Recipe: Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterCulinary Producer at The Kitchn
I'm a recipe developer, food writer, stylist, and video producer, with more than 10 years of professional experience. As an expert meal planner and avid home cook who loves grocery shopping and helping people figure out what to cook for dinner, I'm a natural fit as The Kitchn’s Dinner Therapist. Since graduating from The University of Scranton and The French Culinary Institute, I've authored three cookbooks: Buddha Bowls, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, and The Probiotic Kitchen. My kitchen superpower is turning a random assortment of ingredients into easy, delicious dinners that even my young son will eat.
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updated Jan 29, 2020
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This is a classic "dump it and forget it" recipe that will show you how to make the easiest batch of cranberry sauce to feed the whole crowd.

Serves8 to 10

Makes5 1/2 cups

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Classic cranberry sauce is a must for any Thanksgiving spread. Amid the turkey and sea of sides, it brings a sweet-tart bite that balances this savory feast. This subtly sweet slow cooker version is made to feed a crowd. It’s got just enough sugar to balance the puckering bite of the cranberries so they still serve as a bright spot on your holiday plate.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

A Base for Any Type of Cranberry Sauce

This recipe gives you the foundation for a basic, traditional cranberry sauce. For the liquid, I like using an even mix of water and fresh orange juice, although this ratio is flexible. Don’t have any oranges? Use all water. And if you prefer a sauce with a more forward hint of citrus, go ahead and use all juice. There are plenty of ways to make this sauce your own, from spices to a splash of liquor or flavored extract. Here are a few ideas for inspiration.

  • Spices: Add a cinnamon stick, cardamom pod, or a couple whole cloves to the slow cooker and cook with the cranberries. Remove before serving.
  • Vanilla: Add a vanilla bean to the slow cooker with the cranberries, and remove before serving. Or stir in a teaspoon of vanilla extract after cooking.
  • Liquor: Stir in 1 tablespoon of rum, brandy, or whiskey to the finished cranberry sauce.
  • Dried fruit: Add a handful of chopped dried figs, cherries, or chopped apricots with the cranberries.
  • Hot chiles: Finely chop a jalapeño and add at the end of cooking for a spicy, savory finish.
  • Ginger: Add a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger with the cranberries.
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Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

This is a classic "dump it and forget it" recipe that will show you how to make the easiest batch of cranberry sauce to feed the whole crowd.

Makes 5 1/2 cups

Serves 8 to 10

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds

    (40 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries

  • 1 cup

    granulated sugar

  • 1 cup

    freshly squeezed orange juice

  • 1 cup

    water

Instructions

  1. Place all of the ingredients in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker and stir together. Cover. For a looser cranberry sauce, cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours on the HIGH setting or 7 hours on the LOW setting. For thicker cranberry sauce, cook on the HIGH setting 4 to 5 hours or the LOW setting 8 to 9 hours. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

  2. Stir the sauce again. Serve warm or cool and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The cranberry sauce can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Storage: Cranberry sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Filed in:
condiments
Cooking Methods
Dairy-Free
dinner
easy
Freezer Friendly