My roasted cranberries recipe is a simple side dish perfect for your holiday table but easy enough for every day. Flavored with bourbon and orange, the baked cranberries are going to surprise everyone at your table. Roasting caramelizes the fruit, deepens the tart flavor, and makes them as versatile as they are vibrant. Serve them as a simple side or a sauce.
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Cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving classic. And while I grew up with the sweet cranberry jello salad, this tart cranberry recipe is definitely more my speed.
I think this recipe deserves a spot at your holiday table alongside my classic sweet potato crunch and my classic but elevated green bean casserole.
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📖Why My Recipe Works
- Roasting cranberries brings out their natural tartness, rather than covering it up with extra sugar or jello.
- This recipe has less than 5 minutes of hands-on time.
- This recipe can be made in advance and reheated before serving.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Cranberries- Use fresh whole cranberries.
- Orange- Any variety will do. Out of oranges and OJ? Check out our list of substitutes for orange juice.
- Bourbon - If you are avoiding alcohol, you can substitute water, apple juice, or additional orange juice for the bourbon.
- Honey- Or substitute sugar for vegan. This recipe is VERY light on sugar. You can increase it but the purpose of roasting the cranberries is to bring out their tart flavor.
- Spices- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and just a pinch of kosher salt.
⏲️ How to Make Roasted Cranberries
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Combine the whole cranberries, orange juice & zest, bourbon, honey, and spices into an ovenproof dish. Stir to combine. Bake for 45 minutes until cranberries are soft and the liquid is reduced by two-thirds.
Yep, that is it! How easy are these roasted cranberries? Good food does not have to be complicated to make.
As you know, I love a recipe that can be easily modified into something new. So what if you want to make these roasted cranberries into a sauce?
💭 Cranberry Sauce Variation
Add an additional ¼ cup of water before roasting. Once baked, use an immersion blender to break up about half the cranberries. The cranberry sauce should be chunky but saucy.
To create a dessert version for topping ice cream or cheesecake, increase the the honey to ½ cup.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Using a glass or ceramic baking dish ensures even heat.
- Don't skip the pinch of salt, it seems small but it matters.
- Roasted cranberries thicken as they cool, don't judge consistency until after resting for 10 minutes.
🦃More Thanksgiving Recipes
🌡️Storing Leftovers
Leftover cranberries should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for up to 5 days. Reheat in a small pan on the stovetop or reheat in the oven at 300 F degrees.
You can also skip the dried cranberries and use leftover sauce on my sheet pan pork chops and squash recipe. It is an easy one-pot Fall dinner!
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more? Get more flavorful recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Roasted Cranberries
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 small orange, juiced & zested set aside ½ the zest, for garnish
- 2 tablespoon bourbon or apple juice
- 2 tablespoon honey or coconut sugar for vegan
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
- Combine all ingredients in a 9-inch baking dish. Stir until well combined.4 cups fresh cranberries, 1 small orange, juiced & zested, 2 tablespoon bourbon, 2 tablespoon honey, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, pinch of kosher salt
- Bake for 45 minutes or until cranberries are soft and the liquid has reduced by two-thirds. Serve as desired.
Notes
- To serve as a side dish- top with orange zest and serve.
- To serve as a sauce- add 3 to 4 tablespoon of water before baking. Reduce liquid by ⅓ and pulse with an immersion blender to barely break up the cranberries. It should still be chunky.
- To serve as a dessert- Increase the honey to ½ cup before baking. Top with whipped cream and orange zest when serving.
Marisa says
Roasting the cranberries was such a great idea!! Better than a sweet sauce.
Louise says
You had me at bourbon and orange! Yummy!
Lisa says
Right up my alley. I want this for more than just Thanksgiving...
Claudia Lamascolo says
what a nice twist on cranberries for the Thanksgiving table. eveyrone loved this and they are so pretty but it is TART
Mahy Elamin says
This cranberry recipe was really unique! Thank you!
Pavani says
Never thought of roasting cranberries before,Perfect Thanksgiving dish.
Holly says
The bourbon really takes this cranberry sauce to the next level!
Marisa Moore says
So smart. I never thought to roast cranberries before. I couldn't get the stars to stick but would rate this a 5* recipe for sure!
Jen says
Yum
Julia says
What a great recipe! Love the addition of bourbon there 🙂
Jenni LeBaron says
I love that you've added a little bourbon to these. The perfect cranberries to serve at any holiday dinner!
Lauren Vavala says
I love how easy this recipe is and the addition of bourbon! very tart
Jen says
Bourbon makes everything better!
Dan Zehr says
I love everything that is associated with cranberry. This was perfect for my menu.