Loaded with health benefits and requires 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 creepy 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 cranberries are bursting in health benefits so I wanted to create an easy, fresher, less-sweet version of the holiday staple.
Health Benefits of Cranberries:
- Phytonutrients: Whole cranberries are an excellent source of flavonoids and other phytonutrients which are more powerful in their whole form (vs juice.)
- Anti-Inflammatory: Love the gorgeous color? You can thank anthocyanins, a powerful phytonutrient found in cranberries which, along with others, help reduce the risk of unwanted inflammation.
- Digestive Track Benefits: Cranberries have been shown to help ward off everything from stomach ulcers to colon cancer to periodontal disease.
The verdict: 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.
Make extra to stir into oatmeal, sweeten Greek yogurt, blend into smoothies and more.
Your family is waiting.
Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz bag fresh cranberries rinsed
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
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.
Recipe Notes:
Check out my Pinterest board for more healthy side dish recipes!
Martha Nystrom
November 2, 2018 at 3:18 pmToday was my first time ever making cranberry sauce and I am hooked! Delicious and simple recipe that I will make again and again. Thanks!
Liz DellaCroce
November 2, 2018 at 3:31 pmI’m so glad you enjoy it!!!!
cathy
November 24, 2014 at 11:13 amhow do you store it? how long will it keep? Canning? fridge? freezer?
Lea
November 23, 2014 at 7:01 pmThis sounds and looks so good! Thank you!! I’m going to make this. I just found your blog and have been looking around and you have so many delicious recipes.
Liz DellaCroce
November 24, 2014 at 9:47 amOh I’m so glad you found me ! Let me know what recipes you try!! Happy Holidays!
Kinnari
November 23, 2014 at 2:53 pmSo I made this last night for our Friends-giving, and I wasn’t a fan of the orange. I think its a little too orangey for me. Can i leave the orange out next time and put in something else instead?
Liz DellaCroce
November 24, 2014 at 9:46 amI’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this, Kinnari! You can just leave the orange out. :)
Tina
August 10, 2014 at 9:12 pmWhat a great idea! I love cranberry sauce on chicken sandwiches in the summertime! It’s a wonderfully cool condiment! Thank you!
Liz DellaCroce
August 11, 2014 at 11:33 amIt really is!! Enjoy Tina!
Jennifer
November 27, 2013 at 10:03 pmDo you serve this warm, or should I chill it after the 3 hours in crockpot?
Liz DellaCroce
November 27, 2013 at 10:26 pmYou certainly could serve it warm but I prefer it chilled. :-) Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!
Levin
November 19, 2012 at 10:36 pmYeah, Yeah, Yeah!
Finally found an easy cranberry sauce for this Thanksgiving (for an idiot like me)!
To tell the truth, I hardly cook anything. And this Thanksgiving I’m willing to do something to surprise everyone. This sauce seems easy enough for me.
The Lemon Bowl
November 20, 2012 at 7:18 amIt’s so easy and so tasty!!! Let me know how it turns out!!
Kimberly (Badger Girl)
November 16, 2012 at 6:31 pmHappy Cranberrylove! Wow, I LOVE this recipe. And I especially love that you did not add a ton of sugar. Thanks for much for sharing with the bloghop. :)
The Lemon Bowl
November 19, 2012 at 4:16 pmMy pleasure – so glad you appreciate the lack of sugar! :)
Mary @ Fit and Fed
November 11, 2012 at 11:39 amMy family always made our own cranberry sauce and I loved it. I was rather grossed out when as a young adult I discovered that you could get it in a can and serve it with ridges from the can still on it (shudder). I’ve experimented with changing up the basic cranberries-and-sugar recipe but haven’t found a variation that I love, and my younger set complained about my lessening the sugar in the recipe. I’m allergic to oranges so this particular variation doesn’t work for me. I tried using cider in it last year– I might or might not keep experimenting with it this year.
The Lemon Bowl
November 11, 2012 at 3:18 pmLet me know what you come up with Mary – I’m always looking for new ideas!
Shanni
November 25, 2014 at 10:12 pmI just made this with apple cider instead of orange juice. My mom cannot eat orange.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
November 11, 2012 at 12:20 amCranberry sauce made in a slow cooker? How did I not know this?!
The Lemon Bowl
November 11, 2012 at 8:03 amThat’s the same thing I said to myself when I thought of it – haha!!! :-) Glad I’m not the only one late to the party. ;-)
katie
November 10, 2012 at 5:06 pmI’ve never thought to make it in a crock pot! This looks fab. I grew up eating that canned gelatin stuff until I got older and realized I could make my own and it wouldn’t resemble gelatin! lol.
The Lemon Bowl
November 10, 2012 at 8:08 pmI’m realizing more and more I’m not the only one who discovered the wonders of real cranberry sauce as an adult – haha. So funny!! Better late than never I guess. :-)
EA-The Spicy RD
November 10, 2012 at 3:06 pmYummy sauce, and I love that you made it in your slow cooker! I was never a fan of cranberry sauce growing up either, but definitely a fan now! Sending #cranberrylove your way!!
The Lemon Bowl
November 10, 2012 at 3:12 pmIt’s so funny – poor cranberry sauce gets such a bad rap!! :-) Cheers to #cranberrylove!
m gurney
November 10, 2012 at 7:35 amI agree, I never went back after making cranberry sauce from scratch….there is no comparison. Also the color is so different.
The Lemon Bowl
November 10, 2012 at 8:04 amIt truly is amazing – the color is stunning!!
Ashley - Baker by Nature
November 9, 2012 at 10:11 amI only became a fan of the cranberry sauce a few years ago, but now it’s LOVE! I’ve never made homemade cranberry sauce before – must try it!
The Lemon Bowl
November 9, 2012 at 10:14 amSame here!!! It’s amazing how much tastier it is homemade! And this recipe couldn’t be easier. ;)
addie | culicurious
November 9, 2012 at 8:01 amThis looks delicious, Liz! I wouldn’t have thought to add it to oatmeal but it makes so much sense. Great fall ideas!
The Lemon Bowl
November 9, 2012 at 8:10 amThank you so much Addie! I’m always looking for ways to naturally sweeten foods so it just came to me. :-)