This cranberry sauce recipe is sweet, tart and bursting with fresh orange flavor! Made with whole cranberries, orange juice, brown sugar and warm spices, it comes together in just 15 minutes of prep and cooking. It’s an easy, homemade Thanksgiving side dish that you can make ahead of time, so there’s one less thing to worry about on the big day!

I grew up thinking I didn’t like cranberry sauce. My dad loved the canned stuff, and every Thanksgiving my mom would open a can just for him. The rest of us? No thank you!

Then one day, I had a leftover turkey sandwich at a little sandwich shop, and everything changed. That sweet and tart cranberry sauce with the turkey?! I finally understood what I’d been missing!

Now, homemade cranberry sauce is a must-have at our Thanksgiving table. And trust me, once you try it with fresh orange juice and a little brown sugar, you might never go back to the canned stuff!

With only 3 Ingredients I’ll show you how to make the VIRAL sugared cranberries recipe! Fresh cranberries, water, & sugar are a festive way to make your holiday cheese platters, drinks, and desserts look like a winter wonderland!

You guys, I am OBSESSED with how pretty these little cranberries are! Our viral candied cranberries go crazy every Christmas, so I decided to try a sparkling sugared version. And OH MY GOODNESS, they’re gorgeous!

Just coat fresh cranberries in a simple sugar syrup, let them dry and roll them in sugar. That’s it! That sweet, crunchy coating with the tart pop of cranberry is such a fun combination!

Ingredients You’ll Need

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These Viral Candied Cranberries are a holiday hit! Sugared cranberries or Candied Cranberries are easily one of the most beautiful treats, made with only 3 ingredients! They are a sweet-tart snack that you’ll be popping into your mouth all throughout the party!

Last winter we went on a night hike to a Christmas star that’s lit up on a mountainside in Davis County, Utah. It was so much fun and the perfect way to bring a little magic to a mundane week. Afterwards we enjoyed a little birthday cake with a friend that was delicately decorated by their teenage daughter with candied cranberries!

Instantly I realized that I’d never shared our own recipe for the Viral Candied Cranberries!

Ingredients for Candied Cranberries

• Fresh Cranberries: These are the star of the recipe. Their natural tartness balances the sweet coating, and their firm skin helps them hold their shape during the candying process.
• Sprite: The soda acts as a sweet, citrusy soaking liquid that lightly infuses the cranberries with flavor and helps the sugar adhere. Its sugars also contribute to the sticky coating that allows the powdered sugar to cling.
  • NOTE: Any lemon lime soda works great — 7 Up, Starry, Fresca, even Mtn Dew would work. Just don’t use diet soda!
• Powdered Sugar: This provides the delicate, frosty coating. Its fine texture clings easily to the cranberries, creating that pretty snowy finish while adding a sweet counterpoint to the tart berries.

How to Make Sugared Cranberries

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 200℉ and the cranberries and remove any shriveled ones.
2. Soak in Sprite: Place in a bowl and cover with sprite. Allow to sit for 20 minutes and drain in a colander then pour back in a large bowl.
3. Coat in Sugar: Add the powdered sugar. Shake vigorously to evenly coat all berries evenly without clumps.
   • NOTE: If they look slimy, add more powdered sugar. They should look dry.
4. Bake: Using a slotted spoon, scoop the cranberries onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 200℉ for 3-5 minutes.

What to Do With Candied Cranberries (Besides Just Snacking!)

I love to put a bowl of these out during the holidays for the family or friends to snack on but they can be used for many things. They make a great topping for oatmeal or yogurt, and they add a delicious tart bite to a salad.

I’ve seen them used as a decorative garnish for holiday cakes or cupcakes as well just the one we had for my friend’s birthday. The

Get into the holiday spirit with these delicious cranberry crumb bars. It is my favorite way to use up leftover cranberry sauce. Follow our step-by-step instructions and video to create a festive and tasty dessert that is perfect for any holiday gathering.

I got fed up last year with leftover cranberry sauce so for months after Thanksgiving I was testing it in all sorts of recipes to find ways to use it. This is how our cranberry sauce muffins came to be! And it’s the same story for this cranberry crumble bars recipe. I’ve been experimenting with this one and this is finally the winning recipe. They are to die for!

They are the most wonderful combination of creamy cranberry sauce and a chewy sugar cookie, tart shortbread crust!

Ingredients for Cranberry Sauce Bars

We will actually make one crust recipe and we will use it for both the base of the bars and the crumble on top! Then we will make a filling to go in the middle. I’ll include the ingredients for an optional glaze too. Here is everything you will need for each component:

Crust and Topping

• Wet Ingredients: Butter (softened), Cream Cheese (softened), Brown Sugar, White Sugar, Egg, Vanilla and Almond Extract
• Dry Ingredients: All Purpose Flour, Cornstarch, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt

Filling

• Sour Cream: full fat cream cheese
• Eggs: binds the filling together
• Cornstarch: helps thicken the filling
• Vanilla and Ground Cinnamon: add flavor
• Cranberry Sauce: homemade is preferred, but store-bought would work fine too, just don’t use the canned cranberry jelly
• Whole Fresh Cranberries: adds more flavor and texture

Glaze

• Powdered Sugar: acts as the base of the glaze and adds all the sweetness
• Milk: adds richness and creates the glaze
• Vanilla: adds flavor

The measurements for each ingredient can be found down below in the recipe card. This is meant to just be an overview of the ingredients you will need.

How to Make Cranberry Crumb Bars

Let me walk you through each step of this recipe! It might seem like a lot of steps, but it’s super easy.

Crust

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×13 inch baking dish with a piece of parchment. Spray everything with cooking

Rich chocolate brownies with cranberries and pecans are one of my favorite easy-to-make desserts this time of year – it is an unexpected and fun holiday flavor combination.

Served plain or topped with ice cream and hot fudge sauce, I’ve been making cranberry brownies at least a few times every holiday season for years. And without exception, everyone who has tasted them has raved over them.

Cranberry Brownies

The brownie base for this recipe has been my favorite for years. It’s a simple saucepan recipe that comes together in under 10 minutes, making it perfect for snacking any time of day.

The cranberries are a tart counterpart to the rich chocolate fudgy brownies. It’s a fun surprise flavor and they’re always a guaranteed hit on a dessert table. If you haven’t already fallen in love with the pairing of fruit and chocolate, these brownies may convince you to try it soon.

Who doesn’t love a rich, fudge brownie for a sweet snack? The cranberries that have a home in my freezer all year for the Cranberry Christmas Cake have to do double duty for these brownies now too.

Fresh Cranberry Recipes

There’s so much more to fresh cranberries than th