Crock pot cranberry butter is an impossibly silky, tangy fruit butter that is made right in the slow cooker ~ you’ll want to slather this easy cranberry jam on toast, scones, biscuits, muffins, turkey sandwiches ~ and be sure to can some for holiday gifts!
crock pot cranberry butter has the most amazing crimson color and silky texture
While normally fruit butters are a time consuming project with a lot of stove side babysitting involved, in this recipe I’ve let the crock pot do all the work of cooking and reducing fresh cranberries down into a very potent thick spread. All you need to do is puree and strain. The result is truly unique.
This recipe makes 2 cups of cranberry butter
What it lacks in volume it more than makes up for in silky texture and powerful flavor. A little goes a long way, and a cup of this stuff would be a fine gift. Use it on biscuits, scones, or add it to a cheese plate. Use it as a glaze for grilled chicken or pork,or on sandwiches. You can make creative holiday cocktails with a dab of this, too.
ingredients for cranberry butter
- fresh cranberries
- brown sugar
- apple cider
- cinnamon sticks
As an added bonus you’ll get an all day holiday scent filling your kitchen. If you want to try other fruit butters, my Cranberry Apple Butter is a little less tart than this one. My Crock Pot Pumpkin Butter is a great choice too.
“I LOVE LOVE this cranberry butter. I have made it the last two holidays and gave it as gifts last year and am doing it again this year. It is gorgeous in jars and perfectly tart, sweet, and silky on toasted bread, in oatmeal, and on sandwiches!! THANK YOU for my favorite holiday tradition!!“
ViCkie
more cranberry recipes for cranberry season
- Cranberry Orange Cake
- Chocolate Cake with Cranberry Buttercream
- Cranberry Apple Crisp
- Maple Cranberry Butter in 15 minutes!
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
- Cranberry Cleanse Smoothie
- Cranberry Gingersnap Pie
Crockpot Cranberry Butter
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 24 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1 cup apple cider
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a crockpot and stir to combine well. Turn on high. Let it cook for about 2 hours or until the cranberries are soft.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and puree the mixture in a food processor. Do this in two batches. Be careful as the mixture is hot, I cover the top opening of the machine with a dish cloth. Let the machine run for a full minute to puree the cranberries very finely.
- Force the cranberry puree through a mesh sieve or strainer. Push forcefully with the back of a spoon to get as much cranberry puree as you can. Discard the solids.
- Pour the puree back into the crockpot. Turn the crockpot to high, and leave the lid ajar. Cook until thickened, approximately another 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Put the cranberry butter into clean jars with tight fitting lids and let cool. Store in the refrigerator and consume within a month.
- Makes about 2 cups.
Notes
Nutrition
Going to try this recipe in the morning. I might throw in orange peels. Can you can these in water bath? I’d like to give them out as gifts during the holidays. Thanks!
You definitely can can them 🙂 Just do as you normally do with the boiling, and they should be fine!
Am half way through my third batch. I love this stuff, could take a bath in it if it lasted that long. I’m going to try a water bath so I can keep it longer. Sue never stop with these great recipes.
My girlfriend and I made up a batch last weekend, and thought it was great. This weekend, we brought it back out with flatbreads, brie and bleu cheese, just to see which it might go better with for putting out at a party. We were floored! With the brie, and it’s subtle flavors, it came across tart and brought a load of flavor along. With the bleu’s tartness, it came across as sweet and subdued, perfect accompaniment for either. Ultimately, we decided that for the party, we’re just putting both cheeses on the plate, so we can watch people’s faces as they try it either way!
Thanks for your comment, Mike. I so glad you liked it, and I can imagine it must have been great with the Brie. I almost hesitated to post the recipe because I was afraid people would find it too tart and intense. I think it is such an unusual flavor experience, especially with cheese. Let me know how the party goes 🙂
Such a wonderful color, this would be delicious with muffins or scones!
How clever of you – such a time saver.
Cranberry Butter – my life is complete now. I love them both and together must be magical. I will be making this soon.
Can the cranberry butter be frozen?
I don’t honestly know since I haven’t tried, but since cranberries freeze well, I’m thinking it would be fine.
I must try this. I make a Cranberry Amaretto Chutney but this sounds divine. I will definitely double it as I like to give things like this as little thank you gifts. Thank you.
If you double it, Sherry, just be aware that the second stage of cooking will take a bit longer, so plan accordingly.
Wow Sue – another beautiful jar of awesomeness! You know this might be good added to a little buttercream icing tucked in between two macaron cookies – and what a gorgeous color. It certainly does look silky 🙂 Hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
You’re right, because it’s so intense you can use it as cranberry flavoring. Happy Thanksgiving to you, Tricia!
I’ve got a bag of cranberries in my fridge that I’ve not known what to do with! Do you think halving this recipe would work? I was thinking could cause burning/drying out. This looks so delicious, I can’t wait to try it out.
Hi Kate— I originally made it with a little more than a bag, and it worked, but you won’t need as long for the final crockpot reducing. You might even be better to do that in a small saucepan on the stove for such a small amount.
Thanks- I did reduce it in a pot, turned out just wonderful! I’m thinking cornbread needs to be made to use this on tonight. I imagine this will be the perfect spread for leftover Thanksgiving sandwiches! Thanks for the recipe!