Mandarin Orange Dessert Sauce

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/25/23
Ice cream with orange sauce

Image Studios / Getty Images

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Refrigerate: 60 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
36 Calories
0g Fat
9g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 36
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Protein 0g
Calcium 7mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This sweet mandarin orange sauce recipe renders a beautiful and impressive dessert sauce, but it couldn't be easier. Mandarin oranges are sweeter and less tangy than their standard orange counterparts, which lends itself beautifully to desserts and other sweet treats. If you like things a bit more tangy, be sure to use the optional orange zest, which adds a little extra citrusy bitterness and a beautifully fresh orange flavor.

Canned mandarin oranges and their canning liquid are combined with vanilla, orange zest, and sugar to make a versatile sweet and syrupy sauce. You can serve this mandarin orange sauce on any number of sweet treats and desserts from ice cream and pound cake to angel food cake and cheesecake. You can also bring it to breakfast or brunch by serving it in place of maple syrup on pancakes, waffles, crepes, or French toast.

Ingredients

  • 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges (reserve juice)
  • 1 (6 ounce) can orange juice concentrate (frozen)
  • 2/3 cup sugar (white)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup (light)
  • Optional: 1 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Steps to Make It

  1. Drain mandarin oranges and reserve the liquid. Measure out 1/3 cup of the drained liquid and set aside. If you do not have enough liquid, add water to make the 1/3 cup.

  2. In a heavy saucepan, bring the 6 ounces orange juice concentrate, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup drained mandarin orange liquid, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, grated orange rind, and 2 tablespoons corn syrup to a boil.

  3. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer about 5 minutes.

  4. Remove sauce from heat and let cool to lukewarm.

  5. Once cooled, fold in drained mandarin oranges and refrigerate before use.

Serve this mandarin orange sauce cold or at room temperature over any number of sweet treats from ice cream and pound cake to pancakes and waffles.

Cook's Note: Mandarin oranges are available canned in a number of liquids from heavy syrup to juice. We recommend finding a canned product that does not contain any added sugars in the form of "heavy" or "light" syrup. But if you must use a syrup-based product, you may wish to decrease the granulated white sugar in this recipe.

About Mandarin Oranges

Mandarin oranges are actually a category of loose-skinned orange that includes the clementine, dancy, satsuma, and tangerine. When most home cooks think of mandarin oranges, they picture the jarred or canned small, peeled orange pieces that are most typically satsumas. Mandarin orange pieces can be purchased jarred or canned in a heavy syrup, light syrup, or juice. Though mandarins have become a favorite fruit snack and home cooking ingredient, they were historically also used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine).

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