Sugared Cranberries

5 from 57 votes

Sugared Cranberries are a statement accent for your holiday menu. Serve these sweet-tart, sugar-coated berries on a cheese board or as a sparkling cocktail garnish! Your friends will “ooh” and “ahh” over this easy recipe. 

Cranberries with sugar in a bowl.

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About this Sugared Cranberries recipe

Sugared cranberries will be your new favorite for the holiday season! They’re a perfect, easy recipe to bring to a Thanksgiving or Christmas party

This recipe for sugared cranberries is so simple. Juicy cranberries are coated in simple syrup, then dusted in granulated sugar. Plus, the way they glisten in the bowl is so pretty. They are nicknamed “sparkling cranberries” for a reason!

They are easy to make. And they have so many uses! Use them to decorate a cake, eat them as a snack, put them out with a cheese board or use them as pretty holiday cocktails garnishes.

Note from the author

2024 update: This is still one of my favorite holiday recipes! I first published this recipe back in 2019 and have now updated this post with new photos and tips for making the best-ever sugared cranberries. They are so much fun — I know you are going to love them!

More garnish recipes: Berry Ice CubesCinnamon Sugar RimHomemade SprinklesRosemary Ice Cubes

A hand holds a skewer with three sugared cranberries against a blurred background of a bowl with more cranberries.

Why you’ll love this recipe

You’ll love this recipe, for a few big reasons:

  • You can make this sugared cranberries recipe ahead of time and then focus on other holiday dishes that need to be made the day of your party!
  • This recipe is fresh, delicious, vegan and naturally gluten-free (and if you need gluten-free drinks, don’t miss these tips) and even fits into many other dietary restrictions. Great to serve if you are hosting guests with specific dietary needs.
  • Not only can you eat these as a simple dessert, but they can be served as a gorgeous garnish on any festive cocktail.

That last one is the best. You can serve sugared cranberries on cranberry mimosas and have the most festive holiday table around. There are so many uses for this yummy recipe.

Sugared cranberries arranged in a bowl with a gold spoon.

Ingredients

You only need three simple ingredients to make this festive cranberry recipe. Such a snap to make! If you need a last-minute dessert garnish for all of your holiday desserts, just throw this together in time for Christmas dinner. Here are the basic ingredients you’ll need:

  • cranberries: A bag of fresh cranberries always tend to do best with this sugar-coated cranberries recipe. You can use frozen cranberries; however, they will not retain their liquid and shape for as long as fresh berries. You could make this with dried cranberries, which would give them a Raisin Bran-like texture, which would be delicious on a salad or bowl of oatmeal now that I think about it!
  • simple syrup: This recipe for simple syrup is quite easy. Much better flavor than anything you can buy at the grocery store.
  • granulated white sugar: There are lots of different sugars, but I recommend finding one that is somewhere between a superfine sugar granules and coarse sugar.
  • optional: Some people like to add additional spices like cinnamon or cardamom, or mix in herbs like fresh rosemary.

Someone told me that these candied cranberries taste like natural Sour Patch Kids. I thought it was so funny but so true! The contrast of the tart berries with the sweet sugar coating makes them taste a lot like the popular candy.

Cranberries in a bowl with sprigs of rosemary.

Tools & equipment

I once made sugared cranberries with my friends Lauren and Mackenzie from The World in a Pocket when we attended the Saveur Blog Awards in Cincinnati. One of our afternoon activities was putting together a cheese board for a food styling workshop, so I picked up sugar and cranberries and got to work.

Together we navigated our way through a VERY sparse kitchen. I actually made my sugared cranberries in a colander! So if we can do that, you can make these at your house! Here are a few tools you may need:

  • A small saucepan will be needed to make the simple syrup.
  • Make sure a wire rack on hand to let the simple syrup mixture dry on the tart berries before tossing them in a sugary coating. If you don’t have one of those, parchment paper and a sheet pan will work too.
  • You’ll need a fine mesh strainer to drain excess syrup.
  • Measuring cups and measuring spoons are always a necessary tool. Make sure you are measuring the perfect cup amount of cane sugar and simple syrup.
Close-up of sugared cranberries in a glass bowl.

How to make Sugared Cranberries

Here’s how to make candied cranberries. Let’s get started!

Using a small saucepan, make your own sugar simple syrup. (You can skip this step if you are using store-bought syrup.) You’ll mix equal parts sugar and water and warm it up until the sugar dissolves.

Water being poured into a clear glass bowl filled with fresh red cranberries.
A green spatula stirring fresh cranberries in a clear glass bowl.

Then stir the cranberries into the syrup to coat them well. Drain off excess syrup with a fine-mesh strainer. Keep the leftover simple syrup for cocktails if you like! If you do, you’ll need a glass food storage container or a mason jar.

A glass bowl with cranberries being poured onto a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet.
Fresh cranberries spread on a wire rack over a baking sheet.

Then you’ll lay your cranberries out to dry. I use a wire cooling rack but you can lay wax paper down on a cookie sheet. Just be warned they will be sticky! Let them sit for about an hour. 

