Let’s make Orange Honey Cranberry Sauce! This healthy cranberry sauce recipe is naturally sweetened, made with notes of fresh orange, honey, and a tiny hint of cinnamon. It’s gluten-free, paleo, and even vegan-friendly!
Halloween is fun, but November 1st starts my happy time of the year as a mom and as a recipe developer! I LIVE for this holiday season–between the music, the decorations, the traditions, and the FOOD, I just can’t get enough!
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be nailing down our Thanksgiving menu, and this Orange Honey Cranberry Sauce recipe is always a family favorite. Just like some of our other Thanksgiving side dish recipes, like our Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole & classic Gluten-Free Stuffing, and desserts like Maple Pumpkin Pie, we’ve put a nourishing twist on this healthy cranberry sauce recipe.
We’re skipping the sugar (or high fructose corn syrup of canned cranberry sauce!) in favor of a naturally sweetened cranberry sauce, made with sweet honey, plenty of bright citrus notes, and a few little secret ingredients that make all the difference.
Whether you’re serving it with Thanksgiving turkey, dolloping it on some steel-cut oats or making festive fruit-on-the-bottom chia puddings (trust me!), this homemade orange cranberry sauce is THE cranberry sauce recipe to try for your holiday meal this year.
Best of all, this fan favorite starts with a few simple ingredients…
Simple Ingredients To Start
Making your own orange honey cranberry sauce is EASY and delicious–so much better than the canned stuff! And our healthier version starts with simple ingredients, like…
- Fresh or Frozen Cranberries. You can use fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries for this orange honey cranberry sauce recipe. Just be sure to give them a good rinse if they’re fresh!
- BEST Quality Orange Juice. Next, to give it a subtle citrus/orange flavor, you’ll use orange zest and orange juice. Since there are so few ingredients here, it’s really important to use high-quality orange juice. You can use fresh orange juice (from fresh oranges!), or use a very high-quality store-bought juice. (Simply Orange is my favorite)
- Water. You’ll need a little water to loosen things up and help the mixture turn saucy.
- Honey or Pure Maple Syrup. You’ll need something to balance the tart cranberries! This paleo cranberry sauce is naturally sweetened, so we swap out refined sugar in favor of honey or pure maple syrup. Both work like a charm here! If you’re vegan or have a vegan guest, we recommend pure maple syrup or agave, which are both vegan friendly.
- Orange Zest. Along with the orange juice, fresh orange zest adds SO MUCH flavor! I think it’s a must when you make your own cranberry sauce.
- Cinnamon & Salt. Then, you’ll finish things off with a pinch of cinnamon and a little bit of salt. It might seem strange to add salt to the recipe, but I promise it’s a little thing that makes a big difference in the balance of flavor. You’ll have tartness, sweetness, acidity, bitterness (nothing crazy, just what’s naturally in citrus & cranberry), and a little salt helps balance all those flavors cohesively.
How To Make Healthy Cranberry Sauce, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- Prep Cranberries. To start, wash and sort through cranberries, discarding any shriveled or brown berries.
- Combine. Pour cranberries into a medium saucepan. Add orange juice, water, and honey. Add 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest, a pinch of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
- Cook To Thicken. Stirring frequently, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook about 20 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have “popped” or burst. Once you hear the berries pop, you can use the back of your spatula to help mash the cranberry mixture as you go. Keep in mind that as the sauce cools it will continue to thicken. (If you like completely smooth sauce, you can mash the remaining berries or toss everything into a blender).
- Taste & Adjust. Taste sauce and add additional orange zest or honey, as desired.
- Serve & Store. Let cranberry sauce cool to room temperature and enjoy right away or transfer leftover sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 week. Cranberry sauce can also be frozen in an airtight bag or freezer-safe container in the freezer up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
How To Get The Sweetness Just Right
There are a few variables at play whenever you’re working with berries and citrus. Depending on what orange juice you use and how bitter or tart your berries are, you may want to use more or less sweetener. I recommend starting with at least 1/3 cup (less and your mouth will pucker!). Taste and add additional honey/syrup/agave as desired. I usually end up with about 1/2 cup, but follow your tastebuds, and add more sweetener, as needed!
Variations & Twists To Try
My favorite add-in for orange honey cranberry sauce is a tiny pinch of salt, but there are several delicious twists you can try if you’re craving something different for your Thanksgiving table…
- Cinnamon. You can also turn up the cinnamon factor if you want by using a cinnamon stick for a few minutes instead of the pinch of cinnamon. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.
- Rosemary. Or, add a savory element by adding a sprig of rosemary for the last 3-4 minutes (which will be just long enough to lend some flavor without taking over the whole dish). Remove rosemary sprig before serving.
- Apple. Another option is to use apple juice or unsweetened applesauce instead of the water for a cranberry-apple twist. The applesauce adds extra sweetness and gives the honey cranberry sauce a lovely thicker texture.
- Vanilla. For a little note of extra sweetness, you can add a few drops of vanilla extract!
9 Yummy Ways To Eat Leftover Cranberry Sauce
One of the best parts of a good homemade cranberry sauce recipe is the leftovers! If you’ve got leftover orange cranberry sauce, there are SO many great ways to eat it! Here are some of our favorites…
- Make a Mocktail! If you want to get a little fancy, you can use leftover cranberry sauce to make a cranberry cider mocktail. Skip the cranberry puree and use this cranberry sauce instead. Sounds crazy, but it works!
- As A Sandwich Spread! Build leftover turkey sandwiches and use a schmear of this naturally sweetened cranberry sauce as your main condiment. (Some people even like mixing it with a bit of mayo to make a creamy spread!)
