A perfect Thanksgiving side dish – this Orange Compote with Candied Cranberries is a great change up to the ordinary cranberry sauce!
You really can’t go wrong with a traditional Cranberry Sauce, but this recipe is a great way to change it up!
We have come to the end of Thanksgiving week, and of course, you have to have cranberries on the table. We normally have our traditional cranberry salad, but after making this side dish, I’m honestly contemplating breaking tradition. I’m not even a huge cranberry fan, but I absolutely loved this. Seriously loved it. It was sweet and sour and tart all in one. And I love that you can totally make this ahead of time, because I know one of the hardest parts of the Thanksgiving meal is getting everything done on time!
Ingredients
Oranges: The recipe calls for Navel oranges. You could probably use another orange, but if it is a smaller orange, you may need more.
Cranberries: Fresh cranberries will work the best here. You could probably use frozen (although I have not tested it with frozen) but dried will not work.
Sugar: You will need just regular granulated sugar.
Cinnamon Stick: The cinnamon stick will add flavor as the ingredients cook. If you don’t have a cinnamon stick, I would add about 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
How to Make Orange Compote with Candied Cranberries
- Combine 1/4 cup of water with the 1/2 cup of the sugar and the cranberries in a pan. Add 2 strips of orange zest (this is easiest to do with a vegetable peeler). Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it cook until it gets nice and thick. You want a syrup consistency. Remove the orange zest strips and set this mixture aside.
- Juice 2 of the oranges. Measure out 1/2 cup of juice and combine that with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon stick in another saucepan. Cook this mixture until you have a syrup consistency, then remove from the heat. Discard the cinnamon stick.
- Take your remaining oranges and cut them into segments, removing the pith and the peels. Combine the oranges with the orange syrup, then stir in the cranberry mixture.
- Refrigerate until chilled, then serve.
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Snickers Salad
My Favorite Mashed Potato Recipe
Whole Wheat Rolls
The BEST Sweet Potato Casserole
Glazed Carrots
Orange Compote with Candied Cranberries
Ingredients
- 7 Navel oranges
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 12 oz bag fresh cranberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Remove 2 strips of orange zest from one of the oranges using a vegetable peeler.
- In a pan, combine 1/4 cup water, the cranberries, 1/2 cup of the sugar and the strips of orange zest. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer until it is reduced to a syrup consistency, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool; remove the orange zest.
- Squeeze the juice from 2 of the oranges. Measure out 1/2 cup of juice and set aside. (If you have extra juice, reserve for another use.) In a saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup of juice with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer and cook until you reach a syrup consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
- Cut the peel and the pith from the remaining 5 oranges. Cut between the orange membranes to remove the segments. Place the orange segments in a bowl. Add the orange syrup. Stir in the candied cranberries and refrigerate until chilled.
Erin @ Texanerin Baking says
What a beautiful color! I’m not normally a huge cranberry fan but with orange?! Or ginger? It’s heaven.
And I’m just about to get started with my Thanksgiving recipes and only now realize that I need a full month for them. Oh well. There’s always next year. 🙂
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
The cranberry sauce is always one of my favorite things at the Thanksgiving table. Love the addition of oranges here!
Lizzy (Good Things) says
What a lovely recipe! Perfect for your thanksgiving. I’ve just posted a refreshing orange and date ‘salad’ with rosewater and vanilla. I like the idea of a compote.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
I am totally making this for Thanksgiving this year! How can I resist those juicy orange slices?!
Lana @ Never Enough Thyme says
Orange and cranberry is such a delicious combination. I’d love to have this compote on my Thanksgiving table.
Joanne says
My brother would probably kill me if I tried to switch out my cranberry sauce for this…but maybe we’ll just have to have both this year!
Carrian says
That sounds utterly delicious! I adore those two flavors!!
Kim Bee says
This needs to get made…asap. Freaking gorgeous!
kelley {mountain mama cooks} says
I’m making the cranberry sauce this year and was in search of a great recipe- just found it, thanks! The orange addition sounds wonderful!!
Becky @ Project Domestication says
Fantastic week of recipes! Once I went to homemade cranberry sauce, I never went back. And I love the idea of this twist.
Chels R. says
I adore the flavor combo of orange and cranberry! This looks so elegant and delicious!
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
Cranberry and orange is such a perfect combo. I wish you would have done 2 weeks of Thanksgiving recipes!
Heather of Kitchen Concoctions says
This version of cranberry sauce is so bright and festive with the cranberries and oranges! And that cranberry orange combination so good (I actually shared Cranberry Orange Pancakes yesterday)!
Anna @ hiddenponies says
This is gorgeous, perfect for a fall table! Thanksgiving recipes are definitely some of my favourite, I’d love seeing them for another week 🙂
Colleen @ What's Baking in the Barbershop?! says
I hear ya – Thanksgiving is my favorite too! I could read T’giving recipes all year round 🙂 This is another great one!!
Rosa says
Heavenly. What a delightful compote.
Cheers,
Rosa