The operative word here, or in this case number, is 1. The recipe for 1 Easy Cranberry Sauce calls for 1 bag (12 oz.) of fresh cranberries, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of orange juice. That’s all it takes to make a delicious homemade cranberry sauce with the perfect balance of sweet and tart to complement your Thanksgiving turkey. If there was a contest for the simplest recipe ever this one would surely be in the running. Just put 3 ingredients into a slow cooker, turn it on high, and cook for 4 hours.
If you use a slow cooker liner, which I highly recommend, there is virtually no cleanup – the only thing you’ll need to wash is a measuring cup. Slow cooker liners are over-sized heat safe plastic bags that you use to line the slow cooker insert. All your ingredients cook inside of the liner, eliminating the sometimes messy cleanup required to scrub the ceramic insert clean. You can buy slow cooker liners in the grocery store. They’re usually in the same aisle as the aluminum foil and plastic storage bags.
You can make this cranberry sauce on the stove top as well (instructions are on the printable recipe below) but using a slow cooker allows you to “set it and forget it” and you won’t have to worry about washing out the saucepan or cranberry sauce splattering on your stove top.
This cranberry sauce is great to make ahead of time (it freezes well) but it’s simple enough to make on Thanksgiving morning too. If you opt for Thanksgiving morning just be sure you allow enough time for the sauce to cool – it needs to at least come to room temperature to thicken to the right saucy consistency.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
- 1 - 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup orange juice
- Slow Cooker method: Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving or transferring to a storage container. Keep any unused sauce refrigerated. Tip: Use a crock pot liner for easy clean up.
- Stove top method: Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir well and then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving or transferring to a storage container. Keep any unused sauce refrigerated.
LIKE THIS RECIPE? PIN IT FOR LATER!
I love that you can make this in a slow cooker! <3!
I know! So, so easy.
Could this be doubled & still fit in a 6 quart crockpot?
Yes, that should work fine. That’s a lot of sauce. You must be having a crowd! Happy Thanksgiving!
Can I use Truvia instead of sugar or a combination of real sugar and Truvia?
I know Truvia cannot be used for baking (unless you use the baking blend) but I think it would work fine in this recipe, however, I would not do a 1 to 1 replacement since Truvia is sweeter than sugar. Try making it with 1/4 Truvia cup and you can always add more after it’s done if it’s not sweet enough. I haven’t tried the recipe with Truvia so can’t make any guarantees but I think it would work fine. I have another cranberry sauce recipe – a Low Sugar Gingerbread Cranberry Sauce that uses Splenda – https://www.queenofmykitchen.com/low-sugar-gingerbread-cranberry-sauce/. I know that recipe works. Hope that helps. Happy Thanksgiving!
Should this be served at room temperature or can it be served cold? I’d like to make it the day before.
Either way – your preference. I always make it a day or two before, if fact, I’m making mine right now!
If you make it before and refrigerate it, do you let it come to room temp before serving? Also, I’m going to make 1/2 batch of your recipe. How long would it cook in crockpot? I will use a small/dip-size crockpot.
I store mine in the fridge and usually let it come to room temp before serving. If you’re halving the recipe, try about half the time – 2 to 2 1/2 hours. When it’s done it will be very hot and bubbly. As it cools it will thicken. Hope that helps. Happy Thanksgiving!
Can you substitute the white sugar for Brown sugar? If so, would it be the same measurements?
I think that would work fine. Yes use the same amount.
After this cools can it be canned? Have you tried that? I don’t know much about canning, but my grandpa loves this cranberry sauce, he lives a few states away and I want to can him some and mail it to him.
Hi Jane – It should be fine to can. I’d check a site like freshpreserving.com or a similar site, and follow their techniques.
How long will it keep?
Refrigerated for 1 week. If you freeze it, 3 months.