Name: Cranberry Sauce with Cinnamon and Orange
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 8 Servings
Cuisine: American

Cooking with Conks Verified

February 3, 2026

This year, skip the canned cranberry sauce and make your own at home! This cranberry sauce with cinnamon and orange is super easy and way more flavorful than store bought. It’s fruity, tangy, subtly spiced, and a little citrusy. All you need to make it are a few basic ingredients (a couple fresh ones and some pantry staples you probably already have), 20 minutes, and you’ve got yourself an incredibly tasty addition to your holiday table.

Cranberry Sauce with Cinnamon and Orange cover

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Cranberry Sauce with Cinnamon and Orange

Cooking with Conks Verified

Ingredients

WarningSulphites allergen identified

Instructions

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Instructions

Add cranberries to a medium pot on the stove.

Add the orange juice, water, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon, and salt to the cranberries and mix together.

Turn the heat on to medium and cook until the cranberries pop and get jammy, about 15 to 20 minutes (if they are popping too aggressively, reduce the heat to medium-low or low). Remove from heat.

Bring the cranberry sauce to room temperature, then place it in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours or overnight. It’ll thicken as it cools. Alternatively, you can place the pot in a bowl filled with ice and gently stir it until it cools.

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Orange Zest Magic 🍊
Use a microplane or fine grater to remove only the bright orange part of the peel, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath for the most vibrant citrus flavor.
Cranberry Burst Technique 💥
Listen for the 'pop' sound of cranberries as they cook - this indicates they're breaking down and releasing pectin, which helps thicken the sauce naturally.
Sugar Balance Mastery 🍬
Mix brown and granulated sugars to create a more complex sweetness that balances the cranberries' tartness, with brown sugar adding depth and caramel notes.
Texture Control Pro 🥄
For a chunkier sauce, remove about 1/3 of the cranberries before full breakdown; for smoother sauce, continue cooking until most berries completely dissolve.
Make-Ahead Magic ❄️
Cranberry sauce actually improves in flavor when made 2-3 days in advance, allowing the spices and citrus to fully meld - store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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About the Cook

Cooking with Conks

We’re Rachel & Emily Conklin (“Conks” for short), sisters, lifelong foodies, and the voices behind Cooking with Conks. We grew up in Southern California, surrounded by bold flavors, big family meals, and the kind of kitchen chaos that turns into inside jokes