This bright and citrusy homemade crockpot cranberry sauce recipe is so fabulous. You'll love the chunks of berries with apples and raisins. It has a perfectly balanced sweet and tart flavors from the sugar and zest of fresh orange and lemon - a classic holiday side dish - with a twist.
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The Best Crockpot Cranberries!
Fresh and Delicious! Fresh cranberries are the star of the show in this delicious cranberry sauce. Fresh squeezed lemon orange juice and zest are added along with fresh diced apples for the perfect balance of flavors for the best cranberries!
Super Easy. Making your own homemade cranberry sauce in slow cooker is so easy! Six ingredients are all placed in the slow cooker, set on high, and stirred every hour until they are done---can't beat it.
Holiday Side Dish. Crockpot cranberry sauce is THE perfect side dish for your upcoming holidays with family. It pairs perfectly with all of your other holiday favorites, such as turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and all the others!
Crock Pot Cranberry Sauce Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make slow cooker cranberry sauce:
- Fresh Cranberries: you can usually find fresh cranberries in the grocery store in the fall around Thanksgiving. You can also use frozen fresh cranberries if you can't find fresh ones.
- Water: you can use water or red Zinfandel wine if you want to add extra depth and flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: substitute with a sugar substitute if desired.
- Lemon: I used a medium-sized lemon in this recipe; add more if making a larger batch of cranberries.
- Orange: I used a large orange in this recipe; add more if desired.
- Granny Smith Apple: use a sweet, tart apple variety in this recipe for the best result. Other varieties you can use would be Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, or any of your favorites.
- Raisins: add a wonderful sweetness to the sauce.
- Optional: chopped walnuts; you can use other nut varieties such as pecans, pistachios, or hazelnuts.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Substitutions and Variations
- Walnuts are optional, and you can swap them with other nuts such as pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, or any others!
- Add a splash of bourbon if you want to add an extra depth of flavor.
- Substitute water with red wine such as Zinfandel, Cabernet, or Merlot.
- Substitute ¼ cup of sugar with maple syrup.
- Adjust the sweetness of your sauce by adding extra sugar or by reducing the amount of sugar. The less sugar you add, the more bitter the end result.
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How To Make Cranberry Sauce in Slow Cooker
1. Add cranberries, sugar, and water to the crock pot.
2. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours, stirring frequently.
3. Remove the lid and add in the remaining ingredients (except walnuts). Stir. Continue cooking for another hour with the lid off.
4. Stir in the nuts if using. Let the sauce cool, then refrigerate.
How to Serve Crockpot Cranberry Sauce
- Garnish with citrus zest, walnuts, pecans, or pistachios; you can also serve with fresh mint leaves for a nice pop of color.
- Crockpot cranberries pair well with turkey, pork, and chicken.
- Holiday Crockpot Meal idea! Check out my other holiday recipes that would taste wonderful with these crockpot cranberries. Crockpot stuffing with sausage, mashed potatoes with gravy, turkey, candied sweet potatoes, easy crockpot spiral ham and coke, and these slow cooker green beans are a home run every time! The options are endless!
Cranberry Sauce in Crockpot Tips
- Be sure to stir your cranberries at least every hour while cooking to prevent burning.
- The cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Use a crockpot liner to prevent sticking to your crockpot. A liner makes for easy cleanup as well!
FAQ's
Once cooled, transfer your cranberries to an air-tight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, you can cook cranberry sauce too long. If you cook it too long, it will get very thick and clumpy, and the flavor may also taste burned. It is important to keep stirring your cranberries to prevent burning and only cook them until the apples and cranberries are soft.
When your cranberry sauce is bitter, you may need to add sugar, maple syrup, or another natural sweetener such as honey or agave syrup. Sugar counteracts the bitter flavor and will make your cranberry sauce taste much better and sweeter.
Some easy ways to jazz up cranberry sauce is by adding garnish or complimentary flavors for a change in flavor. In this recipe, we use walnuts as a garnish and add fresh lemon, orange juice, zest, and diced apples, to add some changes to a classic cranberry sauce. Add some red wine or bourbon for extra flavor and depth.
📖 The recipe.
Crock Pot Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
- ½ cup water (red zinfandel wine may be used in place of water)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 medium lemon (zested and juiced)
- 1 large orange (zested and juiced)
- 1 medium granny smith apple (peeled, cored, and diced)
- ½ cup raisins
- (optional) ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- In a 3-quart crockpot add cranberries, sugar, and water (or wine).
- Cover and cook on high for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring halfway through.
- Remove lid and add the apple, zest, juices, and raisins. Stir well. Continue to cook on high for 1 hour (uncovered) or until the apples are tender and some of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add in walnuts (if using) and let the sauce cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- TOP TIPS: Stir every hour to prevent burning. The cranberry sauce will thicken once the lid is removed and even further once it is cooled and refrigerated.
- VARIATIONS: Walnuts are optional; Add in a splash or two of bourbon; Red wine such as a zinfandel or merlot may be used in place of the water. Substitute ¼ cup of the granulated sugar with maple syrup. Adjust the tartness or sweetness to your taste.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Chill before serving. Pairs well with turkey, pork, and chicken.
Nutrition
© 2025 Slow Cooked Eats
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