This ginger cranberry sauce recipe adds a warm and spicy kick to your meal. It’s also easy to make ahead and serve with the rest of your holiday menu.
Thinking about serving more than one type of sauce? Try my apple cranberry sauce or herb cranberry sauce.
Recipe Science
- Finely mincing fresh ginger boosts its spicy warmth, with smaller pieces delivering a quicker, more robust flavor.
- Freshly squeezed orange juice adds tangy sweetness, while orange zest releases citrus oils, enhancing the sauce’s aroma.
- As the cranberries cook, they release pectin, which naturally thickens the sauce when combined with the acids and sugars.
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Why It Works
Although canned products are convenient, fresh cranberry sauce has an unbeatable taste and texture. Making homemade cranberry sauce is easy because you add everything to a pan, and it transforms into a thickened sauce with little effort! This orange and ginger cranberry sauce version contains fresh ingredients to make the flavor pop.
Whole berries simmer in maple syrup, orange juice, spicy fresh ginger, and a cinnamon stick. The ginger and orange infuse the sauce with sweet and spicy notes. This simple side dish is ready in less than 30 minutes and can be made days ahead of the Thanksgiving dinner or holiday feast.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries to make the sauce. In the United States, 12-ounce bags usually appear mid-October in the grocery store’s refrigerated section. One bag is the perfect amount, making about 1 ½ cups of cooked cranberry sauce.
- Ginger: Add a tablespoon of minced root to the base to give it a pronounced and lingering taste. With each bite, you get a burst of ginger flavor.
- Citrus: Freshly squeezed orange juices add a tangy and sweet taste to the sauce. Orange zest releases citrus oils, making the sauce more aromatic.
- Sweetener: Use maple syrup for its caramel taste. It balances the zippy ginger and tangy citrus.
- Spice: Add a cinnamon stick to the sauce mixture. It adds a pleasant, warm spice aroma and taste.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This homemade ginger orange cranberry sauce recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Using Frozen Cranberries: Add frozen cranberries straight to the pan and cook, no need to defrost!
- Using Dried Ginger: Add ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger for every 1 tablespoon of fresh minced ginger.
- Sweetener Swaps: Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, or agave.
- Liquid: Add lemon or lime juice, apple juice, cider, cranberry juice, or pomegranate juice.
- Spices: Use ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead of the cinnamon stick. Try adding star anise, cardamom, allspice, or nutmeg.
How to Make Ginger Cranberry Sauce
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
Rinse fresh berries with cold water to remove dirt and debris from harvesting. Some berries may have gotten squashed or bruised, so discard them.
Grab a fresh ginger root, peel off the skin, and finely mince. Mincing will leave smaller pieces in the sauce, which is delicious if you like a hint of lingering spiciness.
You can also use a kitchen grater like a Microplane to break down the root into a paste that infuses quickly into the sauce. This paste has a strong, pungent taste and fewer fibers.
Tips for Perfect Execution: Finely mincing fresh ginger releases spicy and warm flavor into dishes—the smaller the pieces, the quicker and stronger the flavor impact. If you prefer a milder flavor experience, add one to two 1/4-inch thick slices and remove them before serving.
Step 2: Combine the Ingredients
Combine the cranberries, maple syrup, freshly squeezed orange juice and zest, ginger, and a cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan.
Step 3: Simmer the Sauce
Bring the cranberry mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer over medium-low heat. As the cranberries simmer, they will start to pop. The popping is caused by steam being released from the core of the berry, which bursts open the ruby-red skin.
The citrus oils in the orange zest and sweet spices from the cinnamon stick infuse into the sauce. Stir occasionally to distribute everything for even cooking. The longer the simmering time, the thicker the sauce will be. The process takes about 15 minutes.
Ingredient Chemistry: As the berries cook in the orange juice and maple syrup, pectin is released. This process helps to naturally thicken the sauce as it mixes with the acids in the berry and sugar.
Step 4: To Serve
Remove the cinnamon stick once your ginger cranberry sauce has simmered and thickened. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature before serving. This brief resting period lets the vibrant cranberry and spicy ginger flavors fully develop, giving you a perfectly balanced and flavorful sauce.
Make-Ahead Tip: To relieve stress from your big Thanksgiving or Christmas feast, make the cranberry ginger sauce up to one week ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can even be frozen for up to three months and defrosted before use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cranberries contain healthy nutrients like vitamin C, a polyphenol called proanthocyanidins, and bioactive flavonoids. It’s the main ingredient in cranberry sauce, which is gluten-free but does contain sweeteners to balance the tart flavor of the berry. You can substitute low-carb sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol if you want a lower-in-sugar or keto cranberry sauce option.
The natural pectin in the berry will be released into the sauce, helping to thicken the texture. You can simmer the sauce longer if you want an even thicker consistency. The sauce will thicken more as it cools, and the pectin will become more rigid.
It must be balanced with a sweetener like granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup. Use at least ½ cup and up to 1 cup of sweetener for every 12 ounces of whole cranberries. Adjust with more sweeteners to your liking.
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Ginger Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries
- 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 cinnamon stick, optional
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients – Add the cranberries to a colander and wash with cool running water, set aside. Finely mince the ginger.
- Combine Ingredients – In a medium pan, add cranberries, maple syrup, orange juice, zest, ginger, and cinnamon stick.
- Simmer Sauce – Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries pop and the mixture thickens to a jam consistency, about 15 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more sweetener if desired.
- To Serve – Discard the cinnamon stick. Cool the sauce before serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 1 ½ cups
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Storing: Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Freeze for up to 3 months; defrost before use.
- Sweetener: Honey or agave is a good substitute for maple syrup. Granulated sugar or brown sugar can be used; add an extra ¼ cup of orange juice or water to the recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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