New England Orange Cranberry Sauce with Maple Syrup

Thanksgiving is hands down, my favorite holiday when it comes to food. Pass the turkey, load up on the sweet potatoes, and give me some Orange Cranberry Sauce with Maple Syrup… I’m in heaven.    

Being from Massachusetts, Thanksgiving and it’s history has always been really important to our local culture. Growing up, making a trip to Plymouth Plantation is almost a rite of passage. You can stare down at Plymouth Rock (from behind the fence), or try your hand at making butter while wearing a construction paper pilgrim hat, but there is so much more to it than that… for me, it is the center of some of my most meaningful childhood memories.  

As a child and young adult, I spent most of my summers living a brief walk away from the beach where the Pilgrims and the Native Americans had their first meeting (First Encounter Beach, for reference!). The marshes, the beaches, and the cranberry bogs all have special meaning to me.

I remember being part of a rag-tag group of cousins, spending our free time larking on the beach and playing touch football as kids. There was even one rowdy summer afternoon, when a few teenage friends and I even snuck onto an Ocean Spray cranberry bog (those same folks of the ‘Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce’ Fame!) to pick water lilies and marvel at the unripe berries. So the Cape, cranberries, and this holiday, all hold a dear place in my heart!  

What’s the dish, you may ask?

Cranberry sauce is one of those Thanksgiving Day side dishes that people either love or hate. Cranberries can be quite tart when eaten raw, but add a bit of sugar & heat, and you get a gorgeous red sauce that pairs perfectly with poultry. I know many people favor the canned version, with it’s wobbily goodness, but I really enjoy the classic, whole berry approach. It’s a more traditional interpretation. However, this is nothing like your mother’s jellied cranberry sauce recipe!

Delicious maple syrup, orange juice, cinnamon, and cranberries are boiled down to a syrupy slightly sweet & spicy sauce. Dare I say it, this might actually be a healthy cranberry sauce recipe?! The cranberries “pop” under the heat and give this side dish that deep red ruby color.

My Keto friendly/sugar-free cranberry sauce with orange and cinnamon is one of the easiest Thanksgiving recipes out there! It’s also perhaps the tastiest version of a whole cranberry sauce I’ve ever had! It just screams, “New England”, and this Boston (but Cape Cod-loving) girl wouldn’t have it any other way.

Cranberry Sauce with Maple Syrup

makes about 2 cups  

12 ounces whole fresh cranberries (or 1 package)  

3/4 cup real Vermont (or, even better, Canadian!)

maple syrup (not the fake stuff, I beg you)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed or store bought

1 cinnamon stick  

Take the cranberries and place into a large sieve. Pick out any berries that look damaged (black spots, mushy, really white). Wash and drain.  

Then, pour the cranberries into a medium-large pot. Add the maple syrup, water, and orange juice. Stir to combine. Place the cinnamon stick in the center.  

Heat the berries on medium-high heat, until the mixture reaches a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until syrupy and richly red. You will hear the cranberries “pop” as they cook, do not be alarmed.  

After 10-12 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Store in a covered container in the fridge. Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed.    

Print Recipe

New England Orange Cranberry Sauce with Maple Syrup

Delicious maple syrup, orange juice, cinnamon, and cranberries are boiled down to a syrupy slightly sweet & spicy sauce. The cranberries “pop” under the heat and give this side dish a gorgeous ruby color.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 12 ounces whole fresh cranberries or 1 package
• 3/4 cup real Vermont or, even better, Canadian! maple syrup (not the fake stuff, I beg you)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup orange juice freshly squeezed or store bought
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

• Take the cranberries and place into a large sieve. Pick out any berries that look damaged (black spots, mushy, really white). Wash and drain.
• Then, pour the cranberries into a medium-large pot. Add the maple syrup, water, and orange juice. Stir to combine. Place the cinnamon stick in the center.
• Heat the berries on medium-high heat, until the mixture reaches a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until syrupy and richly red. You will hear the cranberries “pop” as they cook, do not be alarmed.
• After 10-12 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Store in a covered container in the fridge.
• Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed.

Video

Cranberry Sauce With Maple Syrup! by straighttothehipsbaby on Jumprope.

Originally Published 11/2014, Last updated 10/2020