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!)
Ingredients
- 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
*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.
Cassy says
Super simple and delicious. I was short on time, so I used the stove-top method, but next time I’ll try the oven. I was short on frozen cranberries, so I subbed in some frozen red currants and it was so good! A great compliment to a vegan shepherd’s pie we had for Thanksgiving. Thanks for another stellar recipe!
Thank you for another lovely review, Cassy! That sounds like a lovely Thanksgiving meal! xo
Carissa says
Tasty and the easiest cranberry sauce I’ve ever made. I used brown sugar instead of maple syrup because that’s what I had. Next time I will add chopped pear.
We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Carissa! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Karen says
Made this for Thanksgiving with the mushroom gravy and the lentil nut loaf. It was the perfect addition to our feast which included mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts and a simple green salad.
Yum, your Thanksgiving sounds like it was super delicious! Thank you for sharing, Karen! xo
Bee says
The idea for labeling the cranberry sauce “dog food” would have been a dead give away…we don’t have a dog. ;) The husband walked in as it was coming out of the oven. I filled a jar to the rim and gave him a few spoonfuls of what was left. Proclaimed the best ever. Now I have to see if I can find some more berries – we live in Norway and except for “Black week and Black month” the Norwegians don’t get Thanksgiving.
Wishing everyone the best Day of Gratitude.
Haha, yeah, that does sound like he would catch on pretty easily then! We’re SO honored that he thinks it’s the best ever! It sounds like it’s not going to make it to Thanksgiving… Wishing you a lovely holiday, Bee!
Bee says
So this is in the oven baking. What a great idea! I already know that this will be wonderful – I can smell the deliciousness. I did make the additions of a few cinnamon sticks and several slices of fresh ginger. I only have one problem…my husband absolutely loves cranberry sauce and we have a few days to go until our large family/friends celebration. I can’t figure out where to hide it so there will be some left. ;)
:) Thank you for the kind review, Bee! Haha, maybe label it something he wouldn’t eat (like “dog food” 😂) and place at the back of the fridge? We’d love to hear what you come up with!
Carly says
Made this for Thanksgiving this year exactly as written using the oven method. Everyone loved it!! This will be my go to for sure each year!
Yay we’re so glad you enjoyed it, Carly. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Cat Lewis says
Looks amazing…. wondering if you cover while baking in oven????
Bake uncovered. Hope you love it!
Ketzia says
So yummy and easy to make! Putting in my third batch since thanksgiving right now :)
Amazing! We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Ketzia! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Patricia Noonan says
This is such a simple and delicious recipe. I made mine on the stove top and the orange zest was very aromatic. I did add some cinnamon as well and a bit more maple syrup after I finished smashing the cranberries with a spoon. Minimal effort with maximum flavor. I will make this again.
Woohoo! Love to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Patricia!
Jennifer says
This is the best cranberry sauce we have ever had. I started out making a double batch but once we tried it I had to make more. It is delicious! I ended up making 6 batches total for Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you for another awesome recipe!
Amazing! Love to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jennifer, so glad you enjoy it so much!
Stephanie says
Wicked good! I love that it has no sugar and it is perfectly sweetened with the maple syrup. I also love that it is so easy to make, just toss the three ingredients in a baking dish and it prepares itself. I topped mine with toasted pecans. Divine. This recipe will go into my permanent collection.
Love the idea of pecans, sounds delish! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Stephanie!
Diana Norbury says
By far the easiest cranberry sauce recipe I have ever made – and it turned out amazing. This will be my annual go-to!
Woohoo! We’re so glad to hear that, Diana! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Janelle says
Made on the stove top. Used brown sugar instead of maple syrup. Added fresh minced thyme and a dash of cinnamon, I thought it was very tasty!
Yay! Love your additions, Janelle! Thank you for sharing! xo
Terri Johnson says
I love this–but don’t have any pure maple syrup on hand. Substitutions?
Hi Terri! You could use any sweetener of choice, agave, cane sugar, coconut sugar, or honey (if not vegan) will all work. Hope this helps!
Trish says
If swapping out the 1/3 C maple syrup for any of the substitutions, would you use the same amount?
A similar amount will work well! Cane sugar and honey are a little sweeter, so you might want to start with 1/4 cup for those and adjust to taste.
Trish says
Perfect, thank you so much!
Sherry MacKay says
this looks fabulous. we don’t really get cranberries or cranberry products here except stuff in a jar, but this looks tasty.
It’s soo delish, let us know if you get a chance to give it a try!
Jeffrey Engel says
My version of the recipe is even easier: dump a bag of cranberries into the food processor. Add a cut up orange (skin and all, just remove the seeds and navel of a navel orange) and sweetener of choice, about 1/2 cup. Process until finely cut up. It is best made Wednesday, so the flavors have overnight to meld.
Thanks for sharing, Jeffrey!
Lynn Wilson says
Used the oven method. It turned out great. Only change I made was to add slivered almonds.
Woohoo! Sounds delish. Thanks so much, Lynn!
Joey says
Hi I was just wondering why the oven was the preffered method, does it change the flavor in some way?
Hi Joey! We like how easy it is, and it thickens slightly better in the oven which we preferred. Not a major difference, though!
Janine says
Do the cranberries pop all over in the oven like they do on stovetop?
Not in our experience!
mslums3 says
Looks amazing but could it possibly be made with canned jellied sauce.? Already have it.
Hi there! Unfortunately we don’t think that would work here, since the canned sauce may already be sweetened and cooked.