These candied cranberries have a crunchy candy coating and are so fun to eat. They only need 3 ingredients and are easy to make. They can easily be customized to add more flavors and make a great holiday treat to serve as an appetizer or dessert.
These candied cranberries are inspired by the popular viral candied cranberries, but my version is faster and easier. These are such a fun treat to serve at a party. The cranberries have a crunchy sugar coating and make a satisfying popping sound when you bite through. The mix of sweet and sour make these a delicious treat.
Ingredients
- Cranberries
- Powdered sugar
- Juice or soda
Cranberries: This recipe uses fresh cranberries. It will not work with frozen cranberries which have a different texture and have too much moisture.
Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is used to create a crispy candy coating around the berries. I did try a version with granular sugar and found that it doesn’t work as well. Because powdered sugar is one of the main ingredients in this recipe, you do want to choose a good quality brand of powdered sugar. Some of the cheaper brands too much cornstarch which can create an unpleasant aftertaste.
Juice or soda: I’ve seen these candied cranberries made with orange juice, Sprite, sparkling wine and more. I usually use orange juice or Sprite. What is important is that it is a liquid with sugar because when the berries are soaked in the liquid, some of that liquid sticks to the outside of the cranberries which is what allows the sugar coating to stick on. Some of the flavor of the liquid does linger on the cranberries as well so you do want to also choose a liquid with a flavor that pairs well with cranberries.
How to Make Candied Cranberries
- The cranberries are first soaked in juice or soda for one hour. Unlike most other recipes, you don’t need to soak the cranberries overnight or for 24 hours. I’ve tested them at different stages of soaking and found the results nearly identical. Cranberries are not very porous so they don’t really soak up much of the liquid which means a longer soak time doesn’t really affect the berries. The liquid is there to coat the outside of the cranberries so that the sugar will stick on. You also get a hint of flavor from the liquid used since it is on the outside of the cranberries.
- After soaking the cranberries, drain them from the liquid using a strainer, but let the cranberries stay wet. Add the cranberries to a large ziploc bag. Add in the powdered sugar and seal the bag. Shake the bag vigorously until all the cranberries have a thick white coating.
- Transfer the coated cranberries to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 200F and bake for 5 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. The purpose of putting the cranberries into the oven is so that the sugar coating melts a little onto the cranberries, creating a sugar candy shell around them.
- Allow the cranberries to fully cool and chill before eating.
What are Candied Cranberries
Candied cranberries are a Russian treat that recently became a viral sensation on TikTok. They are different from classic sugared cranberries, another popular holiday treat that involves coating cranberries in simple syrup and then rolling them in granular sugar. For this version, the cranberries are soaked in a liquid, then coated in powdered sugar and baked briefly in the oven. The result is a crispy candy coating, a satisfying pop when you bite through, and a burst of tart juice, making these taste like Sour Patch Kids or other sweet and sour candies.
While I prefer the appearance of classic sugared cranberries, I do feel like these candied ones are more fun to eat. The crispy candy coating also does a better job at masking the sour and sometimes bitter flavor of fresh cranberries.
Expert Tips
- Soaking the cranberries for a one hour versus 12-24 hours really doesn’t make much of a difference. If you are short on time, you can just soak the cranberries for an hour or a few hours.
- Make sure to choose a good quality brand of powdered sugar. Some cheaper brands add too much cornstarch which can create a chemical aftertaste. In addition, if you are someone who is sensitive to the taste of powdered sugar and often feel like it leaves a soapy or chemical taste in your mouth, you may want to try using a powdered sugar that is mixed with tapioca starch instead of cornstarch.
- Don’t let the cranberries bake too long in the oven. You don’t want to actually cook the berries because then they will be soft and their juices will leak out.
- I don’t recommend coating the cranberries in simple syrup. Simple syrup is too sticky and doesn’t have enough liquid. When I tested a simple syrup version, too much of the powdered sugar stuck on and it never formed a crispy candy coating because there wasn’t enough liquid to dissolve some of that powdered sugar.
More Candy Recipes
3 Ingredient Candied Cranberries
Ingredients
- 2 cups (210 g) fresh cranberries rinsed and patted dry
- 2 cups (16 fl oz/473 ml) orange juice or Sprite (or other similar sodas)
- 1 cup (106 g) powdered sugar see note before starting
Instructions
- Add cranberries to a large bowl. Pour in juice or soda. Your cranberries should be covered in liquid. Let the cranberries soak in the liquid for about one hour. You can let them soak longer than one hour. If you plan on soaking for a few hours or overnight, make sure to keep them in the fridge.
- Use a large kitchen strainer to remove the cranberries from the soaking liquid. Do not shake or dry off the cranberries. You want them to be wet. Place the cranberries into a large ziploc bag (you can also use a large clear container with a lid).
- Add in the powdered sugar. Seal the bag (or seal your container) and shake the cranberries vigorously until they are all fully coated in powdered sugar. You do want a fairly thick coating over the cranberries (you really shouldn't see the red color peeking through).
- Preheat your oven to 200°F (93°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer your cranberries to the parchment lined baking sheet, spreading them out so they aren't touching.
- Bake the cranberries for about 5 minutes. When the cranberries are done, you should notice that the sugar coating around the berries is solid and firm and not loose and powdery still. Mine are usually done between 4-5 minutes. Be careful not to bake too long because the cranberries will start to cook, which you don't want.
- Let cranberries fully cool before eating. I like letting them cool to room temperature and then placing them in an airtight container to chill in the fridge for about 1 hour before eating them. Store any uneaten cranberries in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
- Cranberries note: When rinsing/washing your cranberries, discard any soft berries.
- Powdered sugar note: Make sure to use a good quality brand of powdered sugar. Some cheaper brands add too much cornstarch which can result in an unpleasant aftertaste. Some people also find that powdered sugar leaves a soapy or chemical taste. If you know this to be true for you, I recommend to try using a powdered sugar mixed with tapioca starch instead of cornstarch (many organic brands like Whole Foods brand powdered sugar is made with tapioca starch).
- I used C&H powdered sugar (Amazon | Target | Walmart).*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- You can increase the recipe. Just stick to the general ratio that for every cup of cranberries you will need 1 cup of liquid and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
- Some people also use sparkling wine or champagne as the soaking liquid. As long as it is a sugary beverage, it should work. Avoid coating the cranberries in just syrup. See post for more details.
- Unlike many other recipes out there, my version does not require soaking the cranberries for a long period of time. I've found that it doesn't make much of a difference.
- This recipe yields approximately 150 candies. The nutrition estimate is for 1 candied cranberry. The nutrition is calculated assuming 1/4 cup of orange juice because very little juice ends up on the cranberries.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
