Cinnamon Free Classic Cranberry Sauce
Tart, jewel-bright cranberry sauce made with fresh orange zest and juice is one of those recipes that genuinely earns a permanent spot on the table. The citrus does all the heavy lifting here, giving the sauce a bright, fragrant depth that makes it taste far more complex than the short ingredient list suggests. For anyone avoiding warming spices, this version is naturally built around cranberries and orange — the cinnamon listed is explicitly optional and easy to leave out without losing anything. The sauce thickens beautifully on its own as the berries burst and the sugars concentrate, so there's no need to reach for any extra flavoring to make it sing. It works just as well spooned over roasted poultry as it does alongside a cheese board or stirred into yogurt the next morning. Make a batch ahead and store it chilled — it only gets better as it sits.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Can be omittedground cinnamon
Instructions
- 1
Combine the sugar, water, and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
- 2
Add the cranberries and orange zest, then increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 10–12 minutes. Watch the heat — the sauce can bubble up quickly once the berries break down.
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