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Bright Slow Cooker Cranberry Orange Sauce with Ginger

slow cooker cranberry orange sauce with ginger - featured image
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A bright, gingery cranberry sauce made in the slow cooker with fresh orange and ginger. Perfect for holidays, this set-it-and-forget-it recipe delivers a balanced, not-too-sweet sauce that pairs beautifully with turkey, pork, or cheese boards.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from about 1 large orange)
  • Zest of 1 large orange
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Rinse cranberries and pick out any stems or soft berries. If using frozen, no need to thaw. Zest the orange before juicing, and peel and grate the ginger.
  2. Add cranberries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest, grated ginger, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to the slow cooker. Stir until evenly mixed.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. After about 2 hours, stir once. The sauce is done when cranberries have broken down and mixture has thickened slightly.
  4. For a chunkier sauce, cook about 4 hours; for smoother, cook full 5 hours and mash gently with a potato masher or spoon.
  5. Let cool in the slow cooker for 15–20 minutes, then taste. Adjust sweetness with extra sugar or maple syrup if too tart, or add lemon juice if too sweet.
  6. Spoon into glass jars or airtight containers and cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Notes

Don’t skip the pinch of salt—it brightens all the flavors. For a spiced version, add a cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves. For a maple bourbon version, swap granulated sugar for 1/2 cup maple syrup and add 2 tablespoons bourbon. Sauce can be made ahead; flavors deepen after a day or two in the fridge. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry sauce, slow cooker cranberry sauce, cranberry orange sauce, ginger cranberry sauce, Thanksgiving cranberry sauce, holiday cranberry sauce, homemade cranberry sauce

Find it online: https://dinadishes.com/bright-slow-cooker-cranberry-orange-sauce-with-ginger/