easier. It takes just about 20 minutes and can easily be double or tripled to feed a crowd.
- Step 1: Zest the orange and set aside.
- Step 2: Add the cranberries to a pot. Juice the orange right into the pot.
- Step 3: Add the water, orange zest, cinnamon and ginger.
- Step 4: Cook the sauce gently until it starts to bubble. Turn the heat down and continue cooking until the cranberries start to burst.
- Step 5: Add the diced pears.
- Step 6: Stir well to incorporate the pears and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so to warm through.
Serve chilled or room temperature.
Storage and freezing
Make ahead: This easy cranberry sauce can be made ahead of time – up to a week! That will give you more time to make these other amazing Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes!
Fridge: Let the sauce cool completely before transferring to an air-tight container. It will keep in the fridge for at least a week.
Freezer: You can store it longer in the freezer for about 3 months.
Pro tips and tricks
Use fresh or frozen cranberries. Do not used dried cranberries – they will not work!
Use fresh orange juice! Store-bought bottled juice just isn’t the same…even if it’s 100% juice. Squeeze your own orange right into the pot. It only takes a second!
Cook the sauce long enough for most of the cranberries to burst and for it to start to thicken. However, do not overcook! Cooking for too long could cause the sugars to caramelize and burn, leaving you with an off-putting bitter taste. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Taste and adjust seasonings. If you like a sweeter sauce, add a tablespoon or two more of maple syrup. Also, try adding a pinch of salt to bring out the sweetness of the other ingredients.
Double or triple the recipe easily to feed a crowd.
FAQs
Cranberries are tart by nature. To contrast this, sweetener is added to the sauce.
If you find it still too bitter for your tastes, try adding a tiny pinch of salt, which actually brings out the sweetness of the other ingredients.
Of course, you can always add a bit more maple syrup or sugar, as needed.
Yes! Cooking for too long could cause the sugars to burn and cause a bitter flavor. Cook it gently until most of the cranberries have burst and the sauce is starting to thicken. If you want, you can mash the berries that have yet to burst with a potato masher or wooden spoon. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
You sure can! Let the sauce cool completely before transferring it to the freezer in an air-tight container or plastic freezer bag. Stored properly, it should keep well for about 3 months.
More vegan cranberry recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries rinsed and drained (about 3.5 cups)
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup or to taste
- zest of ½ navel orange
- juice of ½ navel orange (2 to 3 tablespoons) or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pear peeled, cored and diced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, except the pear, to a 2 quart sauce pot and simmer on the stove, stirring occasionally so the sauce doesn't stick, until cranberries start to burst and the mixture gets saucy, about 15 minutes.
- Add the diced pear and continue to cook about 5 minutes more.
- Let cool before serving. Can be served room temperature or chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
T Anstey
so easy to make and delicious. I omitted the pear but put in Mandarin orange plus zest and 1/2 lime and zest plus the ginger.
YUM
Jenn Sebestyen
So glad you loved it! Your additions sound wonderful!
Daniela
hello the recipe looks great and I am looking forward to trying it.
I have a question though, the amount of orange and orange peel doesn’t change when the quantity of servings changes. I think it’s because the first word if not the amount… I’d like to know how many servings is the basic recipe for, this way I can figure out the amount for larger doses.
Thanks
Daniela
Jenn Sebestyen
Hi, Daniela. It serves about 10 people as a small side. I often double it for our large family gatherings and it works great! Taste as you go and adjust for your taste. Leftovers are fabulous in a number of ways, so don’t be shy about making more! Enjoy!
JANICE SHANKMAN
I really enjoyed this! Super easy to make with ingredients that I always have on hand. I must admit – I have a killer sweet tooth, and at first taste, this was a bit too tart for me. So I added an additional 1/4c of maple syrup and then this was PERFECT for my tastes. I used Ceylon cinnamon this time….thinking it might be too mellow so next time I make this I may try Saigon cinnamon. My old recipe was so sweet and as much as I love its taste, I was looking for something with a bit less sugar. This is perfect. Thanks so much for sharing!
Jenn S.
So glad you liked it Janice! The sweetness really depends on your cranberries too. Sometimes I find it comes out more tart even following the exact same directions. Glad you were able to adjust to your tastes!
Sandra
Have you ever tried freezing the sauce?
Jenn S.
Hi, Sandra. I have not. I would think it would be fine, but not sure how the pears texture would hold up. It does last several days in the fridge, though, if you want to make it ahead of time.
Ginny McMeans
This is really a beautiful sauce. Love the citrus added and then the sweetness of pear. Yum!
Jenn S.
Thank you, Ginny! It’s a great combo and everyone loves it.
Mary // chattavore
I’m the only person in my family who eats cranberry sauce, but I am completely obsessed with it so I keep making it every year anyway (I always eat all of it anyway). I’ve never thought of adding pear but I will have to give it a try!
Jenn S.
I’m obsessed with it too! I have a cranberry smoothie recipe that uses leftover sauce and it’s downright delicious too. Check it out! Hope you love my version, Mary. Enjoy!
Caroline
I always make my own cranberry sauce, too – I know what you mean, I don’t quite get why people don’t. Love the idea of having pear in there too. Yum!
Jenn S.
And it’s so easy! Thanks, Caroline! (P.S. My oldest twin is named Caroline – love that name!)
Deepika
This looks so delicious. I usually make my own cranberry sauce, so trying your recipe for sure.
Jenn S.
Thanks, Deepika! Let me know if you do!
Jessica
Love the addition of pears to this cranberry sauce! I agree with you – it’s so easy to make your own, don’t know why more people don’t do it!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Jessica! I eat this stuff with a spoon – don’t need any other accompanying recipes. 🙂
Lee Kershaw
Can’t anyone tell me if they use fresh ginger or ground?
Jenn S.
Hi, Lee. It’s ground ginger from the spice section. I will update the recipe now. Thanks for pointing that out. I hope you love it.
Vanessa
Can you please tell me when doubling this recipe or even tripling it, do we also need to increase amounts of the zest & all ingreduents?
Jenn S.
Hi, Vanessa! That is a great questions as not all recipes double perfectly like that. But, for this one, you’ll definitely want to double (or triple) all ingredients. You might even find you need a bit more of the maple syrup, cinnamon, or orange zest. I recommend tasting as you go and adjust accordingly. I just made a triple batch this weekend and doctored it up a bit at the end, even after tripling all of the ingredients. Enjoy!
Kathleen
Everyone at the party said it was the best cranberry sauce ever- and ate it with a baked cheese in a pastry puff shell appetizer on top of crackers. I also added a cinnamon stick when it was cooking. Can’t wait to try the vegan cranberry bread recipe with the leftovers.
sebestyen2
Wow, that’s quite a compliment! Thanks for sharing that with me! Sounds like a fun party!! 🙂
Kathleen
This was great! I did add a little bit of brown sugar in addition because my cranberries were very tart. Thanks!
sebestyen2
Wonderful! So happy you liked it!