Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce
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Skip the can at the grocery store and make your own homemade Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce this year! It takes about 25 minutes to turn fresh cranberries, orange juice and zest, Amaretto, sugar, and water into a delicious side for your holiday meal.
Tart and sweet with punches of citrus create the p-e-r-f-e-c-t side dish to serve alongside your Thanksgiving turkey! It also adds the perfect touch to these Cranberry Brie Bites! Trust me, the can shaped glob of goo does not even compare!!
I mean seriously, doesn’t that look more enticing than a gelatinous cylinder with grooves sitting on a plate?
What you will need:
- We start with fresh cranberries that have been rinsed and picked through to remove any damaged or squishy berries. Substitute frozen if fresh are not available.
- To balance out the tart berries, we need granulated sugar, orange juice, and some Amaretto (almond) liqueur.
- Fresh orange zest adds even more citrus flavor and some fresh water helps to create the perfect consistency.
How to make Cranberry Sauce with Amaretto and Orange:
Place the rinsed cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and water in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer to cook down the cranberries.
Add the Amaretto and continue to simmer until thickened, stirring frequently, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Allow the cranberry sauce to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- Cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
- This sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance, and does not need to be reheated before serving.
Recipe Modifications:
- Substitute Bourbon or Grand Marnier for the Amaretto for a different flavor.
- For non-alcoholic: substitute additional orange juice for the liqueur.
- Substitute 1 cup of maple syrup, 1 cup of coconut sugar, or 12 dates soaked in hot water for the granulated sugar.
- Garnish with toasted, sliced almonds for more texture.
Tools used to create this recipe:
You can see the rest of my favorite kitchen tools and gadgets here in my Amazon Affiliate Page. I earn a small commission when you purchase through my links, at no cost to you, so I can keep bringing you more delicious recipes!
- Saucepan
- Wooden Spoon
- Microplane Zester
- Colander
- Citrus Zester with Channel Knife to create the zest curls on top.
- Citrus Juicer
- Chefs Knife and Cutting Board
More delicious cranberry recipes:
- Cranberry Sauce with Pineapple and Walnuts and Dried Cherries
- Frozen Cranberry Salsa / Relish – serve over cream cheese!
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Cranberry Orange Pistachios Cookies
- Goat Cheese Log with Cranberry and Pecan
- Cranberry Orange Margarita – with cranberry juice.
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Enjoy!!
Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds fresh cranberries rinsed, drained, and bad berries picked out
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- .67 cup orange juice 2/3 cup
- 2 tablespoons grated orange peel
- .25 cup water
- 3 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
Instructions
- Place the rinsed cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and water in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer to cook down the cranberries.
- Add the Amaretto and continue to simmer until thickened, stirring frequently, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Allow the cranberry sauce to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- Cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
- This sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance, and does not need to be reheated before serving.
- Substitute Bourbon or Grand Marnier for the Amaretto for a different flavor.
- For non-alcoholic: substitute additional orange juice for the liqueur.
- Substitute 1 cup of maple syrup, 1 cup of coconut sugar, or 12 dates soaked in hot water for the granulated sugar.
- Garnish with toasted, sliced almonds for more texture.
