Loaded with health benefits and requiring only five ingredients, this slow cooker cranberry sauce is the perfect make-ahead side dish for your table.
We were never a big cranberry sauce family growing up and to be honest, after seeing images of the plum colored gel sliding out of a can and being sliced, I never felt deprived. As I became more interested in health and nutrition, I’ve learned that fresh cranberries are bursting in health benefits, so I wanted to create an easy, fresher, less-sweet version of the holiday staple. Enter my Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce.
Ingredients
- Cranberries: Slightly tart and slightly sweet, and packed with antioxidants and nutrients.
- Orange juice: Naturally sweet as well as packed with vitamin C, it helps to reduce the bitterness in cranberry sauce.
- Sugar: Just a touch of added sweetness to the sauce, I like it on the tarter side, so add a little more of you like it sweeter.
- Orange zest: Optional, but adds a lovely brightness to the sauce.
- Ginger: Slightly peppery and sweet, it rounds out the rest of the flavors in the sauce.
How to Make Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
To start this simple dish, put your rinsed cranberries into a slow cooker.
Next, zest your orange with a grater or microplane.
Then freshly grate your ginger into the slow cooker as well and sprinkle in your sugar.
Next pour in the water and orange juice, and stir it all together.
Cover with the lid, set heat to low, and walk away! It’ll be ready in 3 hours.
Once the 3 hours is up, use either a potato masher or large wooden spoon to mash the cranberry sauce to your desired consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions:
It’s popular to eat with Thanksgiving dinner on turkey. You could also smear some on the bread of a turkey sandwich. I love to use the leftovers as a stir-in to Greek yogurt, oatmeal, and smoothies.
If you were making it on the stove top, definitely. That’s an added benefit of using a slow cooker, as the temp doesn’t get too hot, you won’t burn or overcook the cranberries.
Kept in an airtight container, it’ll keep in the fridge for 4 days or freezer for 3 months.
More Holiday Recipes
- Easy Sugar Cookies
- Shabbat Challah Bread
- Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze
- Creamy Horseradish Sauce with Potato Latkes
Like it, Eat It, Share It!
Did you try this cranberry sauce recipe? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials. Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire it!
I am completely blown away at how easy and flavorful cranberry sauce is when made from scratch. Skill level required? Zero. Simply add a few ingredients into a crock pot and walk away. Come back later and enjoy with all your holiday festivities. Looking for more cranberry recipes? Check out my 20 Fresh Cranberry Recipes if you haven’t already!
Your spoon is waiting.
Have you tried my
Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce?
Leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how you liked it in the 📝 comments and share it on Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest.
We love hearing from you! This helps us continue to provide free, high-quality recipes.
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on Low heat for 3 hours.
- Using a wooden spoon, gently mash the cranberries until desired consistency is reached.
Liz’s Notes
Nutrition
Check out my Pinterest board for more healthy side dish recipes!
Leave a Reply