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These sweet and tangy Sugared Cranberries add an elegant touch to your favorite holiday drinks, salads, and more. Only 3 ingredients!
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Sour, punchy, and bright, cranberries add a little something extra to drinks, dishes, and beyond! Coating them in sugar adds a festive little sparkle and a sweetness to tame the tart. Easy to make and endlessly enjoy, you can jazz up your holiday offerings this season with Sugared Cranberries. First they’re sour, then they’re sweet, now they’re yours.
Ingredients in Sugared Cranberries
- Fresh Cranberries
- Water
- Sugar
The Process
It’s a breeze to make these if you follow a few simple rules. First, make sure you really let the cranberries dry for one full hour after coating them in simple syrup. If you want the sugar to stick and sparkle, this is a must. Second, after coating the berries in granulated sugar, they need to dry an additional hour. Worth the wait!
How to Use Sugared Cranberries
When the cranberries are freshly made (days 1 and 2)
- Enjoy as a snack
- Garnish a drinks like cocktails and mocktails
- Toss in a salad
- Flavor and make meat festive
- Decorate cakes and other desserts
- Throw on top of treats like apple and pumpkin pie for a sweet and edible garnish
As the cranberries soften (after day 2)
- Make jam
- Turn into cranberry sauce
- Bake with them
Recipe Tip
Use a slotted spoon to transfer cranberries from the pot to a baking sheet. This ensures you won’t get too much extra syrup on the cranberries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Healthy and delicious, although sour, raw cranberries are an excellent choice. Without being processed and given so much added sugar, like in their dried or juiced forms, you can enjoy the true, tart taste of the cranberry!
Cranberries are high in antioxidants and fiber. Low in potassium and high in Vitamin C, cranberries are a good choice for those with kidney disease. They work to prevent UTIs and maintain digestive health, plus much more. All of this while eating candied cranberries? Yes, please.
Citrus pairs well, like lemon, lime, and orange. Apple, peach, pear, and pumpkin go deliciously and would work in a pie or tart. Spices such as cardamom and nutmeg create a nice flavor and aroma. Walnuts, almonds, pecans, and hazelnuts work well. Sugar-coated cranberries would suit any of these ingredients.
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How to Make Sugared Cranberries
Sugared Cranberries
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar divided
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups cranberries
Instructions
- Add ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water to a pot and whisk together over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
- Remove from heat and stir in cranberries. Mix until all the cranberries are coated.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cranberries to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let dry for 1 hour.
- Add the remaining sugar to a pie plate or shallow wide dish. Add the cranberries and toss until cranberries are coated in sugar.
- Return the cranberries to the baking sheet lined with fresh parchment paper. Let dry 1 hour.
Notes
- Let dry completely before serving.
- Store sugared cranberries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- After 2 days the cranberries will start to soften, use them to make jam, cranberry sauce, salad dressing, or throw them in a smoothie!
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