Aperol Spritz Cranberry Sauce

Aperol spritz is the trendy summer sipper. As with any trend, variations abound, eventually leading to the holiday Aperol spritz that’s spruced up with cranberry sauce to bring the drink into the colder months. But what if, instead of cranberries elevating an Aperol spritz, the Italian apertif made the quintessential holiday cranberry sauce a little more sophisticated?

Aperol’s notes of orange, vanilla and floral herbs lend themselves well to cranberry sauce, which is already loaded with orange juice and zest. The pairing makes sense, and this Aperol spritz cranberry sauce is living proof. Even if your family isn’t normally a from-scratch cranberry sauce group, this elevated version will change minds. It’s a great make-ahead dish that takes only 25 minutes, start to finish, but creates an upgraded feel on Thanksgiving.

Ingredients for Aperol Spritz Cranberry Sauce

• Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe. If using frozen, thaw the cranberries first and drain the excess liquid.
• Orange juice: Orange juice’s sweet, tangy flavor makes it the perfect liquid to help break down the cranberries and plump up the dried cranberries.
• Dried cranberries: Dried cranberries add a bit more texture and sweetness.
• Sugar: Cranberries are very tart, so we need a good bit of sugar to balance out the flavors.
• Aperol: Aperol is an Italian bitter aperitif with a clear orange hue and notes of orange, vanilla and fresh herbs. It’s the star component in an Aperol spritz.
• Orange zest: Fresh orange zest punches up the orange flavor. Zest the orange in the same way you’d zest a lemon: Grate only the colorful outer skin without grating the bitter white pith underneath.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the sauce base

In a small saucepan, stir together the cranberries, orange juice, dried cranberries and sugar. Cook the mixture over medium heat until the cranberries pop, about 15 minutes.

Step 2: Add the Aperol and orange zest

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the Aperol and orange zest until well combined.

Step 3: Chill and serve

Transfer the Aperol spritz cranberry sauce to a small bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the cranberry sauce until it’s chilled thoroughly. If desired, top with additional orange zest just before serving.

Recipe Variations

• Add other fruits: Instead of all dried cranberries, you can include a mix of cranberries with other dried fruits like apricots, cherries or apples.
• Try other juices: No need to stick to just orange juice here. Introduce more flavors with an orange juice blend like orange-grapefruit juice, orange-cranberry juice or orange-passionfruit juice. Even a little Prosecco adds to the overall Aperol spritz theme!

How to Store Aperol Spritz Cranberry Sauce

To store Aperol spritz cranberry sauce, allow it to cool completely to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container so it can chill thoroughly before serving. The cranberry sauce can last up to five days in the fridge.

Can you freeze Aperol spritz cranberry sauce?

Yes, you can freeze Aperol spritz cranberry sauce. After it has cooled completely to room temperature, pour it into an airtight container and leave about 1/2 inch of headspace so it has room to expand. Thaw the sauce overnight in the fridge before serving.

Can you make Aperol spritz cranberry sauce ahead of time?

Yes, in fact, you need to make Aperol spritz cranberry sauce ahead of time. After cooking the sauce, it needs to hang out in the fridge until it’s chilled thoroughly. I would make the sauce one or two days before serving. That way, all you have to do on Thanksgiving is take the sauce out of the fridge, pour it into a pretty bowl and serve!

Aperol Spritz Cranberry Sauce Tips

Why isn’t my Aperol spritz cranberry sauce thick?

Your Aperol spritz cranberry sauce will not be as thick as it should be immediately after cooking. However, as it chills in the fridge, the cranberries’ natural pectin will thicken the sauce considerably.

What foods pair well with Aperol spritz cranberry sauce?

Foods that pair well with Aperol spritz cranberry sauce include all the traditional Thanksgiving recipes, as well as waffles, pancakes, toast, yogurt, ice cream and scones.

How can you use leftover Aperol spritz cranberry sauce?

There are lots of ways to use leftover cranberry sauce. Swirl it into pound cake or muffin batter before baking, or use it as a base for a salad dressing. Stir it with other condiments for a tangy, bright barbecue sauce for pulled pork. Layer it into a cranberry cheesecake, spoon it into thumbprint cookies (just in time for Christmas cookie season!), use it as a topping for Thanksgiving leftovers casserole or save it for a turkey cranberry club.