The sugar dissolves into orange juice and water first, so the cranberries hit a clear, gently bubbling syrup instead of a gritty layer of sugar. As they simmer, the berries pop one by one and tint the pan a deep ruby red. That’s the moment this Joanna Gaines Holiday Cranberry Sauce starts to look like the familiar holiday side, but the orange and cinnamon give it a little more fragrance than plain cranberry sauce.
I like how little attention it needs once the berries are in the pan: an occasional stir, a quick check as the sauce thickens, and then time to cool. You don’t need every cranberry to burst; a few whole berries make the finished sauce feel homemade. The orange zest goes in with the fruit, while the cinnamon stick quietly perfumes the syrup. Serve it cold after a good chill, with a glossy, spoonable texture and plenty of bright cranberry flavor.
Kitchen Note
The cinnamon stick gives the syrup a warm, gentle spice without leaving ground cinnamon throughout the sauce. Take it out before transferring the berries, so it doesn’t keep infusing while the sauce cools.
Save Joanna Gaines Holiday Cranberry Sauce for a holiday table that needs a bright, citrusy side with berries that burst into a glossy ruby sauce.
Why Cranberries Thicken Without a Separate Thickener
Cranberries bring their own natural pectin, which helps the sauce set as the berries cook and the liquid reduces. That’s why this version doesn’t need cornstarch or another thickener: the fruit does the work as it bursts in the orange-sugar syrup. The simmer gives the berries time to soften and release their juices, while the liquid cooks down into a sauce that clings to a spoon.
Don’t wait for every berry to collapse. The useful cue is that most have burst and the sauce itself has thickened; a few intact berries add little pockets of tartness and keep the texture from turning completely uniform. It will look looser while hot than it will after cooling, so judge the pan by the fruit and the consistency together rather than trying to cook it down until it looks like jam. Cooling and chilling finish the set without another ingredient.
What the Orange and Cranberries Bring to the Sauce
- Fresh cranberries — Their sharp tartness balances the sugar, and their natural pectin helps the sauce thicken as they burst. Rinse and pick them over before cooking, removing any stems or damaged berries. If fresh cranberries aren’t available, use an equal amount of frozen cranberries; add them frozen and let the visual cues of burst fruit and a thickened sauce guide you.
- Granulated sugar — It sweetens the cranberries and dissolves into the liquid base. Standard granulated sugar is the right choice here; there’s no need to buy a specialty sugar, and coarse crystals may take longer to dissolve.
- Orange juice and water — Orange juice gives the sauce a citrus note from the start, while water keeps the syrup from tasting overly concentrated. Plain orange juice works well, whether it’s freshly squeezed or from a carton; avoid using an orange-flavored drink in its place.
- Finely grated orange zest — The zest adds fragrant orange oils that juice alone won’t provide. Grate just the colored outer peel; the white pith underneath is bitter. A fresh orange matters here because dried zest won’t give the same bright aroma.
- Cinnamon stick — A whole stick infuses the sauce gently and is easy to remove before serving. Ground cinnamon won’t give quite the same clean flavor or texture, so leave it out if you don’t have a stick rather than adding powder.
How to Simmer the Berries Into a Spoonable Sauce
Dissolve the Sugar in the Citrus Base
Combine the sugar, orange juice, and water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir as the mixture comes to a boil, watching for the sugar crystals to disappear into the liquid. The syrup should look clear rather than grainy before the fruit goes in. If you still feel sugar at the bottom when you stir, keep stirring until it dissolves.
Let the Cranberries Burst Gradually
Add the rinsed, picked-over cranberries, orange zest, and cinnamon stick, then lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the fruit cooks evenly. You’ll hear berries pop as their skins split, and the liquid will shift from thin and bright to thicker and deep red. Stop when most cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened; a few whole berries are fine.
Remove the Stick and Chill the Sauce
Take out the cinnamon stick, then transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and let it cool. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the sauce for at least 2 hours before serving. It will be looser while warm and more settled after chilling, so don’t keep simmering just to make the hot sauce look as firm as the cold one. Use a covered container if you’re storing it for later.
Two Simple Ways to Change the Finished Sauce
Blend It Smooth for a Cranberry-Orange Spread
For a smoother texture, let the sauce cool completely, then blend it until no whole berries remain. The result is less like a chunky holiday side and more like a thick spread; blending while hot can send steaming sauce up the sides of the blender, so wait until it’s cool.
Leave Out the Cinnamon for a Brighter Citrus Note
Skip the cinnamon stick if you prefer a cleaner orange-and-cranberry taste. The sauce will still thicken from the berries, but it won’t have the warm spice aroma that rounds out the standard version.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Keep the sauce covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days. It may firm up as it sits; stir before serving.
- Freezer: It freezes well for up to 2 months. Store it in an airtight freezer-safe container with a little room at the top, then thaw it in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: This sauce is usually served chilled. If you’d like it warm, heat it gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring; high heat can make the sugars catch on the bottom.
Questions That Come Up While Making Cranberry Sauce
Joanna Gaines Holiday Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine the sugar, orange juice, and water in a 3-quart saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Add the cranberries, orange zest, and cinnamon stick.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened.
- Remove the cinnamon stick, transfer the sauce to a serving bowl, and let it cool.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.