Crock Pot Cranberry Butter is an impossibly silky, tangy fruit butter that is made right in the crock pot ~ you’ll want to slather it on toast, scones, biscuits, muffins, turkey sandwiches ~ and so much more!
This zingy 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, but 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.
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.
Reader Rave ~
“Okay so I love my cranberry sauce and eat it through the holidays but now that I have found this recipe I have already made it twice and had it devoured each time, maybe a little more by myself than my family. Lol. I may just need to make this once a month because it is wonderful!” ~Trey
Ingredients
- 2 12-oz bags of cranberries, rinsed
- 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.
Notes
Be sure to remove the cinnamon stick before pureeing the cooked cranberries...I learned the hard way!
Thanks for pinning this easy Crock Pot Cranberry Butter!
154 Comments
Really Great Things #18 - Kitchen Serf
November 25, 2014 at 2:04 am[…] the season for cranberry butter and cranberry […]
Annmarie
November 24, 2014 at 6:04 amCan this be canned?
Sue
November 24, 2014 at 6:37 amI believe so, Annmarie!
Kim
November 22, 2014 at 7:26 pmI have this in the second round with the crock pot right now and am stirring it occasionally to keep a skin from forming. OMG, I could eat it all now! VERY good, slightly tangy, and easy to play with…like adding apples and other spices. I’m also glad that cranberry butter actually has ZERO butter in it. I’m happy I can bring something else cranberry-ish to my sisters on T-day, since her sister in law said she would bring cranberry sauce and I am worried….she does NOT cook well! : /
Sue
November 22, 2014 at 8:43 pmGood for you — I hope the crowd likes it!
22 Slow Cooker Recipes with 5 Ingredients or Less for Thanksgiving
November 22, 2014 at 8:12 am[…] Crock Pot Cranberry Butter by The View from Great Island […]
17 Crockpot Holiday Recipes - A Cedar Spoon
November 22, 2014 at 5:02 am[…] Crockpot Cranberry Butter // The View From Great Island […]
Jessica
November 19, 2014 at 8:22 amIs this thick enough to use for thanksgiving cranberry sauce?
From the pictures it looks wonderful!
Sue
November 19, 2014 at 8:46 amHey Jessica — it’s thicker than cranberry sauce, but I wouldn’t use it that way — this butter is very intense, if you want to use it at Thanksgiving it would be better used as a spread with biscuits or cornbread! I have lots of great cranberry sauce recipes on the blog if you are looking for one, just type in cranberry sauce in the search bar!
Madeleine
November 16, 2014 at 3:18 pmCan you use a food mill instead of the mesh sieve? I see a strainer works too, but thought I would ask.
Sue
November 16, 2014 at 3:42 pmI used a metal strainer, just the regular kind Madeleine.
Sue
November 16, 2014 at 3:43 pmBut a food mill would work, too.
Madeleine
November 23, 2014 at 12:25 pmthanks! It’s in the crockpot now!
Kim capps
November 2, 2014 at 9:45 ami even put it on my peanut butter toast!
Sue
November 2, 2014 at 11:13 am!!
jr
September 8, 2014 at 3:25 pmi love the jars in the picture! where could i buy these please?
Sue
September 8, 2014 at 4:49 pmHi jr…they are Weck jars…you can go to their website, and also you can find them on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=weck%20jars&linkCode=as2&tag=thvifrthgris-20&linkId=U7IQNXRTNLLOUTTM)
Janet
August 28, 2014 at 6:54 pmGoing 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!
Sue
August 28, 2014 at 8:26 pmYou definitely can can them :) Just do as you normally do with the boiling, and they should be fine!
Phyllis
January 16, 2014 at 12:02 pmAm 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.
Mike
December 7, 2013 at 5:58 amMy 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!
Sue
December 7, 2013 at 8:26 amThanks 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 :)
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
November 25, 2013 at 9:02 pmSuch a wonderful color, this would be delicious with muffins or scones!
Denise @ magnoliaverandah
November 25, 2013 at 7:45 pmHow clever of you – such a time saver.
val
November 25, 2013 at 6:44 pmCranberry Butter – my life is complete now. I love them both and together must be magical. I will be making this soon.
charj
November 25, 2013 at 12:14 pmCan the cranberry butter be frozen?
Sue
November 25, 2013 at 12:42 pmI don’t honestly know since I haven’t tried, but since cranberries freeze well, I’m thinking it would be fine.
Homemade Crock Pot Cranberry Butter Recipe | Herbs and Oils Hub
November 25, 2013 at 12:10 pm[…] Homemade Crock Pot Cranberry Butter Recipe […]
Sherry Libby
November 25, 2013 at 11:43 amI 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.
Sue
November 25, 2013 at 5:44 pmIf you double it, Sherry, just be aware that the second stage of cooking will take a bit longer, so plan accordingly.
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
November 25, 2013 at 9:32 amWow 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!
Sue
November 25, 2013 at 5:45 pmYou’re right, because it’s so intense you can use it as cranberry flavoring. Happy Thanksgiving to you, Tricia!
Kate
November 25, 2013 at 7:32 amI’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.
Sue
November 25, 2013 at 8:36 amHi 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.
Kate
November 25, 2013 at 3:08 pmThanks- 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!