I know that Thanksgiving cranberry time is now past, but bookmark this recipe for Christmas because — if you can’t tell by the title — it will definitely kick your holidays up a notch.

The credit for this one goes to my lovely sister, Sarah, who is the cranberry queen of our family. Every year, she and her husband Jeff (a.k.a. Gimme Some Oven’s talented web designer!) research creative new recipes to try for Thanksgiving. And once again, they did not disappoint. We all gathered at their place in Chicago this year for an all-day homemade feast, featuring a pomegranate-mustard-glazed turkey, yummy stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, blue cheese green beans, homemade sourdough and na’an, pumpkin cheesecake…and this orange bourbon cranberry sauce.

Once I taste-tested the cranberries, I asked if I could take a quick photo to share with you all before they disappeared. And it’s a good thing I did, because I’m pretty sure everyone went back for seconds with these. So tangy, sweet, and delicious. And that extra kick of bourbon made them extra fun. Highly recommend giving them a try!

What was your favorite food this Thanksgiving?

Orange Bourbon Cranberry Sauce

5 from 15 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 4 cups
A simple recipe for cranberry sauce with the extra zest of orange and kick of bourbon!

Ingredients

  • 2 (12 oz.) packages of cranberries
  • 2/3 c. white sugar
  • 1 1/3 c. brown sugar
  • 3/4 c. fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 3/4 c. water
  • zest of one orange, plus extra for garnish
  • 1-3 Tbsp. bourbon (to taste)

Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook on medium-high for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced, stirring occasionally. Once most of the cranberries have popped, remove from heat and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
  • Serve garnished with extra orange zest. Or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. (Simply rewarm the cranberries later to serve.)

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Sweet Savory Life

Additional Info

Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

This post contains affiliate links.

About Ali

Hi, I'm Ali Martin! I created this site in 2009 to celebrate good food and gathering around the table. I live in Kansas City with my husband and two young boys and love creating simple, reliable, delicious recipes that anyone can make!

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5 from 15 votes

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43 Comments

  1. Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says:

    I think stuffing is my favorite side, but the cranberry sauce is a close second. Seriously love your kicked up sauce!

  2. Ali's Mom says:

    My fave food was the dressing, as always. But these yummy cranberries were a close second.

  3. Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel says:

    Eek, while I’m usually a dork who likes the canned version, I cannot resist this gorgeous cranberry sauce. Hello, it’s pretty, and two, it’s homemade, and three, it has bourbon in it. Nuff said.

  4. Laura Dembowski says:

    I made a similar recipe the other night but without bourbon. I love a hint of bourbon in foods, so I’ll have to give it a try. Dried cherries are my new favorite thing to put in cranberry sauce.

  5. Cassie | Bake Your Day says:

    Bourbon is definitely the way to go with cranberries, I have made it this way the past couple of years. Next time I am adding brown sugar for sure!

  6. Carrian-Sweet Basil says:

    Don’t you just love how pretty cranberry sauce is? This will be perfect for Christmas now!

  7. bet says:

    oh man. not sure i can wait until christmas to try this. yum.

  8. Sarah M. says:

    My favorite T-Day food was (and always is) my Grandma’s homemade rolls topped with homemade strawberry jam. She sent some home with me, and I polished ’em all off yesterday : )

  9. little kitchie says:

    stop it – this sounds sooo good! great idea adding in that bourbon. :)

    my favorite food this year was the stuffing, as always. amen.

  10. Averie @ Averie Cooks says:

    I have a cranberry recipe coming up next week if I can hurry up and get it finished :) but it doesnt have bourbon in it. You were the SMART one :)