Easy Ginger Orange Cranberry Sauce with Honey Recipe
Make this Easy Ginger Orange Cranberry Sauce with Honey for a naturally sweetened, flavorful side dish. Made with cranberries, orange juice, zest, honey, and warm spices, this healthier version is the perfect addition to any holiday table.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipe
- Naturally sweetened: Made with honey and maple syrup, this sauce skips refined sugar without sacrificing flavor.
- Balanced flavors: The tart cranberries are perfectly balanced with the sweet honey and fresh orange zest.
- Easy to make: This simple recipe comes together quickly, with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
- Holiday must-have: A fresh take on traditional cranberry sauce that will elevate any Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is everything you need to make the best-tasting ginger orange cranberry sauce with honey:
Orange Zest: You can use lemon zest or tangerine zest as alternatives if you don’t have an orange.
Orange Juice: You can use tangerine juice, clementine juice, apple juice, or a mixture of lemon juice and lime juice as a replacement for orange juice. Just be aware that it will slightly change the flavor profile.
Cranberries: If you don’t have fresh cranberries, you can use frozen cranberries as a substitute. No need to thaw them before using.
Honey: You can use all maple syrup in place of honey.
Maple Syrup: In place of pure maple syrup, you can use all honey or agave nectar to balance the tartness of the cranberries.
Cinnamon: Ground nutmeg or allspice can be used as a substitute for cinnamon, although it will impart a slightly different flavor.
Vanilla Extract: Substitute with almond extract or a vanilla-flavored syrup.
Fresh Ginger: Substitute ground ginger for fresh ginger. Use 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger as a replacement for 1/8 teaspoon of fresh ginger.
Salt: You can omit the salt or use a small pinch of kosher salt if you’re looking to reduce sodium content.
How to Make My Easy Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe
Step 1: Prep the Orange
Carefully grate the outer orange peel using a zester to create orange zest. Set the zest aside for later use. Cut the orange in half and juice it to obtain 1/3 cup of fresh orange juice. Set the juice aside.
Step 2: Prepare the Cranberries
Rinse the 3 cups or 12 oz bag of cranberries under cold running water to remove any impurities and drain them thoroughly.
Step 3: Cook the Cranberry Sauce
Combine the orange juice, 1/2 cup of honey, maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla extract, fresh ginger, and salt in a medium saucepan.
Stir until well combined.
Add the rinsed 3 cups of cranberries to the saucepan.
Step 4: Cook and Simmer
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the cranberries simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until they start to burst and the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Stir occasionally.
Step 5: Add Finishing Touches
Taste the cranberry sauce and adjust the sweetness or seasoning to your preference. You can add more honey, maple syrup, or spices if needed. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the cranberry sauce cool for a few minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Honey Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe Notes
Adjust Sweetness to Taste: The sweetness of the cranberry sauce can be adjusted by varying the amount of honey, maple syrup, or other sweeteners you use. Taste the sauce as it cooks and add more sweetener to suit your preference.
Consistency: The ginger cranberry sauce thickens as the cranberries burst and cook down. If you prefer a thicker sauce, let it simmer a bit longer, but be cautious not to overcook, as it can become too dense. You can thin it with a bit more orange juice if it’s too thick.
Fresh vs. Frozen Cranberries: While fresh bags of cranberries are ideal, frozen cranberries work well as a substitute. There’s no need to thaw frozen cranberries before using them in the recipe.
Serving Suggestions:
Although often used for turkey, it pairs well with chicken, duck and pork. Add it to a cheese board to go with cheddar, goat or blue cheeses. Add a layer into a yogurt parfait for a tasty breakfast treat. Use as a filling for tarts of turnovers, or spread over scones.
Here are a few more of my Healthier Thanksgiving recipes I recommend:
Ginger Orange Cranberry Sauce with Honey
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh cranberries 3 cups
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/8 teaspoon ginger fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Carefully grate the outer orange peel using a zester to create orange zest. Set the zest aside for later use. Cut the orange in half and juice it to obtain 1/3 cup of fresh orange juice. Set the juice aside.
- Rinse the cranberries under cold running water to remove any impurities and drain them thoroughly.
- Combine the orange juice, honey, maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla extract, fresh ginger, and salt in a medium saucepan.Stir until well combined.Add the rinsed 3 cups of cranberries to the saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the cranberries simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until they start to burst and the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Stir occasionally.
- Taste the cranberry sauce and adjust the sweetness or seasoning to your preference. You can add more honey, maple syrup, or spices if needed. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the cranberry sauce cool for a few minutes.Serve and enjoy!
Video
I made this last year along with another homemade cranberry sauce. I thought both were really good.(we also had sliced standard 😉 )
However- everyone raved about this Cranberry Sauce !!! My brother called asking for recipe and if I had any leftover?! I was at 2 different Thanksgiving meals last year and was frankly real surprised at everyone’s excitement with this Cranberry sauce. Needless to say-I am making it again this year. Mahalo from Hawaii.
Hi Amy, thank you so much for sharing this with me!! I’m so glad it was a hit 🙂 I’m making a batch today!