Last Updated January 2nd, 2023 at 06:19 pm by Lisa
For a tropical twist on Cranberry Sauce, this recipe has fresh pineapple and oranges adding a balanced sweetness and much less sugar than traditional recipes.
Plus, there are 10 creative ways to use your leftover sauce, because we always seem to have some tucked in the fridge after the holidays, right?
With only 4 simple ingredients, this easy holiday recipe always gets glowing comments at the holiday table for Christmas or as a Thanksgiving side dish. And the fresh orange and pineapple fruit add a wonderful island vibe to this gorgeous cranberry sauce recipe...
Why This Recipe Works
- THE RIGHT SWEETNESS: Traditional cranberry sauce can be a bit tart, almost bitter, and or very sweet. Many recipe call for a cup of sugar, some honey, maple syrup, crystalized ginger, and brown sugar. My theory is that those ingredients taste too sweet. And just maybe that's why some people don't like homemade cranberry sauce.
- TROPICAL TWIST: Most recipes call for around 1 cup of sugar! That is a lot of calories, and this recipe has just ¼ cup because the fresh pineapple adds just the right taste balance to the tart cranberries. Plus the orange juice and zest balance out the tart cranberries and add great citrus flavor.
- SIMPLE INGREDIENTS: Only 4 ingredients, simple yet so different!!
- MAKE AHEAD: Make it ahead of time, it holds well in the fridge for up to two days before serving in an airtight container.
- FROZEN OR FRESH BERRIES: Either frozen or fresh cranberries will work for this recipe. Pull the cranberries from the freezer about an hour before making this recipe to allow them to thaw before cooking.
Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Much like a traditional cranberry sauce recipe, this recipe is simple, easy, and requires minimal ingredients.
- fresh (or frozen) cranberries
- fresh pineapple (canned is fine too!) and juice
- orange juice and orange peel zest
- granulated white sugar
Optional variations: add chopped pecans, apple, pear, dried mixed fruit, more orange zest, blood oranges, raisins, currants, ground cinnamon, a cinnamon stick, ground nutmeg, or ground allspice.
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Step 1: Combine the cranberries, pineapple plus any juice, sugar, and 3 oranges zested and juiced in a medium saucepan or pot.
Step 2: Bring up to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat and cook for 15 minutes. Stir every 3-5 minutes. Turn the heat down if it is cooking too fast. Once it thickens, and half the cranberries have popped, stop cooking.
To serve: Let cool completely before serving, it will set up a bit as it cools down.
10+ Ways to Use Leftovers
There is a 100% chance you will have extra sauce this year in your home, so let's get creative and try some new ways to use it.
Its tart-sweet flavor is so versatile and complements a wide variety of dishes. Besides slathering it on Here are a few ideas.
- Mix with plain Greek yogurt for breakfast
- Mix into a cranberry vinaigrette salad dressing
- Make cranberry compound butter for toast or bagels
- Use it as a glaze for chicken or meatloaf
- Mix into soft cream cheese and spread on bagels
- Pour over waffles and pancakes
- Make cranberry-baked brie
- Make a grilled brie cheese and cranberry sandwich
- Make cranberry parfaits
- Mix into soft vanilla ice cream
- Toast dinner rolls spread some brie cheese on, and add turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce for the best leftover turkey sandwiches!
You can also use some in my Christmas Tree Salad + Cranberry Vinaigrette recipe. Or add it to Thanksgiving Leftover Empanadas!
Cranberry FAQ
Cranberry sauce lasts up to two weeks refrigerated in an airtight container.
Cranberries are one of the few fruits both native to the US and as early as the 17th century. Cranberry sauce was first sold in the U.S. in 1912.
Ocean Spray created the "wet harvesting" process where the farmers are waist-deep of water and cranberries in the bog which is flooded with up to 18 inches of water the night before the berries are to be harvested.
