Cranberry sauce is probably one of the most popular condiments around the holiday season – at least in North America. There is no need to buy it because any homemade version will be way more delicious. And why not make it even more exciting by infusing with orange liquor?! Try this Cointreau Cranberry Sauce to enjoy a wonderful and festive variation.
Hello everyone! Happy Friday! (Well, it’s still Thursday here in Canada. However, it is my day off tomorrow, so it’s Friday for me.) anyway, I hope you are ready for weekend. Do you have any exciting plans? If you are also a food blogger, let me guess – probably some cooking? If yes, let me try guessing again – perhaps, holiday recipe development? Nope, I am not trying to be new Baba Vanga. It’s totally based on my own plans!
Cointreau Cranberry Sauce
Anyway, let’s talk about holiday recipes. I’ve already shared this Rosé Wine Cranberry Sauce recently, and now I am excited about this Cointreau Cranberry Sauce. I mean, orange and cranberries. Cranberries and orange liquor. This combination makes so much sense, and needless to say it’s absolutely luscious. And boozy. If you know me a little, you can expect a hefty amount of alcohol here. I am not that cook who uses just a few little splashes to infuse recipes haha.
You will only a small bunch of ingredients to make this sauce. It includes cranberries (I used fresh, but frozen will work), orange juice, honey, brown sugar, spices, rosemary (optional), and Cointreau. Of course, you can use any other available orange liquor such as Triple sec. While rosemary is optional, it enhances the flavour making it more complex. And warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, clove, and allspice makes this sauce extra festive and cozy.
Can I Skip Orange Liquor?
Yes, certainly. Just add another 1/3 cup of orange juice to the sauce.
Alternatively, if you want a reduced amount of alcohol, you can add just a splash (one – two tablespoons) and use orange juice for the remaining part. But while this recipe calls for 1/3 cup of Cointreau, the flavour is quite delicate, you won’t feel alcohol a lot. Liquor also adds some pleasant and subtle bitterness to the sauce.
Other than that, this sauce is easy and quick to make. It will be fine refrigerated for quite a long time (Up to a week for sure), so you can make it few days ahead, if desired.
I hope you like this Cointreau Cranberry Sauce, and you will make it a try. If you make it, let me know in this post or send me an Instagram message or share your photos adding the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.
Cheers!
Cointreau Cranberry Sauce
8-10
5
minutes15
minutesCointreau Cranberry Sauce is a luscious cranberry sauce that has been elevated to a new level by adding some orange liquor. So festive!
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Ingredients
4 cups (about 350 gr.) fresh or frozen cranberries
juice of one large orange (about 1/2 cup)
1 tsp. orange zest
1-2 tbsp. honey
2-4 tbsp. light brown (or golden) sugar
1/4 tsp. minced fresh rosemary (optional)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon and ginger each
1/4 tsp. cardamom and ground nutmeg each
a little pinch of glove and allspice each (optional)
1/3 cup or a little more of Cointreau or other orange liquor (like Triple sec)
Directions
- In a medium pot (saucepan) combine the cranberries and orange juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the honey, sugar, orange zest, rosemary (if using), and spices (You can use all from the list or few as per your choice). Simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened a bit and flavours well incorporated. That is also the stage when you should try and adjust the flavour by adding more of honey (or sugar), spices or orange zest.
- Add the Cointreau and simmer just for 30-40 seconds, stirring. Off heat and let it fully cool. Transfer the sauce to a container or jar and refrigerate for up to one week. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a non-alcoholic version substitute another 1/3 cup of orange juice for Cointreau.
Orange and cranberry go so well together, and love the idea of adding a boozy element to accentuate the flavor. This cranberry sauce screams holidays! Well done, Ben!
Thanks so much Kim!
Sounds fabulous, Ben! I love the idea of Cointreau and cranberries. A match made in heaven. :-)
Exactly! :)
Thank you, Frank!
Wow, this is a very interesting cranberry sauce. Cointreau sounds like such a sure hit, but what about all those spices? Cardamom? This sounds out of this world!
Thank you Jeff!
So beautiful and bursting with flavours!
Thank you Davorka!
I love3 cooked cranberry sauces like this! I think we will try this for Thanksgiving (my job is to bring tegh pumpkin pie and the cranberry sauce). As for weekend plans? You hit that nail on the head. I am working on a new holiday steak recipe to pair with a really nice Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Oh I absolutely love your boozy cranberry sauce Ben! I’ve done a cranberry sauce with brandy before but not with cointreau. Can’t wait to give it a try!
We are on the same wavelength, my friend! Love the added orangy, boozy layers of flavor in this cranberry sauce! So easy and SO much better than the canned stuff.
What a gorgeous cranberry sauce, Ben! I always love using a bit of orange zest in my cranberry sauce, so the Cointreau makes perfect sense here. I’ll have to give your version a try soon! After all, it’s the holidays, so more alcohol = more better. :-)
Love this sauce! I’ve used port and brandy but not an orange liqueur. It’s so smart!
I can only imagine how aromatic and delicious this sauce! As always, beautiful presentation, Ben.
Cointreau and cranberries are a match made in heaven! Funnily enough, I don’t theme my recipes to the season. I just make what takes my fancy.
Love all the warm spices in the cranberry sauce, Ben — fantastic idea!