Homemade Guava Cranberry Sauce with Oranges
Growing up in a Cuban family, I never really had a traditional Thanksgiving like the rest of America.
Mami would make mojo turkey, but the sides? Definitely not your usual sweet potato casserole or creamy corn pudding. So I never really understood the purpose of cranberry sauce. We only ever had the canned jellied kind.
Now, as an adult, I’ve become a big fan of the full Thanksgiving spread, especially fresh cranberry sauce.
To blend my Cuban roots with my love for the classic Thanksgiving recipes, I gave traditional cranberry sauce a twist with guava marmalade and oranges.
And let me tell you…it turned out even better than I imagined.
5-star review
“This is the best cranberry sauce! It’s my fourth year making it and I look forward to it every year. The fam loves it.”
—Sasha Ramirez
How To Make Guava Cranberry Sauce
This homemade cranberry sauce with orange juice and cinnamon has become one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, all thanks to the guava marmalade.
I tested this recipe three times to get the texture right. Not too thick, not too loose, and it’s perfect!
The guava adds that sweet-tart balance to the cranberries, and it comes together so easily you’ll want to make it every year. You’ll find the full recipe below.
You can serve the orange cranberry sauce chilled, but I like it warm or at room temperature. Just reheat it for a minute in the microwave or in a small saucepan before dinner.
👉🏼 By the way, you can buy any brand of guava marmalade as long as there are not tons of weird ingredients. If you can’t find guava marmalade, you can also boil guava paste with a bit of water until you get a liquid consistency.
Recommended For This Recipe
Guava Marmalade
This is an excellent option if you can’t find guava marmalade locally. It has a sweet, tangy taste, and it also provides a perfectly thick consistency.
So while I still have to stop Mami from sneaking arroz blanco onto the Thanksgiving table.
“Mami! Arroz blanco isn’t traditional!” …in her eyes, no meal is complete without rice. 🤣
Now, this guava cranberry orange sauce sits right next to the turkey. It’s the perfect mix of sweet, tart, and citrusy with that Cuban twist I can’t skip.
And honestly, it always starts a conversation at the table. I have a feeling it’ll do the same for you, too.
Homemade Guava Cranberry Sauce with Oranges
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, or more to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice, (juice from 1 orange)
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 cup guava marmalade*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounces whole cranberries
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add sugar, orange juice, orange zest, guava marmalade, and vanilla. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add whole cranberries, salt, and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cranberries burst and the sauce becomes thick and glossy. You can also mash the cranberries until your desired consistency.
- Remove from heat and remove the cinnamon stick. Transfer the guava cranberry sauce to a bowl to cool for 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
This is the best cranberry sauce! It’s my fourth year making it and I look forward to it every year. The fam loves it.
So happy to hear! Thank you, Sasha!
This is THE BEST cranberry sauce. I’ve made it 3 Thanksgivings in a row now and it’s always a hit. The addition of guava is 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
This is my new favorite cranberry sauce recipe! Seriously so good – I thought the guava would make it a bit too sweet but it’s honestly the perfect touch. I used guava paste instead of marmalade and used the tip from the recipe and it came out perfect!
Best cranberry sauce in the whole wide world. I made it today and I’m never going back to boring, plain cranberry sauce again. I followed the recipe but instead of the marmalade I used guava paste and it worked just fine. Fast, Easy & Delicious. Thank you for this wonderful idea!
So happy you loved it! It’s my new favorite too!
I can’t find guava marmalade where I live, but I do have guava paste. How can I use that in this recipe?
I found a guava marmalade on Amazon! Here is the link: https://amzn.to/3lrAdiP Since I’ve never used guava paste to make this recipe, I’m going to guess that you can maybe cook the guava paste down with some water in a saucepan until it becomes drippy like a marmalade. Guava paste has enough sugar so you don’t need to add any. Just add water and heat it up a bit. I can’t guarantee the results since I’ve never tested this recipe with guava paste but try it out and see what happens!
Thank you. I think I’ll order the marmalade from Amazon.
Howwwwww have I never thought of combining guayaba & cranberry before? Genius!
The flavor is incredible! Can’t wait for you to try it!