Sugared Cranberries (a.k.a. Candied Cranberries) make a stunning garnish for baked goodies, desserts, and cocktails, and are also a great appetizer to serve on an easy charcuterie board for your Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. Ours require just 3 ingredients!
Some also call them frosted cranberries or sparkling cranberries.
But no matter what name you may call them, they are beautiful, have a sweet and sour taste, and are super easy to prepare.
You only need 3 simple ingredients (water, sugar, and fresh cranberries) to prepare this treat! Awesome, right?
And just look at that color… you'll devour them with your eyes too!
You can also try these sugared prosecco grapes for New Year's Eve or another time of the year.
Table of Contents
How to Use Sugared Cranberries
I know… they look like little gems! But you may be asking yourself how to use them. Well, they are versatile holiday treats with many uses, such as:
- Pop 'em’ in your mouth! It is almost like eating sweet and sour candy.
- Garnish your holiday cocktails (simply slip a few onto stainless steel cocktail picks and set them on the rim of a cocktail glass). Make sure to save the sugar syrup to sweeten your holiday drinks, such as our sparkling cranberry cocktail.
- Top baked goods and desserts such as this sweet potato pie, cheesecakes (Basque Burnt Cheesecake), sweet bread loaves (Pumpkin Bread), cupcakes, cakes (Sweet Potato Pound Cake), and sweet bars (Gingerbread Cookie Bars)
- They make the perfect garnish for roasted turkey!
- Serve them as a party snack, on charcuterie boards, or a cheese board along with our cranberry jalapeño dip.
- Use leftovers to make a sweet keto cranberry sauce.
They are sure to make your holiday season sweeter and brighter!
How to Make Sugared Cranberries
This sugared cranberry recipe is quick to prepare but requires planning ahead since they will need about 1 hour to dry before coating them in sugar.
- To start, make a simple syrup (or sugar syrup) by whisking together ½ cup of cold water with ½ cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, about 3-5 minutes. SEE PIC. 1 TIP: Do not let the mixture come to a boil!
- Then, remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the fresh cranberries until well coated with the syrup. SEE PIC. 2 Cover and let them steep for 5-10 minutes. SEE PIC. 3
- Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the cranberries to a wire rack placed on top of a large-rimmed baking sheet (or onto a large sheet of parchment paper). Make sure to place the cranberries on the rack spaced out, in a single layer.
- Let them dry at room temp for about 1 hour. They will be sticky and dry! SEE PIC. 4
- Toss them in the remaining 1 ½ cups of sugar for even coating. Allow them to dry again!
NOTE: Let the remaining hot syrup cool and use it to prepare drinks and cocktails!
FAQs
What Do Candied Cranberries Taste Like?
They are sweet and sour… and one of my favorite ways to balance the taste of tart cranberries.
How Do I Store Sugared Cranberries?
You’re probably wondering how long sugared cranberries last. If you store them in an airtight container in a dry, cool place, they can last up to 3-4 days at room temperature. The fresher the cranberries, the longer they’ll last.
After a few days, you’ll notice the sugar ‘weeping.’ At this point, if the sugared cranberries are still firm, you can simply toss them in sugar again!
Pro Tip: A small bowl of rice stored in the airtight container with the candied cranberries absorbs excess moisture in the air, keeping them fresher for longer.
Do Frosted Cranberries Refrigerate well?
These sparkling cranberries are best kept at room temp. If you refrigerate them, the sugar will absorb moisture and may come off, making it difficult to stick on again after tossing them in sugar.
Can Sparkling Cranberries Be Frozen?
I don’t recommend freezing them. Once thawed, the sugar will melt and the leftover cranberries will turn to mush.
What Kind of Sugar Should I Use?
You can use white granulated sugar, superfine sugar, or coarse decorating sugar that has a larger grain and will add a little sparkle to the cranberries.
I used the first type (most common) and these easy sugared cranberries are still quite beautiful!
Variations
- Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary: Simply place a sprig of fresh rosemary as soon as the simple syrup is ready and let it steep with the cranberries.
- With Vanilla: Place a scraped vanilla bean in with the simple syrup and allow it to steep with the cranberries.
- With Orange: Add orange peel to the simple syrup with a squeeze of fresh orange juice and steep the cranberries with the peel.
- Bourbon sugared cranberries: Add bourbon to the syrup mixture of sugar and water before cooking it.
Expert's Tips
- Plan: While this sugared cranberries recipe requires almost no work, they do need one hour to dry out.
- Keep the sugar syrup! Yep, do NOT throw it away because you can use it to make lemonade, cocktails, or to brush on top of layered cakes.
- Easily scale your batch up or down: Make a full batch, double, or triple batch, depending upon your needs.
- Store sugared cranberries properly at room temp.
- Take advantage of the cranberry season (mid-September to early November) to buy them fresh and for a better price.
Other recipes to use sugared cranberries on or with:
PIN & ENJOY!
Sugared Cranberries
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Wire rack
- saucepan
- whisk
- slotted spoon
- plate
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup white granulated sugar PLUS 1 ½ cups for tossing
- 12 oz cranberries FRESH
Instructions
- To start, make a simple syrup (or sugar syrup) by whisking together ½ cup of cold water with ½ cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3-5 minutes. TIP: Do not let the mixture come to a boil!
- Then, remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the fresh cranberries until well coated with the syrup. Cover and let them steep for 5-10 minutes.
- Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the cranberries to a wire rack placed on top of a large rimmed baking sheet (or onto a large sheet of parchment paper). Make sure to place the cranberries on the rack spaced out, in a single layer.
- Let them dry at room temp for about 1 hour. They will be sticky and dry!
- Toss them in the remaining 1 ½ cups of sugar for even coating. Allow them to dry again!
Recipe Notes
- Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary: Simply place a sprig of fresh rosemary as soon as the simple syrup is ready and let it steep with the cranberries.
- With Vanilla: Place a scraped vanilla bean in with the simple syrup and allow it to steep with the cranberries.
- With Orange: Add orange peel to the simple syrup with a squeeze of fresh orange juice and steep the cranberries with the peel.
- Bourbon sugared cranberries: Add bourbon to the syrup mixture of sugar and water before cooking it.
Nutrition
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Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
Valgome says
Thanks for the amazing ideas 🙂 Wishes from Lithuania!
Denise Browning says
So glad you enjoyed our sugared cranberries recipe.
John / Kitchen Riffs says
These look delish! And SO holiday-appropriate. Thanks!