Home > Recipes > > How to Make Sugared Cranberries
by Michelle
December 14, 2016 (updated Dec 17, 2018)
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4 (1 rating)An easy recipe for sugared cranberries – a beautiful, sparkly garnish for your holiday desserts and co*cktails!
We’re knee-deep into December, holiday baking, gift-wrapping and, as of today, lots of fluffy white snow(!). That means that as far as I can tell, it’s prime time for all of pretty, sparkly things.
These sugared cranberries? They totally qualify as pretty and sparkly. (And delicious, too!)
I have long seen sugared cranberries garnishing holiday desserts and co*cktails that feature cranberries, but for some reason (no idea why?) I thought they were some kind of high maintenance garnish. I could not have been more wrong! These couldn’t be easier to make and add such a gorgeous punch to festive recipes.
So how easy are these sugared cranberries?
First, make a simple syrup by simmering together water and sugar until the sugar dissolves (takes a few minutes). Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl, then add the fresh cranberries. Stir and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, drain your cranberries, then roll them in sugar. Toss them onto a baking sheet for about an hour so they can dry.
That. Is. It.
Such little effort for such a pretty outcome!
I used these sugared cranberries to top a phenomenal batch of cupcakes that I’ll be sharing with you tomorrow; stay tuned because they’d make an awesome holiday party (or Christmas) dessert option.
I’ve linked to some other recipes below that would be great touse sugared cranberries to garnish. Also, if you have a favorite holiday co*cktail, these make a fabulous addition! Just plop them right in! You could also just keep them (or extras) in an airtight container and snatch a few throughout the day (this totally happened at my house).
I just love when my preconceived notions about a recipe’s difficulties are shattered. Easy, pretty, sparkly things are what December is all about, right?!
One year ago: Homemade Marshmallows
Five years ago: Eggnog Fudge
Six years ago: Homemade Peanut Brittle
Sugared Cranberries
Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Resting time: 7 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 8 hours hrs
An easy recipe for sugared cranberries - a beautiful, sparkly garnish for your holiday desserts and co*cktails!
4 (1 rating)
Print Pin Rate
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, divided
- ½ cup (125 ml) water
- 1 cup (100 g) fresh cranberries
Instructions
Combine ½ cup of the sugar with the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour the simple syrup into a heat-proof bowl and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Add the cranberries and stir to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight, stirring a couple of times to coat with syrup.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Place the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Drain the cranberries, then roll them in the sugar. You may need to roll them a few times to get a couple of layers of sugar on them. Place the sugared cranberries on the prepared baking sheet and allow to dry for 1 hour before using.
Notes
You may need to add more sugar for rolling the cranberries at the end, depending on how much simple syrup is still clinging to the cranberries. Just add more as needed.
Nutritional values are based on one cup
Calories: 626kcal, Carbohydrates: 162g, Sodium: 9mg, Potassium: 85mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 153g, Vitamin A: 60IU, Vitamin C: 13.3mg, Iron: 0.3mg
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Author: Michelle
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Outtakes
Chubby toddler hands tried stealing my cranberries while I was photographing!
Recipes Using Sugared Cranberries
Some sugared cranberry inspiration for you:
Cranberry Orange Margaritas (Half Baked Harvest)
Fresh Cranberry Ginger Margaritas (How Sweet It Is)
Buttermilk Chess Pie (Love and Olive Oil)
Cranberry Orange Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Oh Sweet Basil)
Overnight Pull-Apart Brioche Cinnamon Roll Bread (Half Baked Harvest)
Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes (Diethood)
Originally published December 14, 2016 — (last updated December 17, 2018)
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10 Comments on “How to Make Sugared Cranberries”
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Dana Finch — Reply
Do you think these could be made with frozen cranberries?? I know it’s less than ideal but it’s hard to find cranberries once thanksgiving passes.
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Tony Smith — Reply
Hello. These look yummy. Do they become soft enough to top on frosted cupcakes?
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Michelle — Reply
They are certainly edible!
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Sabrina B. — Reply
I had not seen these before, somehow completely missed them and are new to me, so thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
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Pam C. — Reply
Michelle, are the cranberries cooked through when you use this method? Or is the idea for them to be firm and crunchy? Thanks!
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Pam, They are not cooked through; they are meant to be firm and crunchy.
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G Dowdy — Reply
In one of your posts you told us about Colletteys Cookies. You gave us a Link. Because it came from your blog and was such a sweet story, I ordered the cookies right away. I am now under the impression that this was a scam. They took the $ from my account within seconds of ordering and I have never heard anything since then. There is No Way that I can find to contact her. No phone, no email, nothing. Did you order from her ? What was your experience ?
Thank you, Glynda
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Michelle — Reply
I have not yet placed an order, but really doubt that this is a scam – there are a few Boston-area businesses partnering with her.
I know there was a follow-up story about the flood of orders she received (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cookie-orders-roll-in-business-owned-by-woman-with-down-syndrome/), and I was able to find a contact form on her website if you want to get in touch (http://www.colletteys.com/contact.html).
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Stacy — Reply
I was wondering how long these keep for?
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Stacy, Mine went pretty quickly, but I would probably say up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container. I’ll update the recipe with that information!
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