A hand pours a cup of sugar into a clear bowl filled with fresh cranberries.
Close-up of red grapes coated in a layer of sugar in a glass bowl.

Once the coated cranberries are dry, toss them into a large bowl of sugar so that each berry has an even sugar coating.

A glass bowl filled with sugared cranberries and a wooden spoon.
A wooden spoon stirring sugared cranberries in a glass bowl.

I used granulated sugar for these because it’s what I had on hand, but you can also use organic cane sugar. The grain of the sugar is going to give them that snowy, sugary look. 

Now they are ready to eat! Place into your favorite serving bowl to serve with other holiday treats or use as a garnish on your favorite cocktail!

closeup of sugared cranberries on a cranberry mimosa.

Uses for sugared cranberries

Sugared cranberries would look perfect as a garnish for my yule mule cocktail or my poinsettia cocktail. This vanilla cranberry old-fashioned can be jazzed up with some glittering berries too!

Make any other simple cocktail with cranberry simple syrup, and use these sparkling cranberries as a lovely addition atop each drink. An Italian soda mocktail would be perfect too.

This Christmas charcuterie board would benefit from these tart, yet sweet, sugary cranberries too.

For a fun change, skip the cranberry sauce with your Thanksgiving turkey and serve these berries instead! They’d be a perfect garnish on your Christmas ham platter too.

You can even use these berries as a beautiful topping for a pie, cupcakes or Dutch poffertjes.

Cranberries in a bowl with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs.

Tips & tricks

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:

  • Make sure cranberries are spread out into a single layer as the syrup layer dries. You won’t want them to dry in one giant clump!
  • If you are having trouble getting all of the cranberries dusted in sugar, toss them in the sugar in smaller quantities. Bit by bit, you can get through the whole batch.
  • Don’t be afraid to use your hands when tossing berries in sugar. Sometimes a spoon just doesn’t do the trick.

FAQ

Are candied cranberries healthy?

Of course, too much sugar isn’t the healthiest thing but these sugared cranberries are a far healthier option than many other holiday desserts! Cranberries have quite a few nutritional benefits and can be a very healthy fruit to consume.

Why won’t the sugar stick to the cranberries?

If you are having trouble getting the sugar to stick to the berries, you may not have tossed them in enough simple syrup. The next time you try them, make sure you use enough syrup. If you are still having trouble, your sugar may be too coarse. Use a finer granulated sugar and see if that helps!

Sugared cranberries in a bowl with sprigs of rosemary.

More cranberry recipes

— Did you make this recipe? —

Please leave a ★★★★★ review or comment below.

Cranberries in a bowl with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs.

Sugared Cranberries

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Rest Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Sugared Cranberries are a sweet and sparkly way to decorate cheese boards, cocktails and holiday menus.
5 from 57 votes
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ingredients

Simple syrup

Sugared cranberries

instructions

Simple Syrup

  • First, make the simple syrup. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together sugar and water until dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool completely.
  • Transfer to a glass jar and seal tightly with a lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. 

Sugared Cranberries

  • In a medium bowl, combine cranberries and simple syrup. Stir to coat all the cranberries.
  • With a fine mesh strainer, drain off any excess simple syrup into a mason jar. Discard or reserve for cocktails if desired.
  • Lay the coated cranberries out to dry on a wire baking rack for one hour.
  • Put cranberries in a bowl and coat with granulated sugar. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

notes

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:
  • Make sure cranberries are spread out into a single layer as the syrup layer dries. You won’t want them to dry in one giant clump!
  • If you are having trouble getting all of the cranberries dusted in sugar, toss them in the sugar in smaller quantities. Bit by bit, you can get through the whole batch.
  • Don’t be afraid to use your hands when tossing berries in sugar. Sometimes, a spoon just doesn’t do the trick.
Uses for sugared cranberries:
  • Cocktail or mocktail garnish (on a cocktail pick/skewer)
  • Decoration for cakes and cupcakes
  • Garnish on a platter of turkey or ham
  • Colorful addition to a charcuterie board or cheese plate
  • Sprinkled on a lunch salad or morning oatmeal

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nutrition information

Yield: 8 servings

amount per serving:

Serving: 0.5cup Calories: 106kcal Carbohydrates: 27g Sodium: 1mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 24g
did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #feastandwestrecipes!
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5 from 57 votes (57 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Anna says

    Cranberry is my big love: it evokes the best memories of my childhood in the North: I picked these berries in the woods with my grandparents. It was really lovely up there!
    I like the way cranberries go with cheese and meat. I even have my own recipe of cranberry sauce (thinking about posting it btw).
    Thank you for sharing this recipe, Susannah! These sugared cranberries look delicious. I imagine their sweet and sour taste…

    • Susannah says

      Hi Anna! I am so glad you shared this story. That sounds like so much fun! A precious memory. Cranberry sauce is the absolute best, so you should totally share your recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by to comment. 🙂

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