Candied Cranberries Recipe delivers glossy, ruby pops that taste sweet, tart, and crisp like tiny candy apples. It suits holiday snackers, cocktail garnishes, and cheesecake toppers, and you can finish a batch in about 6 hours total with just 20 minutes hands-on. I still sneak them from the cooling rack like a kid.
Homemade Candied Cranberries Recipe
This Candied Cranberries Recipe uses three ingredients and simple steps, so you can make a sparkling batch without fuss. You simmer a quick simple syrup, soak, then roll in sugar. No candy thermometer, no drama, just shiny pearls that crunch.
You can scale it for a party tray or keep it small for a cozy movie night. The steps stay the same and the texture stays crisp when you follow the drying notes.
Ingredients You Need
- Fresh cranberries: 12 ounces bag, rinsed and picked over (Ocean Spray works great; choose firm berries)
- Granulated sugar: 2 cups total, divided (C&H or Domino coat evenly)
- Water: 1 cup for syrup
- Pinch of fine sea salt: balances tartness
- Optional flavor boosts: 1 strip orange zest, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional finishing sugars: extra-fine sugar, caster sugar, or sanding sugar for extra sparkle
- Pantry shortcut: use 1.5 cups store-bought simple syrup instead of making your own
- Substitutions: swap half the granulated sugar with superfine for a thinner, glassy coat; turbinado works for a rustic crunch but looks less sparkly; avoid powdered sugar since it melts
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Slotted spoon
- Medium bowl
- Sheet pan lined with parchment
- Wire rack set inside the pan
- Two shallow bowls for sugar rolling
How to Make Candied Cranberries
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 5 minutes
- Inactive: 6 hours
- Total: 6 hours 20 minutes
- Make the simple syrup. Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and the pinch of salt to a small saucepan. Add any whole spices or orange zest if using. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Cool the syrup slightly. Remove the pan from heat and let it sit 5 minutes so the syrup drops below scalding. This step keeps the cranberries from bursting.
- Soak the cranberries. Add the cranberries to the warm syrup and stir to coat. Let them sit 30 minutes at room temp, stirring once so every berry gets syrup love.
- Chill for infusion. Transfer syrup and cranberries to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours. Longer soak equals sweeter centers.
- Drain and dry to tacky. Set a wire rack over a parchment-lined sheet pan. Use a slotted spoon to lift the cranberries onto the rack. Let them dry 30 to 45 minutes until they feel tacky, not wet.
- Set up the sugar stations. Pour 1 cup granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. If you want extra sparkle, pour sanding sugar into a second bowl.
- Coat the berries. Roll small batches of tacky cranberries in the sugar until fully coated. Shake off excess so the crystals look even.
- Air-dry for crunch. Return coated cranberries to the rack and let them sit 45 to 60 minutes until the sugar crust firms up.
- Add a second coat if needed. For ultra-sparkly cranberries, roll them in fresh sugar one more time and dry 20 minutes.
- Use or store. Move the finished candied cranberries to an airtight container. Keep some out for snacking, since temptation strikes fast.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- Dry the berries to tacky before rolling or the sugar will clump and slide off.
- Keep the syrup warm, not hot, to prevent burst skins.
- Work in small batches when rolling so the first coat sticks evenly.
- Use fine or caster sugar for a glassy look; use sanding sugar for extra sparkle.
- Skip powdered sugar; it dissolves and turns pasty.
- Do not rinse after soaking or you will wash off the flavor.
- If humidity runs high, add a second sugar coat to lock in crunch.
- If a few berries burst, still use them for compote or cocktails.
- Flavor the syrup with spices or citrus peels, then strain them out before soaking if you want a clean look.
- Taste a berry after drying; if you want more sweetness, give them a quick re-roll.
Variations I’ve Tried
- Citrus cranberry: orange zest strip and a few drops of orange extract in the syrup.
- Spiced cranberry: cinnamon stick and star anise in the syrup for cozy warmth.
- Vanilla cranberry: split vanilla bean in the syrup for floral sweetness.
- Ginger cranberry: add a few slices of fresh ginger to the syrup, then strain.
- Sparkling mix: toss half the batch in superfine sugar and half in sanding sugar for a mixed texture bowl.
- Rosé syrup: replace half the water with rosé wine, simmer to cook off alcohol, then soak.
How to Serve Candied Cranberries
Pile them on cheesecakes, lemon tarts, pavlovas, or vanilla ice cream for sweet-tart contrast. Skewer a few for a cocktail garnish, or scatter them on a rosemary sprig for a festive look. Add them to a cheese board with brie, aged cheddar, and salty nuts. Fold extras into yogurt parfaits or pancake stacks for a crunchy pop.
Make-Ahead
Store fully dried candied cranberries in an airtight container at room temp for 2 to 3 days. Refrigerate up to 1 week for longer keeping, then re-roll in a little sugar if moisture dulls the crust. I do not freeze finished candied cranberries since thawing melts the sugar shell. Freeze plain cranberries instead and candy them fresh when you need them.
Nutrition Information
- Serving size: about 1/4 cup
- Approximate per serving: 150 calories, 0 g fat, 39 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 35 g total sugars, 0 g protein, 2 mg sodium
- Numbers vary based on how much sugar sticks and any flavor add-ins
- This treat runs sweet, so balance it with protein or dairy if you snack straight from the jar
Candied Cranberries Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves completely to make a simple syrup. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add cranberries to the syrup and gently stir to coat. Do not let the syrup boil with the cranberries in it.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer the coated cranberries to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let excess syrup drain and allow to dry for about 1 hour.
- Roll the sticky cranberries in the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar until evenly coated.
- Let candied cranberries dry for another hour until the sugar coating is crisp.