Today’s recipe for Slow Cooker Applesauce with Cranberries is about as simple as a recipe can get! And, it’s also a delicious way to enjoy some of the quintessential flavors and foods of Fall – fresh apples and cranberries!
Just add apple chunks, fresh cranberries, apple cider and some sugar to a slow cooker, along with two cinnamon sticks that add a perfect amount of spice without being too over powering. Give everything a quick stir, turn your crock-pot on for about four hours, and – that’s it!
Once the cooking time has passed, remove the cinnamon sticks and mash the apples and cranberries into the consistency that you want – you can leave the sauce chunkier if you’d like or make it completely smooth. You can also add more sweetness to the applesauce – as written, our recipe is lightly sweet with a touch of tartness from the cranberries, but you can increase the sugar if you prefer a sweeter applesauce.
This slow cooker applesauce with cranberries is a delicious alternative to a traditional apple sauce or cranberry sauce – the best of both worlds! We used a mix of Granny Smith, Cortland and Gala apples in our version (because we had a drawer full of apples that we needed to use up) – but pretty much any variety of apples will work in this recipe!
PrintSlow Cooker Applesauce with Cranberries
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups
Ingredients
- 3 to 3½ pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup apple cider
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (plus more sugar if you prefer more sweetness)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a slow cooker (a medium to large sized slow cooker will work best). Cover and cook on high heat for 4 hours.
- Remove the cinnamon sticks from the cooked mixture. Mash the apples and cranberries with a potato masher
until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Stir to thoroughly mix. Taste and add more sugar if desired.
- Pour the applesauce with cranberries out of the slow cooker and into a food storage container with a lid. Allow to cool slightly, then refrigerate to cool completely before serving.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
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Viva la Violette
I love how simple this looks! And awesome that it’s done in a slow cooker. When I make it on the stovetop, I obsess over checking it to make sure it’s not starting to stick to the bottom.
I think you’ll love how easy this recipe is to make Erin! Thanks!
This is the total fall applesauce package! Love the addition of cranberries, yum!
Thanks Brandy!
I love the texture you achieved on this applesauce. Plus the tart of the cranberries and sweet of the apples sounds wonderful!
Thanks Renee – It really is the perfect texture!
I enjoy using my crockpot this time of year! Love that you added cranberries to this!
Thanks Nancy – the cranberries are a great tart contrast of flavors to the sweet of the apples!
Wow!!! This is so DREAMY.
What a fun idea to add cranberries, this sounds delicious! Homemade applesauce is a must-have on my Thanksgiving table.
Love this time of year because of all the lovely apple recipes
I can practically smell it now! Looks amazing!
I do love applesauce from the slow cooker but the addition of cranberries makes it so much more festive. I bet it tastes great!
I make a cranberry chutney with chunks of apple, but I haven’t done the reverse—-made applesauce with cranberries. Duh! Great combo for texture, color and flavors.
Thanks Carol! Apples and cranberries (no matter which way you combine them!) are great together!
Yum! Never thought of adding cranberies — I’m taking this to Thanksgiving dinner! Thanks! 🙂
Hope you love it Jennifer! 🙂
Oh how I love fresh applesauce in any form. Adding fresh cranberries sounds like perfection!
Love apples and cranberry sauce!
I make something similar to this each year and, let me tell you, my family can not get enough of it. This reminds me that I need to make another batch.
I’ll have to check out your version too Dara!
This looks beyond amazing, I only wish my family loved applesauce as much as I do!
This is fantastic! Looks absolutely amazing!
Homemade applesauce is the best. Love the addition of the cranberries!!
I love cranberries- awesome idea to add them to applsauce!
I like the combination of sweet and tart! It must smell heavenly cooking all day!
This can make a great edible gift!
Great idea Meseidy – definitely!
Great idea to add the cranberries to this! Might have to throw this into the slow cooker tomorrow morning!!
I love slow cooker applesauce….it’s so easy and fuss free. Totally digging the cranberries in this recipe!