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Crockpot Cranberry Sauce

Crockpot cranberry sauce with bright orange juice and cinnamon sticks for a glossy, spoonable texture. Cook low-and-slow until the berries burst, then mash lightly and chill for clean, sliceable scoops.
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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: 345
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crockpot cranberry sauce
  • 24 oz fresh cranberries
  • 1.5 cup sugar
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 2 count cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Cook the cranberry mixture
  1. Add cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, cinnamon sticks, orange zest, and salt to the slow cooker, ensuring the cinnamon sticks are submerged. Stir well to combine.
  2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring once halfway, until the berries burst and the mixture looks glossy and saucy.
  3. Uncover, mash lightly with a spoon or potato masher until partly broken up, then cook 15-20 minutes more if you want it thicker. Keep it uncovered to drive off extra liquid.
  4. Remove cinnamon sticks, then cool and chill until set or keep on WARM for serving. Serve with a ladle for thick, spoonable cranberry sauce.

Notes

Pro tip: For a thicker result, keep it uncovered during the final 15-20 minutes and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 5 days; freeze for up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and re-stir). For a less-sweet version, reduce sugar to 1 cup and expect a looser set.