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Crockpot Cranberry Sauce

Crockpot cranberry sauce made with fresh cranberries, slow-simmered until glossy and jammy. Cook on HIGH until the berries burst, then lightly mash for a spreadable texture with bright orange and cinnamon flavor.
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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: 298
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry sauce
  • 24 oz fresh cranberries Use fresh for the best burst and texture.
  • 1.5 cup sugar
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 1 pinch salt

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the cranberry mixture
  1. Add fresh cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, cinnamon sticks, orange zest, and salt to the crockpot and stir well to combine, making sure everything is evenly coated.
  2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring once halfway through until the berries burst and the sauce looks glossy.
Mash, thicken, and finish
  1. Uncover and mash lightly with the back of a spoon to keep some berry pieces while thickening the sauce.
  2. If you want it thicker, cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes more, watching for a thicker, spoon-coating consistency.
  3. Remove the cinnamon sticks and either cool then chill or keep on WARM for serving.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the crockpot covered during the first cook so the berries steam evenly—stirring halfway helps prevent hot spots. Store in the fridge up to 5 days; freezing isn’t recommended because the texture can loosen after thawing. For a lower-sugar option, substitute sugar with a 1:1 ratio baking sweetener and simmer the same way until glossy.