Emulsifier Free Fresh Orange Cranberry Sauce
Bright, tangy, and just sweet enough, this cranberry sauce gets its gorgeous texture entirely from the fruit itself — no additives, no stabilizers, just cranberries doing what they do best as they burst and thicken in the pan. That's great news if you're navigating store-bought sauces, which often sneak in emulsifiers and gelling agents you'd rather avoid. Here, fresh orange juice and zest bring a sunny citrus lift that balances the tartness beautifully, while an optional pinch of cinnamon adds a warm, spiced undertone. The whole thing comes together in a single saucepan with barely any hands-on effort, and the sauce continues to set as it cools, so you end up with a glossy, spoonable consistency that looks like it took far more work than it did. It's the kind of recipe that makes you wonder why you'd ever reach for a can again.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 bag (12 oz) fresh or frozen cranberries
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup fresh orange juice (from about 1 large orange)
- 1 tbsp orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and orange zest in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- 2
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–12 minutes, until most of the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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