Cranberry Sauce With Orange and Golden Raisins Recipe (2024)

By Claire Saffitz

Updated Nov. 16, 2023

Cranberry Sauce With Orange and Golden Raisins Recipe (1)

Total Time
24½ hours
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes, plus 24 hours’ resting
Rating
4(178)
Notes
Read community notes

This classic cranberry sauce, adapted from “Jambalaya,” a cookbook by the Junior League of New Orleans, is an ideal combination of tart, bitter and sweet flavors, with chewy bits of raisin and orange peel that provide much-needed textural contrast on the Thanksgiving table. A Saffitz family favorite, prepared every year by Claire Saffitz’s mother, Sauci, it keeps for weeks, so make it as far ahead as you like. (Watch Claire make Thanksgiving dinner from start to finish on YouTube.)

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Ingredients

Yield:About 4 cups

  • 12ounces fresh or frozen and thawed cranberries (3 cups)
  • 2⅓cups/466 grams granulated sugar
  • cups/6 ounces golden raisins
  • 1small navel orange, halved, seeds removed, roughly chopped
  • cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • ¾teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • teaspoon ground cloves
  • Pinch of kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

318 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 82 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 75 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 22 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Cranberry Sauce With Orange and Golden Raisins Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, raisins, chopped orange, vinegar, lemon zest, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar, until the mixture is simmering vigorously and the cranberries have burst, 25 to 30 minutes.

  2. Step

    2

    Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool until warm but not hot. Scrape into a lidded container and refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the flavors to meld. (The cranberry sauce can be made several weeks ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Ratings

4

out of 5

178

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

SJack

As someone that collects cranberry recipes and makes between 3 and 5 for each Thanksgiving, I think that this is good. My wife gave it a thumbs up - which is all that really matters. 1. I cut the sugar down from 2.3 cups to 1.3 cups (and could have cut it down a little more)2. I added a bit of OJ so that there would be some liquid for cooking. No, I didn't measure - I just added enough to cover the berries in the pot.3. I used a whole orange - peeled & cut into pretty small pieces.

seattle cook

Made this to change up the routine. No one loved it. Too sweet, and the orange peel chunks are too big. I recommend cutting way back on the sugar and dicing the orange more finely than the recipe called for.

Diane F.

Here's a "no-recipe" cranberry sauce I've been making for years. Pour some orange juice in a saucepan. Add some dried cranberries and pineapple tidbits. Bring to a boil then simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour until the berries and pineapple have softened significantly. Add more orange juice as needed to keep it from sticking. Remove from heat when it has reached the right consistency.

Kim Frohlinger

The best cranberry relish courtesy of my mother: 1 bag of cranberries rinsed and dried, 1 naval orange skin included cut into a few pieces, 1 cup of sugar. Put all ingredients raw into a food processor, puree until there are no chunks left. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Maggie

A tablespoon or two of Grand Marnier is a wonderful addition to any cranberry sauce recipe.

PghMD

Way too much sugar. Cut the sugar to one cup. Peel the orange, cut slices to small pieces. Cook over the stove top on low heat, with the rest of the ingredients as written. It’s really delicious!

jeff S

Only 1 cup sugar. Zest the orange, peel it and add back 1/2 the orange peel small diced, add small diced apple, thin with orange juice as needed

Andrew

I made this per the recipe and diced the orange to cranberry-size pieces. The orange is the make-or-break of this recipe so use one that is nice, juicy and fresh.I served it with roast duck, roast lamb and mixed it into my morning oatmeal. It worked as a filling for small Christmas pies when I ended up with more pastry than mincemeat. Perfect for a small bite. Probably too much for a large pie slice.I will try it next in oatmeal cookies.

New England Baker

I made this for Thanksgiving and loved the bright flavor, but it is more like a preserve than traditional cranberry sauce. As written, think of this as a festive condiment to be used in small amounts versus a side. It was wonderful added to oatmeal on chilly mornings. In a revised format, this recipe made the Christmas day line up as well, but as a topping for our morning French toast. This time I doubled the cranberries and kept everything else the same and it was delicious.

Bikelady

Made this, but forgot to bring it to the potluck Thanksgiving. I liked it. After nibbling at it for days, I decided to try to convert it to a dessert. This recipe, https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017817-cranberry-curd-tartHas almost the same ingredients. Worked great.

GGD

I agree about dicing the orange into smaller chunks...but definitely will put it on the repeat menu for Thanksgiving!

Gale

Delicious as written. Our new favorite!

Heather

I made this recipe as written and it was a huge hit with my family. Even my dad, who is not a cranberry sauce lover had two helpings. Today he asked me if it could be used as a pie filling.

Bunny

New Orleans native here and I have been making my version of this sauce for decades. My version uses only a half to 3/4 cup of dark brown sugar. I also use one LARGE navel orange. 2/3rds of the skin provides peels that go into the mix, no pith anywhere. My facilitating liquid is the juice from this big orange, usually a navel. No further raisins or spices. It is well chilled, well chopped, but never pureed, pure cranberry and orange joy with the brown sugar really enhancing it all.

Laurie Zucker-Conde

Too sweet. I make mine with two bags of cranberries, two juiced oranges, one juiced pomegranate, one cup of water, a quarter cup of sugar. Pour the boiled cranberries onto most of the zest of one lemon and the oranges. Decorate with more zest and mint leaves. It's delicious!

cindnel

This recipe is super delicious and so easy to make. I stuck to the recipe but did half golden raisins & half dried cranberries, I think that kept it from being too sweet.

