The Best Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Make this easy homemade cranberry sauce in the slow cooker with fresh cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon, and a blend of white and brown sugar. It simmers until tender, then thickens into a festive, sweet-tart sauce for your holiday table.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Cranberry Sauce
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Thickener
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
For the Slow Cooker
- Nonstick cooking spray, as needed, or a slow-cooker liner
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker.
Lightly coat the slow-cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray or fit it with a slow-cooker liner.
- Combine the sauce ingredients.
Add the cranberries, ½ cup water, granulated sugar, brown sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cook the cranberries.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have softened and begun to burst.
- Mix the thickener.
In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Stir this mixture into the cranberry sauce.
- Thicken the sauce.
Replace the lid and cook on high for 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve.
Stir the sauce and serve warm or chilled alongside your holiday dinner.
Notes
- Stir the sauce occasionally during the initial cook to help it cook evenly.
- The sauce will thicken further as it cools.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
