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.
This cranberry butter has so many uses!A small Thanksgiving: Cranberry Butter
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 93Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 19gProtein: 0g
Amy Van Dorpe says
This looks wonderful, thank you!
Nancy Diehl says
This looks absolutely fabulous. I was confused at first with the word butter in the title, but this is sauce. This will definitely be on one of my holiday menus!
Arthur in the Garden! says
Yummy!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
I love that you made this cranberry butter in the slow cooker!!! and that last photo of the bite is perfection! Goat Brie, amazing!
Kim Davis says
I don't care for the maple flavor could I use honey or karo syrup?
Christina Lane says
Yes :)
Kit says
It's almost too easy for Thanksgiving! Do we have to 'out' ourselves? Looks luscious and I like what you're saying, that it is on the tangy side, since you no doubt have something sweet for us to end the meal with. Thank-you for simplifying!
Megan says
How long will the cranberry butter last in the fridge?
Christina Lane says
Two weeks covered :)
Nicole says
Does this come out runny or kind of more set up like a jam?
Christina Lane says
It's a thick spread, kinda half-way between jam and spread. Hah, sorry, I'm not sure if that helps! You can kinda tell the consistency from the photos with the crackers. I hope you like it :)
Debbie Shearer says
Can you freeze this to use later?
Christina Lane says
I've never tried to freeze cranberries, I'm sorry! You can make it a week in advance though?
Amy Jo McCord says
Definitely can freeze. I freeze cranberry products all the time. Comes out great. Got some cranberry chutney in the freezer right now...think I'll get it out and eat it. This recipe made me hungry for something cranberry in the middle of August!
Nicole - Coking for Keeps says
Cranberry butter > cranberry sauce from a can. I love the light pink hue of this and want to slather my brie and crackers with it...
Terri says
Can this be hot water bath canned?
Julie says
I would love to water bath this recipe too. Can it be done? If so how long for 1/2 pints and pints?
Shawnna says
ooh this looks yummy!
Anetta @ The Wanderlust Kitchen says
Loving this! I'm always in charge of the cranberry sauce and I've been making a cranberry-blueberry thing for years. Excited to try something new this year - definitely going to whip up a batch (or two!) of this cranberry butter!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
That's so funny: this is how I make cranberry sauce! I couldn't figure out what cranberry butter is, but it must just be a regional dialect thing. Anyway, looks delish!
Holly says
Cranberry butter....ya know, like apple butter, but with cranberries. I make the "butter" with lots of different fruits. Pumpkin and peach are probably my favs!