Sugar Cranberries

Sweet and tart sugar cranberries are the perfect little snack, a cocktail garnish, and even the filling for your favorite holiday bread. 

Why We Love This Recipe

This is one of my favorite things to make during the holidays. My family and friends come to expect them. Here are some of the ways I use them.

1. My favorite way to use sugar cranberries is as garnishes for cocktails and mocktails. I skewer them on festive cocktail sticks and even just drop them into a drink to add a little sweetness and zing.
2. These little sugar beauties make a stunning cake or cupcake decoration.
3. Top a glazed cranberry bread with these little gems and they will really make it shine.
4. Use them as a layer in a yogurt parfait with Greek yogurt, honey, and granola.
5. You can top pancakes with them.
6. They make an amazing garnish for your holiday Turkey. Just add some rosemary and sprinkle these on the serving plate and you have a gorgeous dinner platter.
7. And of course, you can just eat them like candy!

Two Ingredients

Let’s Make Sugar Cranberries – and Rosemay too!

1. Add water and 1/2 cup of the sugar (save the remaining 1 cup of sugar) to a stovetop saucepan.
2. Heat to dissolve the sugar completely.
3. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5-10 minutes.
4. Add the cranberries, stir gently, and let them sit for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon and carefully add them to a large bowl with the remaining cup of sugar.
6. Gently mix the berries until they are all covered with sugar.
7. Line a large cookie sheet with paper towels and place a cooling rack on the cookie sheet.
8. Spoon out the berries on the cooling rack and let them sit at room temperature for 2-4 hours to dry.
9. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

10. You can use the leftover cranberry sugar water (simple syrup) and sugar and also make sugar rosemary.

Krazy Kitchen Mom Tips

1. Rinse the cranberries in cool water before using them.
2. When stirring the cranberries in the sugar, use a small spatula so that the cranberries are not smashed and the sugar sticks to each berry.
3. Don’t discard the leftover sugar water. Make cranberry-flavored simple syrup for cocktails and mimosas. Add more fresh cranberries to it, cover, and refrigerate it for 4-5 days.
4. Cranberries are one of my favorite berries but they are very hard to find year-round. For this reason, I buy 5-6 extra bags during the holiday season and keep them in my freezer. That way I have cranberries whenever I want.