This gluten free, zesty orange sauce for pancakes contains moderate amounts of sugar and fat and is made using fresh oranges. Ready in under 15 minutes.
This orange sauce recipe for pancakes makes a delicious, low sugar alternative to maple syrup or chocolate sauce. It's an easy make ahead sauce that's full of fruity goodness, zesty and lively, perfect to add to a Sunday brunch menu.
Ingredients
This orange sauce contains lots of natural sweetness as it uses not just fresh orange juice but also orange pulp (which also helps to thicken it naturally) and zest. And not just 1 orange but 5!
This pancake sauce also contains moderate amounts of sugar and butter, a little lemon juice as well as corn flour to help thicken it.
There is no orange juice from the carton and no marmalade yet the sauce has distinct bitter sweet marmalade notes. Thanks to a simple little trick!
It only takes 2-3 minutes to produce this marmalade effect and it's definitely worth doing!
How to prepare the oranges
1.Peel 4 of the oranges by cutting off the top and bottom, standing on one end and slicing the skin downwards all the way around.
2. Cut each orange into wedges (remove the middle bit). In a large non-stick pan heat up 1 tablespoon of butter, add the orange wedges, scatter 1.5 tablespoons of sugar and fry over a fairly high heat for 1-2 minutes turning once or twice until the juice starts caramelising.
3. Quickly transfer the oranges along with the syrup into a blender, add the orange zest and juice of the remaining 1.5 oranges and puree until silky smooth.
How to make orange sauce recipe for pancakes
1. In a saucepan melt the remaining butter, add the flour and whisk together until smooth.
2. Add the orange mixture, remaining sugar, pinch of salt and cook until the sauce thickens whisking all the time. When the sauce starts to boil lower the heat and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, more sugar if needed and set aside for a few minutes to cool a little. The sauce should thicken as it cools. Serve warm.
Top tips
- When peeling the oranges it is important to also remove the thin white skin around the fruit.
- This orange sauce may thicken after a while so just squeeze in a few drops of orange juice to loosen the consistency.
- I recommend using a high speed blender to puree the oranges until very smooth (an ordinary stick blender or even food processor won't work as well).
- You can make this sauce using blood oranges though you it may require a little more sugar.
- Best served warm.
- Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Serving suggestions
This orange sauce recipe is delicious over pancakes, crepes (or Polish 'nalesniki'), yeast pancakes, waffles or french toast (such as banana french toast bake) with or without fresh fruit (such as berries or bananas). Try it with pumpkin pancakes, chia pancakes or quinoa pancakes.
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Keep in touch!
If you make this homemade orange sauce recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)
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Orange Sauce Recipe for Pancakes
Equipment
- High speed blender
- Large non-stick pan
- Medium size saucepan and whisk
Ingredients
- 5½ medium/large oranges seedless
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2¼ tbsp butter
- 2 tsp cornstarch/corn flour
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Zest of half an orange
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- Start by peeling 4 of the oranges. Using a sharp knife cut the top and bottom, place the orange on one end and slice the skin off downwards all the way around (ensuring you are also removing the white skin around the fruit). Cut each orange into wedges (removing the white middle bit from the oranges).
- Using a large non-stick pan heat up 1 tablespoon of butter, add the orange wedges, scatter 1½ tablespoons of sugar and fry over a fairly high heat for 1-2 minutes turning once or twice (the butter, sugar and juice will start caramelising and bubbling up).
- Quickly transfer the oranges along with the sticky juice into a blender, add the orange zest plus juice of the remaining 1½ oranges and puree the mixture until very smooth.
- In a saucepan heat up the remaining butter, add the flour and whisk together until smooth. Add the orange mixture and bring to the boil whisking all the time. Lower the heat, add the remaining sugar, lemon juice, pinch of salt, stir and simmer for 2 minutes whisking often.
- Remove from the heat and set aside for 5-10 minutes to cool a little and let the sauce thicken. Serve warm.
Notes
- When peeling the oranges it is important to also remove the thin white skin around the fruit.
- This orange sauce may thicken after a while so just squeeze in a few drops of orange juice to loosen the consistency. Â
- I recommend using a high speed blender to puree the oranges until very smooth (an ordinary stick blender or even food processor won't work as well).Â
- You can make this sauce using blood oranges though you it may require a little more sugar.
- Best served warm. Delicious with pancakes, crepes, french toast and waffles.
- Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Amazing recipe, not too sweet, taste gorgeous on its own as well 😋
Thank you! Glad you liked it:)
Mmmm, I really fancy pancakes smothered with your orange sauce now Monika. Sweet and zesty sounds perfect.
Thanks Choclette, glad you like it!
Delicious! I love orange sauce and it can be used in so many different dishes. I bet it is lovely drizzled over duck! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Thanks Kirsty! It's great with both duck and chicken:)
What a great versatile sauce. Love that fact that you can use it for sweet and savory, and citrus is perfect for this season. We all need more vitamin C during the cold winter months. Thanks for sharing at FF!
Thank you! Glad you like it, happy FF:)
Lovely sauce, I must give this a go.
Thank you:)
It sounds amazing! I love recipes that use the minimum amount of sugar and this is so versatile too!
Thanks Corina, glad you like it:)