Crockpot cranberry sauce, small batch style! Make cranberry sauce right in your crockpot and save time and dishes! This one is loaded with cinnamon and orange juice--so good for Thanksgiving dinner for two, or also on a cheese board.
Welcome to the second-only recipe using a slow cooker on this site! You didn't miss my first one, Creme Brûlée in the Slow Cooker, did you? Because that would be sad.
So, I love this crockpot cranberry sauce for a few reasons. One: using the slow cooker is hands-off Turkey Day. Two: it's so dang easy, your drunk uncle could make it. Three: it has many uses!
I want to see this cranberry butter snuggling up next to your sliced turkey. I also want to see a pretty little pot of it on your Thanksgiving day appetizer cheese board. Make it once, use it twice!
I actually made a double batch of this crockpot cranberry sauce with two bags of cranberries because my neighbor dropped off some plum jelly and I wanted to give her a little mason jar full of love as a thank you.
Sometimes, the Dessert for Two world is lonely because my desserts don't make a ton of leftovers to share with everyone. Every now and then, I make a giant batch dessert recipe, and share with everyone. But most of the time, my mini desserts get eaten right out of the oven by me and mine.
All that to say: while sometimes I wish I had leftover dessert to share, I also don't want to be the reason anyone has to go to the gym.
I'm going to cut that short right there and catch myself before I start to ramble about how much I hate to exercise. We do not talk of such things like 'exercise' as Turkey Day approaches. We actually don't speak of things called 'calories' until well after the New Year. Well, well after.
Step-by-step:
Wash the cranberries and pour them in the slow cooker.
Next, get all fancy and peel all the zest off an orange, and add it to the slow cooker. Peel the orange and add it to the slow cooker, too. No need to chop it; it will break down while it cooks. Toss in a cinnamon stick, too.
Next, add 1 cup of water and 1 ½ cups of maple syrup. The flavor combo of maple, orange, cinnamon and cranberry is mind-blowing.
Stir, and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
When it's done, it will look like this:
Now grab that immersion blender thingie you had in the bottom drawer. (If you don't have one, transfer the contents to a blender.
Wait! Be sure to remove the orange peel and cinnamon stick first. Phew! That was close.
Now we puree it!
Then, drizzle it over sliced turkey, and scoop it up for your cheese tray.
Cranberry butter is a bit tangy, so it goes great with super rich triple-cream cheeses, like Brie and Taleggio. I'm eating it here with Goat Brie, also known as my new love in life. (Find it at Trader Joe's. Wait, don't. Or at least leave some for me!)
We have just a few more savory recipes for our small Thanksgiving, and then it's onto dessert, baby. Sorry I called you baby.
A small Thanksgiving: Cranberry Butter
This cranberry butter has so many uses!
Ingredients
- 2 12-oz. bags of fresh cranberries
- 1 large navel orange (seedless)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 ½ cup grade B maple syrup
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- First, rinse the cranberries and add them to the slow cooker.
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel off all of the zest from the orange. Be careful not get the white pith. Add it to the slow cooker.
- Peel the orange and add it to the slow cooker.
- Add the cinnamon stick, maple syrup, and water.
- Cook on LOW 4-6 hours.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel.
- Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), puree the contents of the slow cooker.
- Serve with sliced turkey or on a cheese tray.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 93Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 19gProtein: 0g
Brianna says
This looks so heavenly. Can we use this in your Cranberry bar recipe? I've been making that every year with our leftover cranberry sauce and it's always a big hit with everyone!
Katy says
I only have 1 bag of cranberries. Could I just half the ingredients and make a smaller batch?
Christina Lane says
Yes :) I think we chatted on Instagram about this, didn't we? I recognize your name!
Maureen says
Can this be put in a hot bath to preserve or is freezing better?
Angela Dougherty says
I want to make enough for teacher gifts. What size jars did you use in the photo for this post...they look perfect for gift giving!
Cecelia says
Serving size 1 what? Tsp Tbsp 1/4 cup???
D’Ette Myers says
What if you can’t find Grade B maple syrup? What can I use?
Christina Lane says
Grade A
Jay says
This looks wonderful - really love the addition of the maple syrup. Can this be canned in a water bath?
Christina Lane says
I haven't tried to can it, I'm sorry.
Alicia says
How long will this stay good in my fridge? I make this every year but this year my guest won’t make it due to the snow storm.