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Happy Thanksgiving week, friends! Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only a few short days away? Are you excited?
I am looking forward to cooking without taking pictures, spending time with family and friends in Wisconsin, and of course eating a lot of food. Paul and I are being a little crazy this year; we are getting up early on Thanksgiving morning to run a 5k at 7 am. Yes, I do agree, we’re crazy. Especially for wanting to run outside in the cold Wisconsin November weather. Guess what, despite the cold, despite the early morning on a holiday we are getting our butts moving for three reasons:
- To be able to stuff my face with more food! Ha! At the risk of making myself sound like a pig, there is a reason that I am a food blogger: I really do love to eat.
- To get outside and keep moving, even during the colder months. This summer I discovered how much I enjoy running. This is coming from a girl who used to hate running. I am nowhere near being a marathon runner, but as the Iowa mornings began to get frosty I made a vow to keep running throughout the winter. This is a huge goal for me as I HATE being cold, but other people run throughout the winter, rain, snow, or sunshine. So, if others can do it so can I! I know that the key to my success is to do a few 5k runs interspersed during the winter so that I have a reason to keep up with my daily running. Working from home during an Iowa winter can mean that I rarely get outside. This is not good, you guys. So, I went out and bought myself some fleece-lined running pants and so far so good, I have been keeping it up with my morning runs. As I am out running in the cold on Thanksgiving morning I will be picturing all of the warm, yummy food that I will get to stuff my face with, and only feel a little guilty about it! (see reason number 1).
- To give back. What’s really cool about this particular 5k run is there is no sign-up fee; instead you bring canned goods to donate to those in need. It just gives me warm and cozy feelings!
What does this 5k run have to do with cranberry sauce? Everything!
If you are crazy like me, and want to participate in a turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning, or you want to sleep in like normal people do, then this Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Sauce is exactly what you need.
Aside from opening a can of that gelatinous-what’s-this-stuff-REALLY-made-of cranberry sauce, this Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Sauce is as easy as homemade cranberry sauce gets. No joke, juice an orange, mince a jalapeno, and dump the cranberries and raisins into your slow cooker and let it go to town. The best part is this cranberry sauce can be made a few days ahead of time; the longer it chills in the fridge the better!
No more excuses for the canned cranberry goo….I mean sauce!
I really love the unusual spicy kick that the Jalapeno provides in this cranberry sauce, it’s unexpected. If you are serving this to kids, just know that the spice level is very, very mild and that was with one jalapeno plus its seeds. You can easily remove the seeds for even less spice, or omit the jalapeno all together. If you are a fan of that spicy-sweet combo, then this recipe is perfect for you. If you are serving a very large crowd it’s super easy to double or triple the batch of cranberry sauce.
I know you and your family will enjoy my Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Sauce recipe, just as much as I do. It’s thick, tart, perfectly sweetened, with plump raisins studded throughout, and has the slightest hint of spice. Healthy, yummy, easy, and perfect for a stress-free Thanksgiving.
One more thing, my friends, in celebration of giving thanks, I wanted to let you all know how thankful I am that you read my blog. I am truly grateful to all of my readers out there, silent, or not. This blog is what it is because of you!
On that note, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend filled with family, friends, nourishing and delicious food, and lots of laughter! I will see you back here with another recipe on Monday! Happy Thanksgiving!
P.S. If you are looking for more Thanksgiving recipes try my Green Bean Casserole with Creamy Cauliflower sauce and Crispy Shallots, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate, Cranberry Chia Seed Jam, Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Scalloped Potatoes, Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Healthier Stuffing!
Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Sauce
- Yield: 6 to 8 1x
- Category: Side, Holiday
- Cuisine: Holiday, Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Description
This cranberry sauce is sweet, tart, and slightly spicy. It’s made in a slow cooker for super easy cooking! Easy and delicious, perfect for any holiday!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries, washed
- Zest of 1 orange, reserved until the end
- Juice of 1 orange (1/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons whiskey/bourbon (the alcohol will cook out, but you can sub in more orange juice or water if you prefer)
- 1 jalapeno, finely minced*
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons honey (start with less and add in more honey to taste at end)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients, except for the orange zest and nutmeg to your slow cooker; stir to combine. Cook on low for 2 to 2.5 hours or on high for 1.5 hours, or until the cranberries have burst and the raisins are plump. Stir in the orange zest and nutmeg. Add more honey to taste, if desired.
- Chill the sauce in the fridge for 4 to 8 hours; the longer the better. This is a recipe that is best made a few days in advance. Serve chilled.
- Leftovers should last for at least 7 days, maybe longer.
Notes
* I would rate this recipe as being very mild in spice. If you want it to be even less spicy you could omit the seeds and membrane. Or you can omit the jalapeno all together.
Cook time does not reflect the amount of time needed to chill the cranberry sauce.
My hubby loves cranberry sauce and spice! This spicy cranberry sauce is right up his alley! Thanks for sharing!! Enjoy your Holiday!!
Thanks Tonya! Let me know how the cranberry sauce turns out. I hope you have a wonderful Holiday too! 🙂
I loooove slow cooker recipes, especially during busy holidays! I need to buy 3 or 4 slow cookers so I can just slow cook the majority of my recipes during the holidays and have more time to relax! This recipe looks great. I know I will love it because of the little kick the jalapeno will give it. Thanks for sharing!!
Slow cookers are the best! I love that kick from the jalapeno too! Let me know how it turns out. Hope you have a fantastic Holiday! 🙂