This easy cranberry sauce gets its sweetness from honey or maple syrup rather than refined sugar. Fresh cranberries and orange zest give it a bright, slightly tart flavour that pairs beautifully with a holiday meal. The recipe makes about 2 cups.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (1 bag) fresh cranberries
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- ½ cup water
- Zest of 1 medium orange (about 1 teaspoon)
- Optional: ½ teaspoon ground coriander seed and/or ¼ cup fresh orange juice
Instructions
Prepare the cranberries. Rinse the cranberries well and drain them. Look through them and remove any that are soft, damaged, or squishy.
Start cooking. Place the cranberries, honey or maple syrup, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Cook until thickened. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cranberries will begin to pop as they cook, and the mixture will gradually become thicker.
Add the orange. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the orange zest. If using the optional coriander or orange juice, add it now.
Taste and adjust. Cranberry sauce is naturally tart, but if it tastes too sour for your preference, add a little more orange juice, honey, or maple syrup.
Let it cool. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Serve it warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Store leftovers. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate the cranberry sauce. It will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Helpful Tips
Make it ahead: This cranberry sauce can be prepared up to 2 days before serving. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
How to zest an orange: A microplane grater works best, but you can also use the fine side of a regular box grater. Only grate the thin orange-coloured skin, avoiding the white layer underneath, which can taste bitter.
Want to skip the zest? You can leave it out and use the optional ¼ cup of fresh orange juice instead.