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Crockpot Cranberry Sauce

Crockpot cranberry sauce made with fresh cranberries for a glossy, spoonable texture. Slow-cooked until the berries burst, then lightly mashed for a balanced sweet-tart finish with orange and cinnamon.
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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: 312
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 Pinch

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.
  2. Stir well to combine so the sugar looks evenly distributed.
  3. Cover and cook on HIGH 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring once halfway, until the berries burst and the sauce looks glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Uncover, mash lightly, and cook 15-20 minutes more if you want a thicker texture.
  2. Remove the cinnamon sticks, then cool and chill before serving or keep on WARM until ready.

Notes

For the smoothest spoonable texture, mash lightly while the sauce is still hot; it will thicken as it cools. Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 5 days. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 2 months, thaw in the fridge, and re-warm gently. For a lower-sugar option, replace sugar with an equal-measured no-sugar-added sweetener blend intended for cooking, and taste to adjust sweetness.