This simple slow cooker cranberry sauce is made with just 5 ingredients. Make it in the slow cooker and save the stove-top space for all the other Thanksgiving sides.

The holidays are all about bringing people together with great food and there’s no better holiday to celebrate that than Thanksgiving.

Or recently, the more popular trend of Friendsgiving!

While Thanksgiving can be more traditional and structured, Friendsgiving is an opportunity to change things up and include everyone’s unique tastes.

That said, some traditions are worth keeping, like an easy cranberry sauce recipe that can be made with just 5 ingredients and in the slow cooker!

There’s not many people I know that don’t love cranberry sauce.

The type (canned, with whole berries/without, etc.) may garner some strong opinions but whether it’s with a bite of turkey, a spoonful of stuffing (chestnut stuffing is my favorite) or just by itself, pretty much everyone likes cranberry sauce!

If you’re participating in a Friendsgiving this year, let your friends be the ones to bring the unique spins on traditional Thanksgiving fare, you can be the hero with this simple slow cooker cranberry sauce everyone will love.

5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
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Cranberry sauce is one of those things that come this time of year, I make a small batch every week and put it on all.the.things.

Sometimes it’s this slow cooker version other times, my bourbon cranberry sauce because, well, bourbon.

I just love the stuff.

I also sit here asking myself why I limit it to a seasonal thing?

There’s no rule out there that says cranberries are only edible in November/December so why I don’t make it year round is beyond me.

Truth is, cranberry sauce (and cranberry jam) improves pretty much everything it touches…chicken/turkey dinners, sandwiches, wraps, even Greek yogurt.

Instead of the usual small weekly batches, I decided to make it in the slow cooker this time around.

A simple 5 ingredient slow cooker cranberry sauce recipe that everyone needs in their fall arsenal.

Not only is it great for Thanksgiving (and one less thing that takes up precious stove top space), it’s really just a great sauce to have on hand for everything!

Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

To go along with this 5 ingredient slow cooker cranberry sauce, I’m back with my blogging friends bringing you 6 healthy holiday sides this month.

Whether they hit your Thanksgiving, Christmas or just weeknight winter dinner table, you’re not going to want to miss any of these!

6 Healthy Holiday Sides

The Healthy Maven: Cauliflower Rice Stuffing

This healthy, low-carb cauliflower rice stuffing will convince your Thanksgiving guests to jump on board the cauliflower rice train, while secretly getting them to eat more veggies! Plus it’s ready in under 20 minutes.

Cauliflower rice stuffing

Lexi’s Clean Kitchen: Harvest Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing

This salad has all the ingredients you’ll want in a fall dish! Packed with chopped kale, roasted squash, pomegranate seeds, toasted pecans and topped with a super easy & delicious maple balsamic for the absolute perfect Thanksgiving salad!

Harvest Salad

Fit Foodie Finds: Balsamic Sea Salt Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Make these delicious Balsamic Sea Salt Roasted Brussels Sprouts this holiday season for the most delicious vegan and paleo side that everyone will gobble up!

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Eating Bird Food: Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Almonds

Add some green to your holiday table with this flavorful recipe for tender crisp green beans tossed with caramelized shallots, toasted almonds and fresh parsley.

Green beans with shallots

Food Faith Fitness: Vegan Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

These easy scalloped sweet potatoes are SO creamy and flavorful, you’ll have a hard time believing they’re secretly healthy and paleo and vegan friendly!

Scalloped sweet potatoes

Don’t forget the easy slow cooker cranberry sauce!

5 Ingredient Paleo Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Still looking for more holiday recipe inspiration?

Here are 100 healthy Thanksgiving recipes to help you in the process!

100 Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
4.88 from 8 votes

5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Servings: 10 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 10 minutes
This simple cranberry sauce is made with just 5 ingredients. Make it in the slow cooker and save the stove-top space for all the other Thanksgiving sides.

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • zest of 1 orange
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 3/4 cup fresh orange juice/lemon juice, I used a combination but mostly orange
  • 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup, depending on your preference for a sweet or tart cranberry sauce
  • 1 cinnamon stick, *optional

Instructions 

  • Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and toss to combine.
  • Cook on low for 3-4 hours, stir with a wooden spoon or spatula at the end to break up/mash the cranberries.
  • Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 68kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 1gSodium: 17mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Sauces, Dressings & Spreads
Cuisine: American
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Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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Recipe Rating




28 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Just what I was looking for. Looks delicious. And it’s super easy to make. I’m saving this recipe for Thnaksgiving.

  2. 5 stars
    This is such a great recipe. I love that you can set it and forget it, and it’s so flavorful after simmering for hours.