The growers then use water reels, nicknamed “eggbeaters,” to churn the water and loosen the cranberries from the vine. Each berry has tiny pockets of air that allow the berries to float to the surface of the water.
Cranberry sauce is the most popular in the U.S. and Canada for Thanksgiving. In the United Kingdom, it's most popular for Christmas.
There are differences, U.K. recipes are typically sour and not as sweet as U.S. recipes which are typically heavily sweetened with sugar.
More Cranberry Recipes
The holiday season is filled with big meals and rich heavy food. Let your palate take a welcomed break with a few bites of a Fresh Cranberry Relish along with your Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
All these recipes use cranberries in creative ways. If you have leftover sauce, use it up in a Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole. It is delicious next to all the savory items left over from the holidays. Toss some into a Cranberry Vinaigrette Dressing, on a Christmas Tree Salad, that's right, and it's made in minutes!
Sausage Stuffing is a classic holiday side dish loaded with so much flavor! Choose to make it with a spicier or a mild sweet Italian sausage. It also has boxed cornbread, crunchy celery, soft French bread, sweet dried cherries, and tart dried cranberries all mixed into one heavenly dressing recipe.
Make adorable Cranberry, Blue Cheese, & Pecan Cheese Balls that look like ornaments for your next holiday party! During the Christmas season, it is great to have a non-alcoholic Christmas Punch along with holiday cocktails. Serve a few appetizers, and the party is on. But you need one delicious holiday party drink without booze!
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Pineapple-Orange Cranberry Sauce ~ Plus 10+ Clever Uses Of Leftovers!
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 cup fresh pineapple and juice (fresh or canned)
- 3 oranges - zest and juice
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
prep pineapple and oranges
- Use canned or fresh pineapple, chop 1 cup of pineapple and juice liquid. Set aside.
- Wash the oranges in cool water, zest the 3 oranges into a small bowl, then juice the 3 oranges. Set aside.
cook the cranberry sauce
- Combine the cranberries, pineapple plus any juice, sugar, and zest of 3 oranges and juice in a medium saucepan or pot. Bring up to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 15 minutes. Stir every 3-5 minutes. Turn your heat down, if is cooking too fast. You will see the cranberries pop in the pan as it cooks, but you don't want it to boil.
- Stir every 3-5 minutes. Turn the heat down if it is cooking too fast. Once it thickens, and half the cranberries have popped, stop cooking.
- MAKE AHEAD: You can prepare ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week ahead.
- SERVING: Let cool completely before serving, it will set up more when chilled. Place into a pretty serving bowl, and it is safe at room temperature for two hours.
Notes
10+ Ways to Use Leftovers
There is a 100% chance you will have extra sauce this year in your home, so let's get creative and try some new ways to use it. Its tart-sweet flavor is so versatile and complements a wide variety of dishes. Besides slathering it on Here are a few ideas.- Mix with plain Greek yogurt for breakfast
- Mix into a cranberry vinaigrette salad dressing
- Make cranberry compound butter for toast or bagels
- Use it as a glaze for chicken or meatloaf
- Mix into soft cream cheese and spread on bagels
- Pour over waffles and pancakes
- Make cranberry-baked brie
- Make a grilled brie cheese and cranberry sandwich
- Make yogurt cranberry parfaits
- Mix into soft vanilla ice cream
- Toast dinner rolls spread some brie cheese on, and add turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce for the best leftover turkey sandwiches!
Storage
Cranberry sauce lasts two weeks refrigerated.Variations
- Add chopped pecans, apple, pear, dried mixed fruit, blood oranges, raisins, currants, cinnamon, and a cinnamon stick for flavoring (and remove before serving) ground nutmeg, or ground allspice.
Hey Seanna! I am so glad to hear that, this has been a favorite for years. Just the right sweetness. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Love this cranberry sauce! I like the added pineapple and orange flavors. I used the leftovers to stuff into biscuit dough and baked them up for breakfast. It made the biscuits so much yummier.