How To Make Orange Cranberry Pancakes With Orange Sauce

It’s gearing up for the holidays here in Canada. We celebrate Thanksgiving in early October rather than late November, like our neighbors to the south. What better treat to wake the family than a freshly made stack of orange cranberry pancakes with a thick orange sauce to drizzle over them? The process is simple, and the ingredients are minimal, making this tasty version of fluffy pancakes to enjoy for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning.

You can use any pancake recipe for the batter, but the fluffier, the better. Homemade pancakes are the best, rather than boxed ones, although the boxed version will work in a pinch or if you are low on time. Be sure to heat the griddle to the right temperature for golden brown pancakes. 

If you love pancakes that aren’t just dipped in maple syrup, you’ll also want to try my apple-pear compote sauce. It’s delicious. 

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Simplicity. There are only a few extra steps to make the sauce, and add the extras for these cranberry-orange pancakes. It’s so simple you will ask yourself why you didn’t try it sooner. 

Flavorful. The orange-cranberry flavor combination is just right in the pancakes, and with the velvety smooth orange sauce, it’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart. This is a beautiful way to enjoy your next holiday breakfast. 

​It’s Festive. Traditionally, oranges were hard to come by during the holiday season, making them a special Christmas treat. With the addition of bright red cranberries, these pancakes are a great way to celebrate Christmas Day.

Let’s Begin With The Tart Cranberries For This Stack Of Pancakes.

To cook the pancakes properly with raw cranberries, you will want to cut them in half. Once you’ve cut the cranberries in half, you can set them aside and begin on the orange zest. Wash the exterior of your navel oranges well, and then, using a grater, remove the outer orange skin. Be careful not to dig down into the white pith, which is more bitter. The orange skin contains oils that are not only aromatic but also contribute to that telltale burst of orange flavor we seek. 

​After zesting the orange, begin the pancake batter. As I said, you can make any pancake batter that your family prefers for this recipe. When it’s been mixed, you will simply want to add the cupful of halved cranberries and the zest from both oranges, stirring well after adding that in. 

Heat the griddle to the correct temperature. To get that nice golden brown on your pancakes, you must set it to 375F. I like to cook my pancakes by the ladle full as I don’t have a fancy smancy pancake pourer. It is just enough to make a good-sized pancake and keeps things from getting too messy while working between the pancake batter in the mixing bowl and the hot griddle. 

You can add a little butter to the griddle before cooking the pancakes, as this will increase the rich flavor and make achieving the golden brown even easier. You will want to be careful not to let the butter burn. Turn down the heat if you notice it’s creating a lot of smoke or burning. It’s better to cook pancakes slowly like this than to end up with blackened bits. 

While working on the pancakes, we can also work on the orange sauce for the cranberry orange pancakes. Making a luscious orange sauce for the perfect breakfast treat takes just three simple ingredients. Add three cups of orange juice to a small saucepan and bring to a full boil. It’s important for it to boil so it can melt the sugar. Add in half a cup of sugar. If the sauce is not sweet after cooling, adjust the sweetness by adding a bit more sugar while it’s still warm. Just make sure to stir well to ensure the sugar dissolves completely.

Reduce the burner temperature to simmer after the sugar has dissolved. You can then make the cornstarch slurry in a measuring cup. Two tablespoons rounded of cornstarch work beautifully. Mix the cornstarch with a bit of cold orange juice until well blended. Then, slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into your sweetened orange juice while stirring it. You will notice it is thickening. You will want to continue to stir as the sauce cooks for a few more minutes. This reduction of the sauce gives the cornstarch time to make its magic happen by thickening the mixture. 

Remove the saucepan from the heat once the sauce has thickened to your liking. Remember that it needs to be pourable and syrup-like for the pancakes to soak up properly. 

