Go Back

Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce

Orange amaretto cranberry sauce with a glossy, thick texture made by simmering fresh cranberries until they burst. Bright orange zest and amaretto add a sweet, aromatic finish, then it’s chilled for easy serving.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chill time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberries
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
Sweetener and liquids
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 0.75 cup orange juice
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 0.25 cup amaretto
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 0.06 salt
Topping
  • 2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Simmer the cranberry base
  1. Bring sugar, orange juice, water, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Visual cue: active bubbling across the surface.
  2. Add cranberries and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the sauce thickens. Visual cue: skins split and the mixture turns glossy and more viscous.
Finish, cool, and chill
  1. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in amaretto and orange zest. Visual cue: the sauce becomes fragrant and uniformly colored with visible zest flecks.
  2. Cool the sauce to room temperature, then cover and chill before serving for at least 60 minutes. Visual cue: it firms up and holds its shape when spooned.
Serve with toasted almonds
  1. Top the chilled cranberry sauce with toasted sliced almonds just before serving. Visual cue: almonds look golden and add a crisp contrast on top.

Notes

Pro tip: simmer until you see multiple cranberries burst and the sauce coats the back of a spoon—this is what gives the glossy, spoonable texture after chilling. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lower-sugar option, replace the sugar with a 1:1 cup-for-cup sweetener suitable for cooking (use label directions) to keep the same thick set.