These Candied Cranberries are an easy, and beautiful holiday treat. They’re sparkly, sweet, and tart all in one bite and they will instantly make your dessert or table setting look extra festive. Just look how I used them to decorate these Cranberry Cheesecake Bars and Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake.
These Sugared Cranberries are perfect for decorating cakes, cheesecakes, pies, or just serving in a bowl for a simple tart and sweet snack that everyone will love!
I’ve made these sugared cranberries every Christmas for a few years, and they always turn out crunchy and sparkly. The simple syrup coats the cranberries and once they’re rolled in more granulated sugar they have the perfect mix of sweet and tangy. This version keeps them crisp on the outside, and juicy on the inside.
I promise you’ll love how easy they are to make, and how fancy they look with almost no effort.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Only Three Ingredients: You’ll need a bag of fresh cranberries, water, and granulated sugar. That’s it.
- So Pretty: They add a beautiful sparkle and color to any holiday dessert, or table.
- Sweet and Tart: The tartness of the cranberries gets sweetened a bit with the sugar, giving these the perfect holiday flavor.
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of some of the ingredients you’ll need for this Sugared Cranberries Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Cranberries: Use fresh cranberries. Pick out any that are soft, squishy, or wrinkled.
- Granulated Sugar: Use this both for the syrup and the sugar coating.
- Water: Make a simple syrup with a 1:1 ratio of water and sugar
How to make Candied Cranberries
Step 1: Make the Simple Syrup. Add sugar and water to a small sauce pot. Heat over medium and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Bring the mixture to a low boil and let it cook for about 2 minutes.
Step 2: Add the Cranberries. Remove the pot from the heat and add in the cranberries. Stir them in the hot syrup for 1 minute to coat them all fully.
Step 3: Let them Dry. Transfer the cranberries with a slotted spoon to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and let them dry for 1 hour.
Step 4: Coat in More Sugar. Add a few cranberries at a time to a small bowl and toss the cranberries in the sugar until they are fully coated. Repeat with all the cranberries in small batches. Serve cranberries immediately for best results.
Tips and Tricks
- Dry the Cranberries: Make sure the cranberries dry long enough that they are no longer wet, but still sticky from the simple syrup. This will let them hold an even layer of the granulated sugar coating, but not have the sugar clump.
- Try Powdered Sugar: There is a viral Tik Tok trend making these with powdered sugar instead of granulated. It will give you a more snowy look, and a little less crunch, but still delicious and pretty if you want to try.
- Use Leftover Syrup: The leftover syrup will have a slight cranberry flavor and is so good for sweetening drinks, like cocktails, or sparkling water.
- Great for Garnishing: These are great for garnishing cocktails, pumpkin pie, tarts, cranberry cheesecake, cakes, or even cookies.
Storage Instructions
The cranberries are best eaten or used fresh, but can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 or 3 days. They will soften a bit and if there is any moisture near them the sugar coating will melt off.
These sugared cranberries are such a simple and stunning addition for your holiday season. They’re a mix of sweet, tart, and crunchy, and they’ll make every dessert or drink feel extra festive!
More Cranberry Recipes
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
- White Chocolate Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Sauce // Like Mother Like Daughter
- Cranberry Orange Muffins // Like Mother Like Daughter
If you try this Sugared Cranberries Recipe, please leave a 🌟 rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Sugared Cranberries
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar (divided)
- 2-3 cups Fresh Cranberries
Instructions
- Add 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 cup sugar to a small sauce pan and heat over medium and bring the mixture to a low boil. Let the mixture simmer, or low boil for 2 minutes until the sugar is totally dissolved, stirring occasionally. 1/2 cup Water, 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in the cranberries. Stir the cranberries in the simple syrup for 1 minute, to coat them all fully. 2-3 cups Fresh Cranberries
- Remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon, or pour them through a strainer to remove the liquid. Transfer them to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Let them sit to dry for 1 hour.
- Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar to a medium bowl. Add a few cranberries to the sugar and toss them around to coat them completely in the sugar. Place them in a bowl, or on a plate.
- Repeat with additional cranberries, and serve.
Notes
- Dry the Cranberries: Make sure the cranberries dry long enough that they are no longer wet, but still sticky from the simple syrup. This will let them hold an even layer of the granulated sugar coating, but not have the sugar clump.
- Try Powdered Sugar: There is a viral Tik Tok trend making these with powdered sugar instead of granulated. It will give you a more snowy look, and a little less crunch, but still delicious and pretty if you want to try.
- Use Leftover Syrup: The leftover syrup will have a slight cranberry flavor and is so good for sweetening drinks, like cocktails, or sparkling water.
- Great for Garnishing: These are great for garnishing cocktails, pumpkin pie, tarts, cranberry cheesecake, cakes, or even cookies.
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