Sugared cranberries are bright and sweet, the perfect garnish that adds sparkle to holiday cakes, pies, or muffins. Dress up your holiday table, charcuterie board, or Thanksgiving turkey platter with these tart and sweet berries. I also love sliding a few of these easy sugared cranberries onto a skewer to serve with holiday cocktails.
This three-ingredient recipe is oh-so-simple and can be scaled smaller or larger to meet your needs! Water and white sugar simmer together to make a simple syrup that is used to soak the berries. The sugar syrup not only cuts the sharpness of the tart berries, but it makes them super sticky so that extra sugar will adhere to the outside, giving the berries a jovial snow-covered appearance. For more cranberry recipes, try my apple cranberry pie recipe, cranberry orange muffins, or oatmeal cranberry cookies.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Water – this three-ingredient recipe starts with a simple syrup made with water and classic white sugar. Simple syrup is an easy blend of sugar dissolved in water. Usually equal parts water and sugar, my recipe uses a bit less water so the syrup is thicker and coats the cranberries better.
Sugar – half of the granulated cane sugar is used to make the simple syrup to soak the cranberries and make them sticky. The remaining sugar is used to make these sparkling cranberries glisten like fresh snow.
Cranberries – one 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries is used for this recipe, but you can scale the recipe up or down as needed. Fresh berries work best!
How to Make Sugared Cranberries
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and 1 cup of sugar. Place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, remove it from the heat.
2. Stir in the fresh cranberries. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper, or place a wire rack inside the pan. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cranberries from the syrup and place them in an even layer on the pan. Allow to dry for 30 minutes.
4. Place the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a shallow dish. Roll the cranberries in the sugar, a few at a time, until fully coated. Let the cranberries dry before using or storing them. Sugared cranberries can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, though they will begin to weep the longer they sit.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Inspect the cranberries before using. Just like any other fresh fruit, there may be a few berries that are soft, discolored, or have been damaged in transit to the grocery store. Before using, take a moment to inspect the berries and discard any outliers or less than fresh cranberries.
- Remove the syrup from the heat before adding the cranberries. Too much heat or continuing to cook the syrup as the cranberries soak will result in the berries bursting open and starting to break down. Once the sugar dissolves fully, turn off the stove and remove the pot from the burner before continuing with the recipe.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the berries. A slotted spoon is the perfect tool to help transfer the syrup-coated berries from the pot to a wire rack to dry. You’ll protect your hands from stickiness, and the extra syrup will drain through the spoon holes.
- Dry cranberries in a single layer. Arrange the cranberries on the wire rack or parchment paper in a single layer with space between each one. This will help them to dry quickly and not stick together.
- For a more rustic appearance, coat cranberries with sugar immediately. If you don’t have time to let the cranberries dry or you prefer a more rustic appearance, coat the cranberries with sugar immediately. The sugar will clump together for a more irregular look.
- To make ahead and store: Arrange the sugar-coated cranberries in a single layer in an airtight container. Place a small bowl of dry rice (a tablespoon is fine) in the container with the candied cranberries. The rice will help absorb excess moisture and keep the sugared cranberries looking their best for up to 2 days at room temperature. Keep in mind that the berries are fresh, so use them within 48 hours for safe consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers keep covered in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Note that as the cranberries sit, they may begin to weep. Place a small bowl of dry rice (a tablespoon is fine) in the container with the cranberries to help keep them dry.
Sugar-frosted cranberries make a beautiful garnish and can be used to add a pop of color to holiday desserts like Christmas pudding or a yule log and cocktails like a cosmopolitan. The snowy appearance of the sugar contrasting with the bright scarlet coloring of the berries are the perfect addition to centerpieces, a cheese board, on top of baked brie, sprinkled over salads, and alongside many desserts. Add sugared cranberries to the top of cranberry sauce, ice cream, or cupcakes, or arrange the berries to decorate platters for the holiday season. These are also a delicious addition to oatmeal or yogurt.
The simple syrup will have a light cranberry flavor so store it in a glass jar with a lid to use in cocktails, add to holiday treats, or soak a cake! For a more pronounced cranberry flavor, stir in a tablespoon or two of cranberry juice if desired! You can even add some orange zest to the syrup for a citrusy punch of flavor.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this sugared cranberries recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Sugared Cranberries
Equipment
- Medium pot
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water (180ml)
- 2 cups granulated sugar divided (400g)
- 1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water and 1 cup of sugar. Place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, remove from the heat.
- Stir in the fresh cranberries. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper, or place a wire rack inside the pan. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cranberries from the syrup and place in an even layer on the pan. Allow to dry for 30 minutes.
- Place the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a shallow dish. Roll the cranberries in the sugar, a few at a time, until fully coated. Let the cranberries dry before using or storing them. Sugared cranberries can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days, though they will begin to weep the longer they sit.
Notes
- Inspect the cranberries before using. Just like any other fresh fruit, there may be a few berries that are soft, discolored, or have been damaged in transit to the grocery store. Before using, take a moment to inspect the berries and discard any outliers or less than fresh cranberries.
- Remove the syrup from the heat before adding the cranberries. Too much heat or continuing to cook the syrup as the cranberries soak will result in the berries bursting open and starting to break down. Once the sugar dissolves fully, turn off the stove and remove the pot from the burner before continuing with the recipe.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the berries. A slotted spoon is the perfect tool to help transfer the syrup-coated berries from the pot to a wire rack to dry. You’ll protect your hands from stickiness, and the extra syrup will drain through the spoon holes.
- Dry cranberries in a single layer. Arrange the cranberries on the wire rack or parchment paper in a single layer with space between each one. This will help them to dry quickly and not stick together.
- For a more rustic appearance, coat cranberries with sugar immediately. If you don’t have time to let the cranberries dry or you prefer a more rustic appearance, coat the cranberries with sugar immediately. The sugar will clump together for a more irregular look.
- To make ahead and store: Arrange the sugar-coated cranberries in a single layer in an airtight container. Place a small bowl of dry rice (a tablespoon is fine) in the container with the candied cranberries. The rice will help absorb excess moisture and keep the sugared cranberries looking their best for up to 2 days at room temperature. Keep in mind that the berries are fresh, so use them within 48 hours for safe consumption.
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