Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce (2024)

Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce is the perfect Thanksgiving dinner side dish. Tart cranberries, sweet orange, and Amaretto team up for this delicious fall recipe.

Fall is here and so is cranberry season. I am lucky to live a few miles from acres and acres of fresh-picked cranberries. When I think of the Jersey Pine Barrens, I don’t think of a scene from The Sopranos, but rather the acres and acres of beautiful cranberry bogs that add to the beauty of the Pine Barrens.

These tart red gems get a bad rap sometimes. Yes, they are tart, but not only do they have a lot of health benefits, it’s not Thanksgiving without them!

Have you started to make your Thanksgiving dinner preparations yet? Let’s face it, the holidays are a lot of work to make everything perfect for family and friends. All the cooking. planning and organizing is all worth it though because it means time spent with those we love. I’m here today to help you get one of those Thanksgiving meal preparation items checked off your “to-do” list.

In my opinion, homemade cranberry sauce is da-bomb! No Thanksgiving feastshould be without it! After all, these fruity fall gems are symbolic of Thanksgiving. The turkey would be very sad without it. Cranberry sauce is one of the easiest dishes to prepare.

ThisOrange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce is always a family favorite each year. The orange and amaretto liqueur combine to turn the tart cranberries into a slightly sweet and delicious Thanksgiving staple. MyOrange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce is also a perfect condiment for those leftover turkey sandwiches. There is always so much leftover, isn’t there?

I have such an aversion to that canned stuff. I love the fact thathomemade cranberry saucecan be made several daysahead of time, allowing you to focus on other parts of your meal preparation. Once prepared, store in an airtight mason jar or plastic storage container. in your refrigerator for up to one week.

How To Make Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce

How To Freeze Cranberries

Did you know that cranberries can be frozen? I always buy in bulk and freeze enough to last me through the winter. When I am ready to bake or cook with them, I just pop a bag out of the freezer.

Cranberries will last about four weeks in the refrigerator. You can extend their use by freezing them. Freezing fresh cranberries will not only extend their use, but allow you to use them for up to a year after freezing.

Freezing cranberries is easy peasy!

• Rinse cranberries and let them drain thorougly in a collander. Sort and remove any bad cranberries.
• Spread cranberries out on a dishtowel and let them airdry for 30-minutes.
• Spread dried cranberries out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place cookie sheet in the freezer for four hours. This is called flash freezing.
• Remove cranberries from the freezer. Transfer frozen cranberries into food storage containers or freezer bags, in whatever portion size you like. I like to add at least one cup of cranberries to each bag.

Whether you are in charge of the entire Thanksgiving meal or just the cranberry sauce, skip the blobby, wiggly stuff in the can. Give this Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce recipea try. Trust me, it is so delicious.

Ingredients Needed To Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce

• Fresh cranberries
• Sugar
• Fresh orange juice
• Amaretto liqueur
• Grated orange rind
• Fresh Orange Zest

How To Make Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce

Step 1

Rinse cranberries and add to a large saucepan.

Step 2

Add sugar, orange juice, orange rind and water. Bring to low boil for 3-4 minutes. Lower heat to a simmer. The key here is to cook down the cranberries.

Step 3

Add amaretto and continue to simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened. Cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce recipe keeps very well in the refrigerator. It can be made a few days in advance too so you can mark some things off your Thanksgiving to-do list.

Can You Freeze Cranberry Sauce?

The short answer is YES! Homemade cranberry sauce freezes beautifully. After the sauce is cooked and cooled, place in an air-tight food storage container to freeze. Frozen Cranberry sauce will last up to three months in the freezer. To defrost, I like to let the container sit overnight in the refrigerator.

What To Eat With Cranberry Sauce: Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

The Best Mashed Potatoes

Rosemary Parmesan Sweet Potatoes

Apple Raisin Coleslaw

Pan-Seared Brussels Sprouts With Bacon

Easy Breaded Cauliflower

Honey Glazed Carrots

What Is The Difference Between Cranberry Sauce and Cranberry Relish?

I get this question all the time, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to address it here. Cranberry sauce is cooked and often sweeter. Cranberry relish is uncooked and often more tart. The Relish ingredients are blended together in a food processor.

Save this easyOrange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce recipe for later. Pin the image below to your favorite Pinterest Board.

Yield: 6 servings

Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce is the perfect Thanksgiving dinner side dish. Tart cranberries, sweet orange and amaretto team up for this delicious fall recipe. This easy cranberry sauce recipe is a family favorite. It's not Thanksgiving without this delicious cranberry sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
• 2 tablespoons grated orange rind
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Rinse cranberries and add to a large saucepan.
2. Add sugar, orange juice, orange rind and water.
3. Bring to low boil for 3-4 minutes. Lower heat to a simmer. The key here is to cook down the cranberries.
4. Add amaretto and continue to simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened.
5. Cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Facebook