Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Nov 08, 2023Updated May 27, 2025

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You won’t believe how hands off this easy slow cooker cranberry sauce recipe is! Set the slow cooker and walk away. Made with fresh cranberries, orange marmalade and brown sugar. We make this the night before a special holiday.

Homemade cranberry sauce is a must along with slow cooker turkey breast and Crockpot ham. You can make the entire holiday dinner in slow cookers if you have a few.

close up of bright burgundy colored cranberry sauce in a slow cooker.

If you grew up eating cranberry sauce from the can, you have no idea how delicious homemade cranberry sauce is. Using the slow cooker, this is a simple recipe that will take your holiday dinner to a whole new level. Once you make this recipe, you will never buy the canned stuff again! The whole berry cranberry sauce goes great over crockpot turkey and gravy.

Key Ingredients

Here are the fresh ingredients you will need. Find the full recipe in the card below the images.

ingredients for cranberry sauce on table

Fresh cranberries– Find the cranberries in the produce section; they usually show up in stores in late October. You can use frozen cranberries with the same cooking time, for they quickly thaw. We also use fresh cranberries in my Christmas Jam Recipe and Cranberry Apple Butter.

Orange marmalade– Orange is the perfect complement to cranberry sauce, and the orange marmalade adds sweetness and flavor. The flecks of orange peel in the marmalade are what make this pop. Orange juice or apple juice is not a good alternative for it will make the sauce too runny.

Brown sugar– This gives a richness to the sweetness of cranberry sauce; use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. You can use white sugar in a pinch if you are out of brown sugar.

How to Make Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

This recipe is a hands off recipe thanks to the slow cooker. Here is how you do it:

2 images of cranberries and orange marmalade in slow cooker

Step One – Add the fresh cranberries to the crockpot and pour over the orange marmalade.

Step Two – Stir until the cranberries are coated with the marmalade. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

brown sugar and cooked cranberries in slow cooker, 2 image collage

Step Three – After the cooking time is up, add the brown sugar.

Step Four – Stir and pop any un-popped cranberries with the back of a spoon. Stir until a thick and beautiful sauce forms.

close up of cranberry sauce in the slow cooker with wooden spoon in it.

How to use Cranberry Sauce:

Use on classic recipes such as crockpot spiral ham, or slow cooker whole chicken. You can also use this as a topping for my Thanksgiving Casserole or Crockpot Pumpkin Pie. Don’t forget the crockpot green bean casserole to round out the meal.

You can use the cranberry sauce in recipes such as Cranberry Chicken, Cranberry Meatballs, or our favorite Cranberry Pork Loin.

Other options are to use on a cold turkey sandwich, or top your toast or pancakes with it! Try my bourbon cranberry sauce for a fun twist on this recipe!

2 jars of cranberry sauce stack on eachother.

Cook’s Notes

If the cranberry sauce isn’t thick enough for some reason, you can take the lid off the slow cooker at the end of the cooking time and let some of the liquid evaporate. It won’t take much time at all.

Add a cinnamon stick and a pinch of cloves for a more Christmassy flavor.

Cooked cranberry sauce in a slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

5 from 18 votes

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 4

Total Time: 4 5

Servings:

By: Sarah Olson

This slow cooker cranberry sauce blends fresh cranberries and orange marmalade into a sweet-tart, make-ahead side that’s perfect for holiday meals.

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How to Video

Equipment

Slow Cooker – 4 quart or larger (I own and use this one from Crock-Pot)

Ingredients

▢ 24 oz. fresh cranberries, (two 12 oz. bags)
▢ 13 oz. orange marmalade, (I use Bonne Maman)
▢ 1/2 cup brown sugar , (add at the end of the cooking time)

Instructions

NOTE – This is best served cold, make the day before or early in the day and refrigerate for a few hours.
Add the cranberries and orange marmalade to the slow cooker, stir to combine.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. After the cooking time is up, stir and pop any un-popped cranberries with the back of a spoon. Add the sugar and stir.

Stove-top instructions

Add the ingredients to a pot. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring often for 15 minutes.
Once the cranberries start to cook and pop, turn down the heat to low and continue cooking for about 10 minutes until a thick sauce forms.

Sarah’s Notes

Tip: I often use the cleaned out jam jar to store the left over cranberry sauce.

You can make the cranberry sauce a few days in advance, in fact it’s better to make the day ahead. Even if you are making it the day you want to use it, it is best to let it sit for a few hours to get the right texture and consistency that you are looking for.

Once the cranberry sauce has cooled, place it in an airtight container. It will last in the fridge for about a week. If you still have some after a week you will want to freeze it.

Nutrition

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

Other great holiday slow cooker recipes:

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast pairs perfectly with cozy sides like Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Slow Cooker Butternut Squash for a complete fall or holiday meal.

Add a touch of sweetness with Slow Cooker Candied Pecans, or serve a comforting bowl of Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup alongside your favorite main.

If you’re cooking for a crowd, Slow Cooker Apple and Clove Ham makes a flavorful centerpiece that’s both easy and festive.