This Crockpot Apple Cranberry Sauce is spiked with orange and crystallized ginger. Fantastic with roast turkey!
The barrage of holiday recipes has started. For my Canadian and other non-American readers, I urge you to think of these recipes not just for American Thanksgiving, but for the whole holiday season. In fact, our family tradition is to eat turkey at Christmas dinner, complete with mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes and a double dose of gravy. For my family, it’s not a proper turkey dinner without our favorite
Maple & Brown Sugar Cranberry Sauce and my mother-in-law’s Crockpot Applesauce. Our favorite cranberry sauce will be making appearance again this year. In fact, I think my kids would have “words” with me if I didn’t make it. However, since variety is the spice of life (so they say), I thought it would be fun to have another version on hand for day-after sandwiches.
Between the family applesauce recipe and the pear applesauce I made this year, the crockpot (slow cooker) has always worked well for us. Not only does it fill the kitchen with the smell of the holidays, but it can be tucked away in the corner of the kitchen, freeing up stovetop space, which is at a premium when cooking a holiday meal. This version is filled with cranberries, fresh orange juice, orange zest and chopped crystallized ginger. As the apples cook down and the cranberries pop, the color takes on a ruby red hue. Before removing the sauce from the crockpot, be sure to taste it. If you find it to be too tart, just add an extra tablespoon or two of brown sugar to sweeten things up.
The apple cranberry sauce recipe:
Place all of the apple pieces and cranberries in a large bowl and stir in brown sugar and orange zest.
Pour orange juice into the bottom of a large crockpot (slow cooker) and add the apple mixture.
Cover, turn the crockpot setting to Low, and cook for about 8 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking up the apple slices and popping cranberries with a wooden spoon as they soften.
Stir in crystallized ginger. Taste and add an additional tablespoon or two of brown sugar if you find the sauce too tart for your liking.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Other cranberry sauce recipes:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Maple & Brown Sugar Cranberry Sauce
Two Peas and Their Pod’s Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce
Ciao Florentina’s Blood Orange Cranberry Sauce
Apple & Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Crystallized Ginger Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium Gala apples peeled, cored, quartered & sliced
- 1 12 ounce package fresh cranberries
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar or more to taste
- 1 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
Instructions
- Place all of the apple pieces and cranberries in a large bowl and stir in brown sugar and orange zest.
- Pour orange juice into the bottom of a large crockpot (slow cooker) and add the apple mixture.
- Cover, turn the crockpot setting to Low, and cook for about 8 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking up the apple slices and cranberries with a wooden spoon as they soften.
- Stir in crystallized ginger. Taste and add an additional tablespoon or two of brown sugar if you find the sauce to be too tart.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Megan @ Ginger Mom's Tastes and Travels
I have a bag of cranberries to use up and apples coming out my ears! This looks like something I’m going to have to try 🙂 The only question is: do I have enough crockpots. I’ve already allocated many of my side dishes to crockpots this year. Happy Thanksgiving!
Natasha Coleman
Made this last year and forgot it had to be on 8 hours!!! So this year I have the pot on high. I will update on the result in 5 hours lol!
Yokuyst
My crockpot has something in it now. Can I cook this on top my stove on low heat?
Erin
I followed this recipe exactly, but the end results turned out a brownish color, and the taste was really off. Any idea what the reason could be for that?
Dara
Hmm…I’m not sure what went wrong as I haven’t experienced that, but I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t turn out for you. A few possibilities: 1) It’s possible that your LOW setting is a little hotter than mine. Perhaps try cooking it for a shorter time. 2) Were the cut apples sitting out for awhile before going into the crockpot? I’m just wondering if they started to brown before being cooked. 3) Were the cranberries really fresh? I know I’ve bought bags of cranberries in the past that had some less-than-stellar cranberries in the bunch.
Amy
How many servings does this make? I’m hosting somewhere between 15-20 people, and I’m wondering if I need to double the recipe and/or adjust cooking time if so…
Dara
Hi Amy, the recipe makes about 4 cups. So, it all depends on how much your guests like cranberry sauce. If you ration 1/4 cup per person, that would serve approximately 16 people. To be on the safe side, I’d probably make 1 1/2 time the recipe, which may require you to cook it slightly longer. I hope you enjoy it!
CiaoFlorentina
Yummy! What a great idea to add the crystalized ginger! brilliant !
Mary Thompson
I made this for my work Christmas dinner and it was a hit even with the one that were not fond of cranberries. I will be making this every year. Thank you for the awesome recipe.
Mary Thompson
I would like to know how long after making the crockpot cranberry & apple with orange and crystallized ginger will keep in the fridge. Please let me know soon. Thank you. Mary.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Hi Mary, I’ve stored it in the fridge for up to 5 days. It also freezes really well. I hope you enjoy it!
Mary Thompson
Thank you so much for getting back to me so fast. I’m making this for a work Christmas dinner on the 14 th. I’m looking forward to trying this.
Jessi
How long will this be good for? I would like to make some and put in jars for gifts before we let out for the Thanksgiving holidays.
Lauren
Thank you! I’ll try it and report back! Lucky for me, my friends will have nothing to compare it to 🙂
Lauren
This cranberry sauce looks amazing! Do you think I can make it with frozen cranberries? I live in Australia and sadly, cranberries are something that do not grow here! I’m American and am going to attempt making my first ever Thanksgiving dinner for my Aussie friends. And for an extra challenge I’ve decided to do it in a country where they don’t have all the ingredients I need 🙂 Help please!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Hi Lauren, I admire your tenacity in making a Thanksgiving dinner while living abroad. Good for you! I don’t see why you couldn’t make this with frozen cranberries, but I have never actually tried it myself. I would defrost the cranberries first and then make the sauce as directed. Let me know how it turns out!
hope
I made this last night. It smelled so good while cooking. I put it on high and was planning to stir it about every 45 minutes but I forgot about it at one point and went about 90 minutes without stirring and it burned (I was still able to salvage it though!). At that point it was cooking for 4 hours. If I would make it again on high, I would use a timer to remind me to stir or cook it on low.
Anyway, it is extremely delicious! I added about 7 tablespoons sugar total and may add more. I am freezing it until next week for Thanksgiving.
Thank you!!!!!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Hope, thanks so much for letting me know. I have cooked it on High in the past without any troubles, which makes me wonder if different brands of crockpots heat a little differently. I’ll be sure to make a note in the recipe about frequent stirring.
Carolyn
Well, you know how much I love crystallized ginger. This would be a hit with me!
MikeVFMK
I had no idea cranberry sauce could look that frickin good. That first image is so pretty, Dara! Loving these recipes as we enter the holiday season (you know we had our thanksgiving but christmas is just around the corner) so these are all so helpful and full of new ideas.
sippitysup.com
A gorgeous seasonal classic! GREG