Sugared Cranberries are a fun and festive dessert for your holiday table. Like a homemade candy made with fruit. Tangy, sweet and tart, 3 methods to make this holiday favorite. Use as a dessert garnish to level up your holiday celebrations.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Festive - adds holiday flair to your Thanksgiving or Christmas table
- Easy - only takes 30 minutes to make
- Unique - not usually founding stores, everyone will be talking about these tasty treats!
Sugared Cranberries Origins
Sugared Cranberries (клюква в сахаре) are a Russian and Slavic treat enjoyed as far back as the 1800's. It's considered a dessert or treat, and can even be bought in stores in Eastern Europe. It's so easy to make sugared cranberries at home.
Ingredients
- whole cranberries
- white sugar for sugar syrup
- icing sugar
How to Serve Sugared Cranberries
Sugared Cranberries are a tasty treat or dessert, especially made around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
- alongside a cheeseboard, fruit board or dessert board
- garnish for Berry Pavlova Wreath
- toppings for holiday cakes or cupcakes
- in a candy dish on your holiday table to enjoy with Citrus Spiced Tea
White Sugar or Icing Sugar?
There are a few different ways to make Sugared Cranberries. They're made with the same method, but you can choose to use icing sugar or white sugar. They taste the same, but look different.
When using icing sugar, the cranberries will resemble fluffy pink and white snowballs. This is especially true if you take the effort to carefully roll them in the icing sugar properly, covering the whole red cranberry, without rushing.
How to Make Sugared Cranberries
There are a few different ways to make candied cranberries. Frosted Cranberries are coated with regular white granulated sugar. Russian style Sugared Cranberries are usually coated with thick Icing Sugar, plus there is an egg white method too!
Frosted Cranberries Method
- Sugar Syrup - make a hot sugar syrup by heating sugar and water in a saucepan
- Coat - In small batches, gently place cranberries into the sugar syrup and mix until coated. Remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon and place on parchment paper (or a wire baking rack)
- Roll - Place white sugar into a bowl. Working in batches, place cranberries into the sugar. Don't allow the sticky cranberries to touch each other. Gently roll them around in the sugar until they are completely coated
- Set - Place coated cranberries on parchment paper to allow them to harden up and set for 1 hour
Sugared Cranberries Method
- Sugar Syrup - make a hot sugar syrup by heating sugar and water in a saucepan
- Coat - In small batches, gently place cranberries into the sugar syrup and mix until coated. Remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon and place on parchment paper (or a wire baking rack)
- Sift and Roll - Sift icing sugar into a bowl. Working in batches, place cranberries into the icing sugar. Don't allow the sticky cranberries to touch each other. Holding the bowl, gently roll cranberries in a circular motion for at least 2 minutes, until completely coated
- Set - Place coated cranberries on parchment paper to allow them to harden up and set for 1 hour
Egg White Method
- Egg Whites - Whisk 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Coat - Carefully coat all the cranberries with the egg white mixture
- Separate - Place cranberries into a sieve to allow excess egg whites to drain from cranberries
- Roll - Place sifted icing sugar into a bowl. Working in batches, place cranberries into the icing sugar. Don't allow the sticky cranberries to touch each other. Holding the bowl, gently roll cranberries in a circular motion for at least 2 minutes, until completely coated
- Set - Place coated cranberries on parchment paper to allow them to harden up and set for 1 hour
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Use your Hands - when rolling the cranberries in sugar, only use your fingers to separate cranberries that are stuck together, utensils can pierce the berries
- Regular Sugar - frosted cranberries only works with regular sugar, don't use superfine, berry or caster sugar as the grains are too small and will dissolve
- Dry the Cranberries - if using the egg white method, ensure cranberries are completely dry before coating in the egg whites - leave out overnight if necessary
- Vanilla - add vanilla essence to your sugar syrup mixture
- Don't Rush - allow the sugared cranberries to set by leaving them at least for an hour on parchment paper. This allows the sugar to solidify around the berries, then they can stack nicely on top of each other in a bowl.
Fresh or Frozen Cranberries?
Both! You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe, just make sure you fully thaw out the frozen cranberries. Frozen cranberries are cheaper and usually available year round. If you can't find cranberries (not likely), you can use Lingonberries or Cowberries (even harder to find). In my mind, they are interchangeable, same but different!
How to Store Sugared Cranberries
Sugared Cranberries don't need to be refrigerated. Store at room temperature in an airtight container. They should last 3-4 days.
Holiday Recipes You'll Love
- Christmas Punch with Cranberries
- Honey Cookies - Pryaniki
- Family Friendly Egg Nog
- Pavlova Trifle with Meringues
- Sticky Date Pudding
Whether you're making Sparkling Cranberries or Cranberry Snowballs, everyone will love the sweet and tangy taste. A bit crunchy on the outside, with a slightly sour cranberry explosion on the inside. Make you holidays extra special. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cranberries
- ½ cups white sugar for syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 1½ cups icing sugar sifted
Instructions
- Dissolve white sugar and water in a saucepan, heating up over medium until the sugar syrup is completely dissolved. Hot but not boiling.
- In small batches, gently place the cranberries into the sugar syrup and mix until coated. Remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon and place on parchment paper (or on a wire baking rack).
- Sift icing sugar into a bowl. Working in batches, place cranberries into the icing sugar. Don't allow the sticky cranberries to touch each other. Holding the bowl, gently roll cranberries in a circular motion for at least 2 minutes, until completely coated.
- Place coated cranberries on parchment paper to allow them to harden up and set for 1 hour.
©PetersFoodAdventures.com
