These sparkling Cranberries are easy to roll in sugar and make the perfect garnish or topper for any cake, cupcake or cocktail.
Fresh, raw cranberries are a sign of the holidays.
No holiday season would be complete with homemade cranberry sauce on the holiday menu.
These easy sugared cranberries might remind you of the snowy days of winter.
From Thanksgiving through the new year, fresh cranberries are a regular sight any holiday table across America.
I always pick up a bag of cranberries or two from the grocery store when in season to use or freeze for later.
This year I decided to soak them overnight in a simple sugar syrup and roll them in granulated and coconut sugar as a great snack.
They taste like nature-made Sour Patch Kids!
These candied cranberries also make a beautiful garnish for any holiday dessert or cocktail party.
Making these sugar-coated cranberries take just a few simple ingredients.
While superfine sugar turns these cranberries into sparkly little gems, I’ve been on a coconut sugar kick lately.
Like cane sugar, coconut sugar adds a unique subtle sweetness and these little jewels are delicious rolled in this darker coarse sugar.
What to do with a bag of fresh cranberries
Make a batch candied cranberries with a crunchy sugar coating.
I soaked cranberries in a sweet sugar syrup in the refrigerator for about a day.
Once I was ready to roll the cranberries in sugar, I made sure to save the reserve syrup to use in my winter cocktails.
Ingredients to make this sugared cranberry recipe
Fresh cranberries
Sugar
Water
How to make candied cranberries
Make a simple syrup.
Soak the cranberries overnight in the syrup.
Strain the cranberries and let them dry on a shallow dish or baking sheet.
Roll them in sugar.
How to store candied cranberries
While these cranberries are sweetened in a simple syrup soak then rolled in sugar, don’t be surprised by their tart flavor.
They are best used the day they are made.
Store any leftover cranberries in an air-tight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two days.
If they begin to soften and weep, roll them again in a cup of sugar.
Be sure to try these holiday cocktails
- Strawberry Balsamic Smash Cocktail
- Clementine Prosecco Cocktail
- Melon Fizz Cocktail
- Grapefruit Cranberry Elderflower Cocktail
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How to Make Candied Sugared Cranberries
Ingredients
- 12- ounce bag fresh cranberries
- 1 cup water
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the cranberries and toss any that are damaged or bruised.
- Transfer the cranberries a large bowl.
- Add 1 cup cold water and 1 cup sugar to a small saucepan and bring to medium heat stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Remove the pan from the stove top and allow the simple syrup to cool for several minutes.
- Once the simple syrup is cool pour it over the cranberries and refrigerate overnight or until the next day.
- Transfer the cranberries using a slotted spoon to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow the berries to dry for about an hour.
- They will become tacky to the touch. Fill two small bowls with the remaining sugar and the coconut sugar in each.
- Save the syrup mixture for your favorite cocktail.
- Roll or place cranberries a handful at a time in either kind of sugar.
- Once the cranberries are sugared, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to eat or use.
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These would be fun for a Valentine’s Day dessert! They sound absolutely divine!
Thanks Michelle…you’re right! They would be good for Valentine’s Day.
So beautiful for a dessert or just for munching on as snack. Loving those photos!
Thanks 🙂
Ok this might be the prettiest recipe I’ve ever seen! How fun!!! I might have to make these for valentine’s day 🙂
Thanks so much Liz…I appreciate the compliment:)
I love how simple this is but it looks so elegant.
Thanks Peter…elegant and easy.:)
What a great way to use cranberries. Perfect little thing to curb that sweet craving!!
Thanks Gloria. They are the perfect sweet treat:)
Oh my gosh. These are gorgeous! I love your site- it’s laid out so simply!
Thanks so much Jessica. I appreciate the sweet compliment:)
These are so beautiful! I’ve never had coconut sugar, but it sounds delicious. And I love that you saved the cranberry infused simple syrup to use in cocktails!
Thanks Tracy. Coconut sugar tastes great and is super pretty. The simple syrup is delish in any cocktail. A great way to reuse and recycle:)
These are so pretty! I have seen these on Pinterest before and thought that I should try them one day.
Thanks….they taste as good as they look. Soaking them overnight makes the difference in sweetness. You should try them.