Dairy Free Classic Cranberry Sauce
Tart, jewel-bright, and fragrant with orange and warm spice, this cranberry sauce is the kind of condiment that quietly steals the show at any holiday table. The ingredient list is refreshingly short — fresh or frozen cranberries, sugar, water, orange zest, orange juice, and an optional pinch of cinnamon — and every single one of them is naturally free of dairy. No swaps needed, no label-checking required. The orange zest and juice do a lot of heavy lifting here, rounding out the tartness of the cranberries with a citrusy brightness that makes the whole sauce feel a little more special than the canned stuff. As the berries burst and the sauce reduces, it thickens into that glossy, spoonable consistency that clings perfectly to everything on the plate. Letting it rest off the heat is the key step — it firms up beautifully as it cools, so don't rush it. Make it ahead and keep it chilled until you're ready to serve, because it genuinely gets better as the flavors settle.
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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)
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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