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!
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.
Featured Comment:
Vickie
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!!
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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
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
How would I do this on the stove? I don’t own a crock pot unfortunately. I also don’t have a food processor or blender but I’m sure one of my neighbors would have one I could use.
You can definitely do it on the stove, you’ll just have to watch it closely as it gets toward the end of cooking so it doesn’t scorch. Just cook it until it is thick. You will need that food processor, though, to get it smooth.
Hi! I was about I make this and realized I forgot to buy cider! Any thing else I can use in a pitch? I have OJ and white grape juice on hand…
I would think either one would be ok, the grape juice would probably be my choice.
Can this be made with honey instead of brown sugar?
You could certainly give it a try, Donna, I don’t see why not. Let us know how it turns out 🙂
I loved this! So did my friends. Their reaction, “Oh wow”. Served with apple scones, cheese and crackers, and a glaze for poultry. Would be good on pork as well. I cooked it a bit longer as I was also assembling other things. I also pulsed it in food processor for a bit longer and avoided the straining step. Result was beautiful, smooth and tastey. Thanks so much for sharing. This will be my Christmas gift. and donation to autism auction.
I love your friends’ reaction…that was mine, too! I’m honored that you’ll be donating this to the autism auction, and have a happy holiday season, Pat!
Can this be canned?
I believe so, Annmarie!
I 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! : /
Good for you — I hope the crowd likes it!
Is this thick enough to use for thanksgiving cranberry sauce?
From the pictures it looks wonderful!
Hey 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!
Can you use a food mill instead of the mesh sieve? I see a strainer works too, but thought I would ask.
I used a metal strainer, just the regular kind Madeleine.
But a food mill would work, too.
thanks! It’s in the crockpot now!
i even put it on my peanut butter toast!
!!
i love the jars in the picture! where could i buy these please?
Hi 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)