Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
This Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce is full of old-fashioned flavor, but it’s done so easily in the slow cooker. Sweet and tart, it’s the best holiday side ever!
If you love cranberry sauce as much as we do, then you’re in for a treat. We put this cranberry sauce on everything during the holidays AND beyond. With a recipe this good, there’s no reason to wait for a certain date.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s sweet and tart like great cranberry sauce should be.
- It’s perfect with turkey, chicken, pork, or beef.
- It’s so easy to make in the slow cooker.
- Cranberry sauce is the classic holiday dinner side dish.
- It tastes so much better than the canned stuff.
🛒Ingredients
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This recipe only uses a handful of simple ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store. We’re listing the ones that really make this recipe pop, but you can find the complete ingredient list along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Fresh cranberries
- Orange zest
- Cinnamon
- Brown sugar and sugar
🔪 How to Make Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
Making this recipe couldn’t be easier. You basically just dump it all in and cook it. It’s the easiest thing you’ll ever make.
Step 1: Prep
Spray the inside of the slow cooker vessel with nonstick spray.
Step 2: Mix and Cook
Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Then, cook on low for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Thicken
When 6 hours are up, stir in the cornstarch and water. Then, cook on high for 30 minutes until thickened.
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Citrus: Vary the flavor of this sauce by using lemon zest or reducing the amount of sugar and adding a bit of pineapple juice.
- Nutmeg: Nutmeg makes a great addition to the sauce.
- Cinnamon Sticks: You can also add some cinnamon sticks to this easy recipe for more flavor. Just make sure that you use to remove them before you serve this delicious cranberry sauce.
If you like the looks of this, then check out our crock pot cranberry butter.
🥄 Equipment
You’ll need less than a handful of basic kitchen items to make this recipe.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon
- Slow Cooker
🥫 Storage
Store leftover cranberry sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 10 to 14 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freeze-safe container.
💭 Tips
There isn’t much to this recipe, so there aren’t a lot of tips here. We only have a couple, but they’re important.
- Always wash and sort your cranberries to ensure that only high-quality berries are used.
- Always spray your vessel with nonstick spray to prevent sticking or scorching.
- Make sure that you wash your orange carefully before you add it to the orange peel in this simple recipe.
- If you want to break up these cranberries, you can use a potato masher to break them up for a smoother sauce.
- I like to make this day before since my family prefers this classic cranberry sauce served cold.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this homemade cranberry sauce recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Cranberry sauce was first made in New England by cranberry growers, Marcus L. Urann and Elizabeth Lee. They used bruised berries to create a jellied sauce.
That’s a combination of history and availability. Cranberries were served at the first Thanksgiving. They also come into season just as Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up.
The sweet and tart combination works well with the savory flavor of beef, pork, and poultry.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy cranberries? Then try these delicious recipes:
📌 PIN IT!!
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Wooden spoon
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Spray the bowl of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the cranberries, water, sugar, brown sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
- When the cook time is up, stir in the cornstarch and water mixture. Place the lid back on the slow cooker and set to cook on high for 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
Notes
- Always wash and sort your cranberries to ensure that only high-quality berries are used.
- Always spray your vessel with nonstick spray to prevent sticking or scorching.
