Easy Orange Cranberry Sauce (3 Ingredients!)

It doesn’t get much simpler than this 3-ingredient cranberry sauce made in 1 pan!

Fresh or frozen cranberries are tossed with orange zest and juice and naturally sweetened with maple syrup, then baked (or cooked on the stovetop) until burst and fragrant. The colors alone are mesmerizing, and then there’s the aroma and tart-sweet flavor! It’s the only cranberry sauce you’ll need this holiday season (and beyond). Let us show you how it’s done!

How to Make Fresh Cranberry Sauce

We’re firm believers that fresh is best! If you only know cranberry sauce as a jello-like, super sweet substance that gets ignored at the holiday table, you must give this fresh version a try! It’s a game changer.

It starts with fresh or frozen whole unsweetened cranberries. They’re tart, vibrant, and beaming with antioxidants!

Maple syrup and orange juice perfectly balance the tartness of the cranberries without the high fructose corn syrup. We dialed the sweetness in to about two-thirds that of your average canned version, but you can use more or less maple syrup to achieve your preferred level of sweetness.

We infused it with orange zest because cranberry + orange = made for each other.

This recipe can be made in either a baking dish in the oven or in a saucepan on the stovetop. While the oven is our preferred method for best flavor, if your oven is filled with other holiday goodies, the stovetop is great too!

Once the cranberries are burst and fragrant, all that’s left is to mash with a potato masher or spoon, or purée into a fine sauce (we prefer some texture!).

Cranberry Sauce FAQs

How Long Does Cranberry Sauce Last?

Cranberry sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for at least 1 month (without freezer burn).

What To Do With Leftover Cranberry Sauce?

Other than serving cranberry sauce with your favorite Thanksgiving classics, it’s delicious on pancakes (or gluten-free pancakes), cornbread (or gluten-free cornbread), waffles (or gluten-free waffles), crepes, oats, and more! We could also see it working well as a galette filling, or with anything pumpkin (muffins, quick bread, overnight oats, and baked oatmeal are great places to start).

We hope you LOVE this orange cranberry sauce! It’s:

Vibrant
Fruity
Naturally sweetened
Citrusy
Quick & easy
& SO delicious!

It’s begging to be served at your Thanksgiving table with mashed potatoes (Instant Pot or stovetop), Fluffy Vegan Spelt Rolls, 1-Pan Garlicky Green Beans with Slivered Almonds, Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad, Vegan Cornbread Stuffing, Vegan Lentil Nut “Meatloaf”, and Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken.

More Fresh Cranberry Recipes

• Orange Cranberry Crisp (Gluten-Free & Easy!)
• Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
• Cranberry Pumpkin Steel Cut Oats
• Pear & Cranberry Champagne Cocktails

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Easy Orange Cranberry Sauce (3 Ingredients!)

Simple, flavorful cranberry sauce made in 1 dish with 3 simple ingredients! Perfectly tart-sweet, naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and incredibly easy to make!

Author Minimalist Baker

Print SAVE SAVED

5 from 8 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 10 (2-Tbsp servings)

Course Condiment, Sauce, Side

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly 1 month

Does it keep? 1 Week

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• 1 (10-oz) bag cranberries (~2 ½ cups as recipe is written // fresh or frozen)
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup maple syrup

Instructions

OVEN (our preferred method)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and set out an 8 x 8-inch ceramic or glass baking dish (or other dish of a similar size // use a 9 x 13 pan if making a double batch).
• To the baking dish, add cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, and maple syrup. Stir to combine.
• Bake for ~45-50 minutes or until the cranberries are bubbly and tender. Then remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
• Use a potato masher (or wooden spoon) to gently smash cranberries into a loose sauce. If you’d prefer it to be saucier, add a bit more orange juice at this time. Add more maple syrup to taste for a sweeter sauce. You could also transfer it to a food processor if you prefer it completely smooth.
• Serve at room temperature (our preference), warmed, or chilled.
• Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month. Can be reheated in the microwave or in a 350 F (176 C) oven until warmed through.

STOVETOP

• Add all ingredients (cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, maple syrup) to a medium saucepan and stir to combine.
• Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries are tender and most have burst open. Remove lid and continue simmering (uncovered), stirring occasionally and gently mashing with a wooden spoon, until the mixture has thickened and no whole cranberries remain — about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
• If you’d prefer it to be saucier, add a bit more orange juice at this time. Add more maple syrup to taste for a sweeter sauce. You could also transfer it to a food processor if you prefer it completely smooth.
• Serve at room temperature (our preference), warmed, or chilled.
• Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen and reheat in the microwave, in a saucepan, or in a 350 F (176 C) oven until warmed through.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*We prefer making this recipe in the oven as it enhances the flavor, but it can also be made on the stovetop.
*Recipe makes ~1 ¼ cups.

Nutrition (1 of 10 servings)

Serving: 2 tablespoons Calories: 43 Carbohydrates: 11.1 g Protein: 0.2 g Fat: 0.1 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 2 mg Potassium: 57 mg Fiber: 1 g Sugar: 8.1 g Vitamin A: 30 IU Vitamin C: 7.1 mg Calcium: 13.7 mg Iron: 0.1 mg