Simple sugar cranberries (candy cranberries) are perfect for snacking, adding to Christmas recipes and cranberries in recipes for desserts or drinks, and even holiday decorations for tables. This sugared cranberries recipe uses just three ingredients, so add it to your easy cranberry recipes! Plus, these are fun recipes for kids to make!
How To Sugar Cranberries
I made this as a quick sugared cranberry treat (frosted cranberries) one year for Christmas and my daughter fell in love with them. They’re the perfect mix between tart and sweet!
Now, she asks if we can make sugar glazed cranberries every year because they’re like cranberry candy.
I’ve also made a holiday cake using sugared cranberries for garnish (sometimes called candied cranberries) and it was a so beautiful.
(See the pic after the recipe.)
And, it’s a perfect recipe if you have leftover cranberries from the holidays and you’re wondering what to do with extra cranberries.
(You can even use these for sugared cranberries champagne or other drinks!)
If you’re looking for cranberry recipes or a cranberry dessert for the holidays, cranberries Christmas recipes, or even an easy snack, add these to your list!
Sugaring Cranberries Tips
The success to this cranberry recipe is the drying time.
After you “cook” the cranberries, they will need to dry in order to form a “sticky” coating. This is what the sugar will stick to.
I use two drying racks, crisscrossed so that the cranberries don’t fall through to the counter and the air can still circulate around them.
Wait…
Can you eat sugared cranberries?
Yes, you can eat sugar coated cranberries. They’re not just for decoration! However, if you’re wondering are raw cranberries edible, you probably don’t want to eat uncooked cranberries. Not only are cranberries very tart when they are not sweetened, they are also very acidic for your teeth. Plus, they just don’t taste that great when you have a cranberry not cooked.
How long can you keep sugared cranberries?
You can store sugared cranberries in an airtight container (we just use a resealable plastic bag). Be sure to store them in a cool, dry place. Storing the sugared cranberries this way will make them last for us to a week, but the sugar in cranberries may melt off a little the longer you keep them in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze sugared cranberries?
You can store cranberries (before they are “sugared”) in the refrigerator for around two weeks. If you need to store longer, place in a resealable freezer bag and store flat in the freezer, preferably before you glaze cranberries with sugar.
How long will cranberries keep in the freezer?
You can freeze cranberries for up to a year. However, I wouldn’t freeze sugared cranberries. Once you thaw the frozen sugared cranberries, you may find some of the sugar “melting” off. Instead, freeze the cranberries before they are “sugared” and then sugar them after they are defrosted.
Cranberries Sugar Recipe paired with How Cranberries Grow
If you want to make this into a fun cooking projects with the kids, then you definitely want to talk about cranberries harvest.
I think your kids will have fun learning about how cranberries grow and how they are harvested.
We love Time for Cranberries by
From the book:
From the cranberry bog to the Thanksgiving table, join Sam and his family as they harvest a classic American fruit.
When the vines hang heavy with berries that the autumn winds have turned deep red, it’s time for cranberries, and Sam is finally old enough to help with the harvest!
This charming, lyrical picture book follows Sam and his family as they raise the water in the bog, pick the cranberries, and gather the fruit for processing.
It’s a story of modern family farming in action, showing readers where their food comes from but mostly delighting them along the way.
Listed Age Range: 4-7 years
Let’s get to the candied cranberries recipe and learn how to make cranberries sweet!
How to Make Sugared Cranberries
The cranberry sugar is just plain white sugar, so you don’t need anything special to get this beautiful look.
Easy Sugared Cranberries
This easy sugar cranberries recipe only uses three ingredients! They're so festive that they will quickly become a favorite holiday recipe for eating and decorating!
Ingredients
- 1 package (12 ounce) fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add cranberries and stir until all cranberries are completely wet and coated.
- Transfer cranberries to wire drying racks using a slotted spoon. Let sit for 30 minutes or until cranberries are dry, but sticky, to touch.
- Add remaining sugar to a resealable plastic bag. Working in batches, carefully spoon sticky cranberries (a couple of spoonfuls at a time) into the bag. Seal the bag and gently shake the cranberries until they are completely covered with sugar. Transfer them back to the racks for drying, around 30 minutes. Repeat process until all cranberries are used.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 0gSugar: 34gProtein: 0g
Nutrition information is estimated. Changes to the recipe and use of different brands may cause changes to the nutritional information to vary slightly from the ones provided here.
Cranberry Orange Cake with Sugared Cranberries
Here’s the cake I decorated with the sugared cranberries.
It’s so sparkly and festive, right?
