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Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Cinnamon

Cranberry sauce with orange and cinnamon is a quick stovetop simmer that turns fresh cranberries into a thick, jammy spoonable sauce. Orange juice and zest add bright flavor while cinnamon sticks stay in during cooling for deeper spice.
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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: 209
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
  • 0.06 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the cranberry sauce
  1. Combine sugar, orange juice, water, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is actively bubbling.
  2. Add fresh cranberries to the boiling mixture and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most berries burst and the sauce thickens slightly with visible skins splitting.
  3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the orange zest until evenly distributed throughout the spiced cranberry mixture.
  4. Leave the cinnamon sticks in as it cools for extra spice, then remove them once the sauce has cooled enough to handle.
  5. Chill the cranberry sauce before serving so it thickens to a spoonable, jammy texture.

Notes

Pro tip: simmer just until the cranberries burst—overcooking can make the sauce stiff. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months for best texture. For a lower-sugar swap, use a like-for-like sugar substitute suited for stovetop simmering.