Description
This Baked Cranberry Sauce Recipe offers a warm, slightly sweet, and tangy side dish perfect for holiday meals. The cranberries are baked with sugar, cinnamon, and orange marmalade, giving the sauce a rich depth of flavor, enhanced by crunchy pecans. It’s a simple, make-ahead recipe that pairs beautifully with turkey, chicken, or as a spread on sandwiches.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup orange marmalade
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cranberry sauce.
- Combine ingredients and bake: In an 8x11 inch baking dish, mix together cranberries, granulated sugar, water, and cinnamon. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil to retain moisture. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour, stirring the mixture halfway through to ensure even cooking.
- Add final ingredients: Once the cranberries are tender and bubbly, carefully remove the foil and take the dish out of the oven. Fold in the chopped pecans and orange marmalade gently to combine the flavors without breaking the cranberries.
- Cool and refrigerate: Let the cranberry sauce come to room temperature, allowing it to thicken slightly, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill. This makes it easier to serve cold or at room temperature as desired.
Notes
- You can prepare this sauce a day ahead; flavors deepen with time.
- For a smoother texture, pulse the sauce gently in a food processor before adding the pecans and marmalade.
- If you prefer less sweetness, reduce granulated sugar to ⅓ cup.
- Orange marmalade adds citrus notes; you can substitute with fresh orange zest and juice for a fresher taste.
- Leftover sauce is excellent on sandwiches, desserts, or mixed into yogurt.
