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Picture the perfect Holiday plate: turkey, dressing, and a spoonful of something sweet and tart with a little orange zest sitting right next to them. This slow cooker cranberry sauce is that spoonful, and the best part is you don’t have to stand over it. The berries pop open and cook down on their own while you work on the rest of dinner. It’s foolproof, and you can make this crockpot cranberry sauce a few days ahead, so it’s already waiting when the plates come out.
My sister took over the Thanksgiving tradition years ago (thank you, sis), and we host Christmas at our home. But wherever we eat, turkey is on the table, and that definitely calls for cranberry sauce. This homemade version brings a bright freshness and a special touch to a holiday table that you don’t get with the canned version.
Picture Christmas dinner at our house: the turkey is carved, the dressing is on the table, and a bowl of deep red sauce flecked with orange zest is making its way around. That bowl is usually the slow-cooker version (I have an Instant Pot Sauce, too). I make it ahead and chill it, so it takes one more task off the big day, making it just as easy to grab as the canned version.
Convenience isn’t the only thing it has over the canned kind. My husband didn’t care for the canned version, but he loved this one. So if someone at your table skips cranberry sauce, this is the one to encourage them to try.
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Why Make Cranberry Sauce in the Slow Cooker
- It freezes. Make a batch now and freeze it in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, and it’s ready for the holiday.
- Frozen cranberries work. Can’t find fresh? Add frozen cranberries straight to the slow cooker, no thawing needed.
- No thickener needed. The natural pectin in the cranberries thickens the sauce, so there’s nothing extra to measure.
- Easy to make yours. Taste it for sweetness once the berries pop, and use honey or maple syrup in place of the sugar if you like.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh cranberries: Wash and sort them before they go in the slow cooker. Frozen cranberries work too. Add them straight from the freezer, no thawing.
- Orange juice: The juice of one large orange is all you need.
- Orange zest: Zest the same orange. Zest it before you juice it, since a whole orange is much easier to hold.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar balances the tart berries. You can use honey or maple syrup instead.
- Salt: A pinch, and it’s optional.
How To Make Crockpot Cranberry Sauce
✱ Below are step-by-step photos and instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.
Step 1 | Add Everything to the Slow Cooker
Put the cranberries, water, orange juice, sugar, orange zest, and salt (if using) in a 4-quart slow cooker.
Using frozen cranberries? Just add them frozen; no thawing needed. From here, the slow cooker does the work.
Step 2 | Cook on High
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, stirring every hour. You’ll know it’s ready when the berries have popped, and the liquid is bubbling hot. That hourly stir matters, because cranberries that cook too long can scorch.
Step 3 | Taste and Mash
Stir well and taste for sweetness. Mash the berries with a fork, or leave them whole, whichever you like.
Step 4 | Uncover and Thicken
Take the lid off and keep cooking for 15 minutes so the extra liquid can evaporate. If you want it thicker, you can go up to 45 minutes. Just remember it really thickens a little more as it cools.
Step 5 | Serve or Chill
Serve it right away, or refrigerate it within 2 hours. If this is for the big holiday, this is where it waits for dinner.
Variations & Substitutions
- Spiced cranberry sauce: Add a pinch of dried spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves, star anise or nutmeg, if you like.
- Other juices: Apple or pear juice both work in place of the orange juice, but keep in mind it will change the flavor.
- Honey or maple syrup: Use either one in place of the granulated sugar. Maple syrup keeps it vegan.
Gluten-Free Cranberry Sauce
This slow cooker cranberry sauce is naturally gluten-free as written. There’s no flour or other thickener in it, since the natural pectin in the cranberries does the thickening. The ingredients to check are the sugar, plus any spices, juices, honey or maple syrup you add from the variations, since packaged products are the only place gluten can sneak in.
If you or someone you’re serving has celiac disease, check every label carefully before you start, because formulations can change without notice.
Recipe Tips
- Judge the thickness after it cools: Right out of the slow cooker, the sauce will look looser than it ends up. It keeps thickening as it cools, so start with 15 minutes uncovered and only go longer if you want it thicker.
What to Serve With Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
This cranberry sauce pairs well with any of my turkey dishes, like my Easy Oven Roasted Turkey. Add Homemade Turkey Gravy and Crock Pot Cornbread Dressing, and the main plate is covered.
For the rest of the table, Homemade Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Potato Casserole are the classics. Southern Style Green Beans and Homemade Dinner Rolls round it out.
Set the cranberry sauce out with those for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, and let everyone help themselves.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Instructions
Make Ahead: Make it up to 3 days before serving and keep it in the refrigerator until dinner.
Storage: Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.
Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this sauce freezes for up to 2 months. Use a freezer-safe container or bag, and thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
Take the lid off and keep cooking for 15 minutes so the extra liquid can evaporate, or up to 45 minutes for a thicker sauce. The natural pectin in the cranberries does the rest as it cools.
It keeps for 7 to 10 days when you refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking.
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Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
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Ingredients
- 12 ounce fresh cranberries - washed and sorted
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup orange juice - (juice of one large orange)
- ½ cup granulated sugar - brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup may also be used
- 2 teaspoons orange zest - (zest of same orange)
- pinch of salt - optional
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla - (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon - (or to taste)
Instructions
- Place the cranberries, water, orange juice, sugar, orange zest, a pinch of salt, and any add-ins in a 4-quart slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, stirring every hour. Cook until the cranberries begin to pop open and the liquid is bubbling hot. Stir well and taste for sweetness. Mash the berries with a fork to your desired consistency, or leave whole.
- Uncover and let the sauce thicken for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking or until serving.
Notes
- Heat varies in slow cookers; if yours cooks extra high, adjust cook times accordingly.
- Extra Thickening: If you would like to thicken the sauce more, you can increase the time you let it cook uncovered for up to 45 minutes. Just keep an eye on it. If cooling the sauce to serve, remember it will naturally thicken as it cools.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.
- Spiced Cranberry Sauce: Add a pinch of dried spices like cinnamon (or a cinnamon stick while cooking), allspice, cloves, star anise, or nutmeg, if you like.
- Other juices: You could use other juices such as apple or pear, but keep in mind it will change the flavor.
- Vanilla: Add ¼ teaspoon of vanilla for a hint.
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Nutrition
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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Let us know how it was!
I have made this for years, I throw in a stick of cinnamon and an extra 1/2 cup of brown sugar. It is a wonderful glaze and dipping sauce for ham, syrup for french toast or pancakes and of course it’s perfect with turkey and dressing!
Cinamon would be a great addition and brown sugar YUM!
I always make my own, way better than canned! Never thought of crockpot ty.
It is so good homemade! The crock pot version is so easy and the house spells amazing!
I followed the directions and mine came out brownish and disgusting. Glad I got a can I can bring to holidays.
I am so sorry this happened Samantha. I have made this a few times and never had that happen to me. Perhaps your slow cooker cooks hotter than mine does. If you try again keep an eye on it. Once the cranberries begin to pop it is ready.