- On Top Of Oatmeal. Try adding some orange honey cranberry sauce to a bowl of warm Stovetop or Instant Pot Steel-Cut Oatmeal for breakfast. I love the cold cranberry sauce with the warm oats. It’s so cozy!
- With Yogurt For Parfaits. Layer yogurt, granola, and leftover cranberry sauce to make bright, happy breakfast parfaits. I recommend our Maple Pecan Granola or Pumpkin Pecan Granola for these!
- In Fruit-On-The-Bottom Chia Pudding. Use leftover cranberry sauce in place of our fruit purees for fruit-on-the-bottom chia pudding. It’s easy, delicious, and a nice change of pace from other leftovers!
- Spread On Toast. Make a slice of warm, buttery toast and add some orange honey cranberry sauce on top like jam. I love it this way!
- With Cream Cheese On Crackers. Or, dollop cream cheese on crackers and add a dollop of orange cranberry sauce to go with it. Sweet + tart + crunchy + savory = so good!
- Served With Muffins. Or, spread some cranberry sauce on our Orange Cranberry Muffins like jam. You get a double dose of that orange-cranberry flavor!
- With Dessert! It’s the perfect addition to dessert! Spoon this cranberry orange sauce on vanilla ice cream, homemade cheesecake, or orange pound cake!
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Orange Honey Cranberry Sauce
VEGAN? READ THIS! Despite the fact that it has “honey” in the title, you can easily make this healthy cranberry sauce recipe vegan. I’ve tested it using both pure maple syrup and agave syrup. It’s delicious!
CAN I MAKE THIS CRANBERRY SAUCE IN ADVANCE? Orange Honey Cranberry Sauce is totally your friend when it comes to getting ahead in your holiday cooking. It keeps for about a week, so it can be made a day or two (or three!) in advance of Thanksgiving day. You could even make and freeze it way ahead of time, then thaw it the day before. It makes it one less thing to worry about for your Thanksgiving dinner!
CAN YOU FREEZE CRANBERRY SAUCE? You can! Homemade cranberry sauce freezes beautifully. Freeze in a freezer-safe jar (leaving 1″ of room at the top to allow for expansion) or press flat in a freeze safe bag and freeze until solid. I recommend thawing in the refrigerator overnight before you plan to use it.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Healthy Orange Honey Cranberry Sauce recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Orange Honey Cranberry Sauce (Paleo & Vegan Friendly)
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries*
- 1/2 cup orange juice I like Simply Orange or freshly squeezed
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup honey pure maple syrup, or agave (use maple syrup or agave for vegan)
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
- pinch of cinnamon less than 1/8 teaspoon
- pinch salt less than 1/8 teaspoon
Instructions
- Prep Cranberries. To start, wash and sort through cranberries, discarding any shriveled or brown berries.
- Combine. Pour cranberries into a medium saucepan. Add orange juice, water, and honey. Add 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest, a pinch of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
- Cook To Thicken. Stirring frequently, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook about 20 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have “popped” or burst. If you like completely smooth sauce, you can mash the remaining berries (or toss everything into a blender).
- Taste & Adjust. Taste sauce and add additional orange zest or honey, as desired.
- Serve & Store. Cool slightly and enjoy right away or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 week. Cranberry sauce can also be frozen in an airtight bag in the freezer up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Notes
- Make Ahead Notes. Cranberry sauce is totally your friend when it comes to getting ahead in your holiday cooking. It keeps for at least a week, so it can be made a day or two (or three!) in advance. You could even make and freeze it way ahead of time, then thaw it the day before.
- Cranberries. You can also use frozen cranberries for this recipe. No need to thaw them in advance!
- Sweetness. There are a few variables at play whenever you’re working with berries and citrus. Depending on what orange juice you use and how bitter or tart your cranberries are, you may want to use more or less sweetener. I recommend starting with at least 1/3 cup (less and your mouth will pucker!). Taste and add additional honey/syrup/agave as desired. I usually end up with about 1/2 cup, but follow your tastebuds!
- Twists and add-ins. You can turn up the cinnamon factor if you want by using a cinnamon stick for a few minutes instead of the pinch of cinnamon. Or, add a savory element by adding a sprig of rosemary for the last 3-4 minutes (which will be just long enough to lend some favor without taking over the whole dish). Remove the cinnamon stick or rosemary before serving. Or, substitute apple juice or apple sauce for the water for a sweeter sauce.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/orange-honey-cranberry-sauce/Originally shared in Nov 2017. Updated Nov 2021, then fully updated with new photos, video & updated tips in Nov 2024.
We love this recipe! I just add a pinch of allspice and nutmeg!
Thanks for a great recipe!
Delicious! Thanks so much for sharing and taking the time to leave such a kind review!
I’m usually not much of a cranberry sauce person but good golly is this good!
Seriously. It’s what converted me to cranberry sauce!
I have made this the last 2 thanksgivings and it turns out amazing each time. My one suggestion is don’t forget the pinch of salt. The pinch of salt always makes mine taste sweeter (i don’t understand the science here) seriously you won’t regret it.
I’m SO glad you’ve enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing. I totally agree about the pinch of salt! It makes a difference!
Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
How do you counteract the bitterness? Mine came out very bitter.
I’m sorry that happened! I haven’t run into bitterness any of the times I’ve made this, so there are a few things I’m wondering about…
1. Zest – It could be your orange zest was on the bitter side, especially if you accidentally included the white pith too. (you want 1-2 tsp of JUST the orange zest, not the pith underneath. You may want to add more honey or possibly a splash of juice to help. BUT…
2. The orange juice you used–if it’s store-bought it could run bitter/sour, so if that’s the case, I’d recommend adding a little extra honey or juice to counteract that.
I hope some of this helps!
Homemade cranberry sauce is totally the way to go! This looks amazing!
Thanks, Paige! I totally agree 🙂