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
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!
After all that work, mine burned in crockpot when I returned it for thickening. Yes, I stirred several times, but each time I went back to it (every 10-15 min) it was burned on the sides and sometimes the top even had a ‘skin’ on it, all of which is now mixed into the butter. For me it turned out to be a waste of contents, time and effort. Not to mention it never thickened at all except for the burned parts. Very disappointed in this one.
I’m so sorry to hear this didn’t work for you Janelle. I wonder if your crockpot runs high in temperature. Some people have luck with cooking the butter on the stove top for the final thickening, so you can be right there to control any sticking issues.
When making butters in a crock pot you usually start on high for one hour to get it HOT! Reduce the heat to lowest, yes lowest setting after that. You will get build up on the sides and a skin on the top. The skin can be folded back in…the build up on the sides shouldn’t be burnt, scrap and turn in. I can see this being canned…my elevation is 1300 feet and I would gentle boil in water bath for 10 minutes and keep in canner after turn off heat for 5…then remove to set on cupboard for 24 hours. I make butters.
This butter should go all night for up to 24 hours after you reduce to low. Put the lid on at an angle so the steam is allowed to escape…this is how it reduces. I also would use an immersion blender when I feel it has reduced enough and use the blender when the mixture is hot. When done turn crock back on low to keep hot while canning. If just freezing no need to continue to keep hot, put it in containers and freeze.
Love this cranberry butter! Process is long & occassional stirring is a must, but well worth the process. Added to my personal recipe box!
What do you use Cranberry butter for?
I like to use it as a spread for toast, biscuits, and sandwiches, etc. It can be used just like cranberry sauce, as well, on a Thanksgiving table.
I made a double batch of this today and it is a little too thin. I did not leave the top off the crock pot totally for the 2nd round of cooking. Can I continue to cook it and expect it will thicken up a little more? It is delicious. Made it for the church fair on Saturday
Yes, definitely cook it some more if you can, it should thicken up fine.
It was fine and very popular at the fair!
I made this and it turned out great. didnt have cinnamon sticks so i used a teaspoon of ground cinnamon..and also added some extra brown sugar to lessen the very tart taste like other said they did. A co worker loves it and wants to make it and asked if you could use cranberry juice instead of fresh cranberries…does any one know that answer?
I too would love to know if you can use cranberry juice.
Do you mean in place of the apple juice Gayla? You could, but you might need to add a bit more sugar to sweeten the butter.
But if you mean can you use juice in place of the cranberries, then no, you need the whole berries for this.
To make “butter” you have to have the berry solids. If you just use juice, you end up with jelly.
I think she was asking about replacing the little bit of apple cider in the recipe Ma.
OH my gosh, I’ve been looking for something new to try with fresh cranberries. I’m so excited!! Our son-in-law loves to put cranberries on his turkey & sandwiches, lol more sauce than turkey!! I’m so happy I saw this!
Thank you
Blessings
I adore cranberries Kathy, so I think you’ll find some good inspiration here 🙂
Could you use an immersion blender instead of the food processor ?
Can I just put this in the 1/2 pint Ball jam freezer cups and freeze? I make a freezer peach/apricot jam (using pectin) that I store this way and it lasts for months (or until my neighbors use it up!) Since this is just fruit and sugar, di I really have to water process to keep it?
This will freeze well Lorrie.
To make the cranberry butter as a preserve do you do a hot water bath after it’s jarred?
Thanks