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Crockpot Cranberry Sauce

Crockpot cranberry sauce made in a slow cooker for glossy, burst-berry texture with warm orange-cinnamon flavor. Simmered on HIGH until the cranberries pop, then lightly mashed and chilled for a thick spoonable side.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry sauce
  • 24 oz fresh cranberries
  • 1.5 cup sugar
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 1 salt

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook in the crockpot
  1. Add fresh cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, cinnamon sticks, orange zest, and salt to the crockpot. Stir well to combine, making sure the sugar is mostly dissolved and the berries are evenly coated.
  2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring once halfway. Cook until the berries burst and the mixture looks glossy and thickened around the edges.
  3. Uncover and mash lightly, then cook 15-20 minutes more if you want it thicker. Keep an eye on the consistency so it coats the back of a spoon.
  4. Remove cinnamon sticks and cool the sauce. Chill for serving or keep on WARM until ready to plate, stirring once if needed.

Notes

For the smoothest spoonable texture, mash with a potato masher just until the berries break apart rather than fully puree. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months if needed, then thaw overnight in the fridge and stir. For a lower-sugar option, substitute the sugar with a 1:1 granulated sweetener designed for baking and continue cooking by consistency rather than time.