Make beautiful sugared cranberries with just 3 simple ingredients (one is water!). Candied cranberries are sweet-tart treats perfect for garnishing holiday drinks and desserts or enjoying as a festive snack. Follow my easy, step-by-step directions to create them yourself!
Candied cranberries add the perfect sparkle to your holiday table, and you only need fresh, firm cranberries, sugar, and water! They look fancy, but they’re so simple to make—seriously, it’s as easy as 1-2-3:
- Let the cranberries take a quick dip in hot sugar syrup.
- Let them dry just enough to get a little sticky.
- Roll ’em in sugar (or different kinds for fun!) for that frosted, sparkly look.
Success Tips:
- Fresh and Firm: As you rinse your cranberries, sort through and toss out any that are soft or wrinkled.
- Drying is Key: Don’t skip this step! If you don’t let them dry long enough, the sugar will melt into the cranberries, but if you wait too long, the sugar won’t stick properly.
- Coarse Sugar is Best: Super fine sugar won’t give you as much sparkle. I like using pure cane sugar along with some other sparkling sugars for extra shine.
You’re going to love these festive little jewels—they’re fun, easy, and a real show-stopper!
I did the testing for you, using three different types of sugar’s — each of them yielding a different, yet beautiful result.
Sugared Cranberry Recipe Ingredients
- ¼ cup all natural cane sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, washed and mooshy ones picked out
- ⅓ – ½ cup coarse decorating sugar, swedish sugar or all natural cane sugar
How to make Sugared Cranberries
- Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture JUST starts to boil.
- Remove from heat immediately, stirring in 1 cup fresh cranberries.
- Allow cranberries to hang out in syrup for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Set out a sheet of waxed or parchment paper on the counter or in a sheet pan, then place a cooling rack on top.
- Remove cranberries using a slotted spoon or drain in strainer and spread onto cooling rack, using a spoon to separate them as much as possible.
- Allow them to dry for 5-10 minutes, then toss a couple at a time into a small bowl filled with sugar of choice (all natural cane sugar, white sugar, clear sparkling decorative sugar or swedish pearl sugar.
- Let sugared cranberries dry on clean rack at room temperature at least 1 hour, refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. (See notes)
Sugared Cranberries | 3 Sugar Varieties
Natural Cane Sugar
All Natural Cane Sugar is my personal favorite, primarily because the sugar covers the most real estate of the cranberry.
Sparkling Decor Sugar
This sugar came in a close second, it is a bit more “blingy” and crunchy if you eat them, however; the sugar comes off easier when handling.
Swedish Pearl Sugar
If you have never decorated with Swedish Sugar you are missing out; for us American’s it fools people, we see this sugar and think “pretzel salt?” but instead of salt, they are little teensy bursts of sweetness. I love using these on my rolled sugar cookies and sugar cookie bites and even cinnamon rolls.
Oops, back to how it works on the cranberries. I liked it, brighter white against the deep dark cranberry color, but like the sparkling sugar, it does not stay on as easily.
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Sugared Cranberry Recipe Tips
- Use fresh, firm cranberries for this recipe
- Try and not over-handle the sticky dipped cranberries, I used a spoon to transfer them to the sugar.
- Using the tips of your fingers, roll the cranberries in the sugar, pressing the sugar into the cranberry.
Ways to use Sugar Coated Cranberries
- Top cakes, cupcakes, pastries with these sparkling gems
- Decorate apple, cranberry, or pumpkin pies
- Garnish holiday cocktails and drinks
- Along with sprigs of fresh rosemary, these are beautiful sprinkled around your turkey platter
- Also gorgeous and delicious by themselves in a pretty crystal glass or dish for nibbling
How to store Sugared Cranberries
I used two sample groups, one covered in a container, the other open to the fridge.
- Those in a covered container started to “melt” a smidge (not much) after about 4 days, these still tasted great and held their shape pretty well.
- Uncovered, they lasted and held their crispness and sparkle longer, about 10 days.
- Uncovered they will last 7-10 in the fridge.
- Covered 3-4 days, but anyway you try them, I was surprised at how well they lasted!
Can you freeze Sugar Coated Cranberries?
I froze a sampling of these sparkly pops of color over night. The sugar did not melt into the cranberries as I suspected they might and they held their shape for about an hour or two before they began to soften, but they still looked pretty. So I would say yes! Try and freeze in a single layer.
Sugar Coated Cranberries FAQs
Absolutely! They are delicious! I was a bit dubious that they would be WAY too tart for consumption, but was so pleasantly surprised to discover that while tart, they had a little burst of sweetness to them. So put some in a pretty crystal glass on your drink table, encourage others to take a taste!
How would you use sugared cranberries? Leave a comment below!
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Sugar Coated Cranberries
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- ¼ cup all natural cane sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup fresh cranberries washed and mooshy ones picked out
- ⅓ – ½ cup coarse decorating sugar swedish sugar or all natural cane sugar (or a couple tablespoons of each in separate bowls)
Instructions
- Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture JUST starts to boil.
- Remove from heat immediately, stirring in 1 cup fresh cranberries.
- Allow cranberries to hang out in syrup for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to coat evenly.
- Set out a sheet of waxed or parchment paper on the counter or in a sheet pan, then place a cooling rack on top to catch drips.
- Remove cranberries using a slotted spoon or drain in strainer and spread onto cooling rack, using a spoon to separate them as much as possible.
- Allow cranberries to dry for 5-10 minutes, then toss a couple at a time into a small bowl filled with sugar of choice; all natural cane sugar, white sugar, clear sparkling decorative sugar or swedish pearl sugar.
- Let sugared cranberries dry on clean rack at room temperature at least 1 hour, refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. (See notes)
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Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Notes
Tips for Easy Coating
- Use fresh, firm cranberries for this recipe
- Try and not over-handle the sticky dipped cranberries, I used a spoon to transfer them to the sugar. Using the tips of your fingers, roll the cranberries in the sugar, pressing the sugar into the cranberry.
Use for Sugared Cranberries
- Top cakes, cupcakes, pastries with these sparkling gems
- Decorate apple, cranberry, or pumpkin pies
- Garnish holiday cocktails and drinks
- Along with sprigs of fresh rosemary, these are beautiful sprinkled around your turkey platter
- Also gorgeous and delicious by themselves in a pretty crystal glass or dish for nibbling
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