SK19118

This was THE dish of Thanksgiving! My family would not stop raving about it. The spices were perfection. My only fear is I will not be able to recreate it next year! Modifications:used 20 oz cranberries (and still ran out of leftovers too soon)1 cup sugar

jake

do not change anything about the recipe when you make it. this was the #1 favorite dish at my family's thanksgiving this year. none of us like cranberry sauce before this year, but we are converts after making this.

Judy

I used this recipe for the first time after watching a 2-day NYT shoot of Claire applying her superpowers to Thanksgiving dinner, being inspired by the Saffitz Thanksgiving tradition along the way (community cookbooks FTW). It was excellent. The only variations I made were to finely chop the orange (I confess some of the skin ended up in the compost bin) and to bring my electric burner to medium-high to bring this to a vigorous simmer. Can't get enough Claire Saffitz!

M.

Excellent! I made the following changes after reading reviews- 1. Used 1 c of sugar2. a splash of CointreauWe truly threw all the ingredients in a pot and simmered them.

Marie

I really liked this but I agree with other commenters - way too much sugar! I cut to one cup and still tasted plenty sweet to me. Aside from sugar, great combo of flavours!

Les

Whipped this up at the last minute, cooled to warm and served. Cut sugar down based on other reviews. Otherwise followed exactly. This was delicious and my husband who doesn’t really like cranberries asked for me to save the recipe and make again!

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Cranberry Sauce With Orange and Golden Raisins Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you take the bitterness out of homemade cranberry sauce? ›

Add A Splash Of Vinegar

While citrus is a natural pairing for cranberry sauce, bright, savory vinegars like sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and apple cider vinegar play well with the bitter-tart berries. Start with a little, then add more gradually. It's easy to overdo it when in comes to bold vinegars.

How to jazz up cranberry sauce? ›

Adding a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or orange zest, a tablespoon of chopped candied peel, or even a splash of juice to your canned sauce will brighten flavors and bring in some homemade flavor.

How long will cranberry sauce keep in the fridge? ›

When to Toss Cranberry Sauce. Cranberry sauce will last for two hours at room temperature. Homemade cranberry sauce will last in the fridge for 10 to 14 days. Canned cranberry sauce that has been opened will last up to a week in the fridge.

How to thicken up homemade cranberry sauce? ›

Try reducing the sauce down even further so more of the liquid cooks off and the mixture thickens. If that doesn't work, add a thickener like gelatin, pectin or a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked into juice or water). Let the sauce cool before refrigerating to completely set.

How to reduce tartness in cranberry sauce? ›

"Instead, start by stirring in one tablespoon maple syrup and one teaspoon of a sweet drink like apple juice, orange juice, or fruity white or red wine. Add more to taste. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (in small amounts, it intensifies sweetness)."

What takes the bitterness out of sauce? ›

Add Some Baking Soda

If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

Can homemade cranberry sauce be left out overnight? ›

What to Do if You Left Out Cranberry Sauce Overnight. We hear you: After a full day cooking and hosting and (hopefully) enjoying Thanksgiving, some things are bound to fall by the wayside. But if you leave cranberry sauce out over night, whether it is homemade or store-bought, please throw it away.

How do you know if cranberry sauce has gone bad? ›

Most varieties should last a full year if the can remains dent-free, but keep an eye on that "best before" date to be safe. If you open the can and the sauce appears discolored, or the smell or taste seems off, go ahead and toss it.

Can I freeze homemade cranberry sauce? ›

Yes, you can freeze homemade cranberry sauce—and it works well. It's best to store it in the freezer for up to 3 months; the taste may be affected due to its water content if frozen longer. Keep this in mind when putting away your leftover sauce and use it during this optimal period as part of an easy weeknight dinner.

What do you do if cranberry sauce didn't set? ›

If you have followed these instructions, and for some reason the sauce still won't gel, add 1 envelope of unflavoured gelatin to the sauce and bring to a hard boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook an additional 5 minutes.

What happens if you cook cranberry sauce too long? ›

If your cranberry sauce is too thick, it's most likely overcooked. When you cook cranberries (or any berries), they burst, releasing pectin—a natural thickener. The key to a perfect consistency is to allow some but not all of the cranberries to split open—something you'll achieve with less time on the stove.

What are the two types of cranberry sauce? ›

Cranberry sauce can be served either as a gooey liquid or as a solid jelly. The jellied version is solid enough to retain the shape of the container in which it's placed whereas the sauce version is much more fluid. The difference between the fluid sauce and the jelly versions comes down to pectin.

Why does my cranberry sauce have a bitter aftertaste? ›

Dear Evelyn: I had the same problem when I first started making my own cranberry sauce. I found out that you should cook them just until they pop. Further cooking will make them bitter, and once that happens, you need to start again.

How do you make cranberry juice less bitter? ›

Pineapple juice: pineapple juice is a great way to naturally sweeten this cranberry juice recipe, so you can add less additional sweetener. Plus, the combination tastes delicious. Apple juice: freshly squeezed apple juice is another way to naturally sweeten the cranberry juice.

How do you get tartness out of sauce? ›

Even a small amount of baking soda significantly raises the pH of the sauce. While this reduces acidic taste, it also tamps down on the brightness that gives the tomato complexity.

Why is cranberry bitter? ›

One of the names Native Americans of that era called the fruit was “ibimi,” which translates literally as “sour” or “bitter berries.” The bitterness is due to compounds called tannins, which also impart health benefits to the berry.

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