If you’ve been making pancakes while making the sauce, you may be nearing completion. If you still have a ways to go, I recommend turning your oven on to the lowest setting and placing a baking tray in it. You can add the cooked pancakes to the oven while you continue working to keep them hot. Nothing is worse than eating cold pancakes when you went to all the work of making them. 

​Pour the sauce into a small pitcher and set it on the table for family and guests to serve themselves. 

Ingredients:

​One-Batch Pancake Batter: I used a regular buttermilk pancake recipe for this. You can use any pancake batter as long as it yields four cups. 

Cranberries: I used frozen cranberries, which impart a nice tart flavor and hold up well during cooking. 

Navel Oranges: These large oranges have a thick, flavorful skin, which makes them ideal for adding to pancakes. 

Orange Juice: I used pure orange juice for the sauce because it needs a full-bodied orange flavor. It was lower in sugar as it was pure.

White Sugar: Adding this to the juice balances the tart tang of the pure orange juice. 

Cornstarch: This thickening agent creates a velvety texture to the sauce without a noticeable flavor. 

Substitutions And Add-Ins For These Pancakes

​One-Batch Pancake Batter: You can use any pancake batter, including instant pancake batter. However, you will want to ensure that you have at least four cups of batter for the add-ins to be balanced well. 

Cranberries: I used frozen for this recipe because I had them on hand, and they can now be found year-round in the local grocery store. If you prefer to use fresh, they will also work just fine. If you aren’t a fan of cranberries, you can omit them or replace them with raspberries. 

Navel Oranges: Valencia, Seville, and Blood oranges are other orange varieties that will work well for zesting. 

​If you wish to shake things up, try using whole red raspberries instead of fresh cranberries. Or you can add mini white chocolate or cream cheese chips to the pancakes to make them even sweeter and more decadent during the holiday season.

Expert Tips, Serving And Storing Suggestions For The Orange Sauce:

Tip #1: Choose Juice Wisely. When it comes to your orange sauce, the juice you pick makes a big difference. For the best flavor, go for fresh-squeezed orange juice or a high-quality 100% pure juice. Fresh juice packs a bright, natural orange punch that makes the sauce pop. Avoid juices from concentrate or those with added sugars and artificial flavors—they can mess with the sweetness and taste of your sauce. You want that pure, zesty goodness to shine through!

Tip #2: Make a Cornstarch Slurry. To get the perfect, thick texture for your orange sauce, you need to make a cornstarch slurry. Mix two rounded tablespoons of cornstarch with a bit of cold orange juice until it’s nice and smooth. This step helps thicken the sauce without any lumps. Make sure the cornstarch is fully dissolved in the cold juice before adding it to your simmering orange juice. Stir it in slowly and keep stirring to avoid any clumps.

Tip #3: Reduce To Proper Consistency: Getting the sauce right is about reducing it to the right thickness. Once you add the cornstarch slurry, keep the sauce simmering and stir it regularly. You’re aiming for a syrup-like consistency—pourable but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s too thin, let it simmer a bit longer. If it’s too thick, just stir in a bit more orange juice to get it to the perfect consistency. And remember, the sauce will thicken a little more as it cools, so aim for a slightly thinner texture while it’s hot

For a festive Thanksgiving or Christmas breakfast brunch, serve your orange cranberry pancakes drizzled generously with the luscious orange sauce. The tangy cranberry bursts and zesty orange flavor make each bite a holiday treat, perfect for starting the day on a deliciously bright note. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh orange zest or a few extra cranberries for a beautiful, seasonal touch!

These pancakes are also easy for meal prep, you can make these orange cranberry pancakes ahead of time and freeze them. Let them cool completely, then stack them with parchment paper in between and store them in a freezer bag. To thaw, reheat them in the microwave for a few minutes until heated.

Leftover orange sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for extended storage. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of orange juice to restore consistency.

If you made this delicious breakfast recipe I would love to hear what you enjoyed the most. Was it the tart bursts of cranberry flavor or the sweet tang of the orange sauce? Rate and leave a comment below your feedback helps me create more content for you.