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The Easiest Sugared Cranberries Ever from The Food Charlatan
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5 from 1 vote

The Easiest Sugared Cranberries

These gorgeous, sparkling cranberries are the perfect appetizer or dessert garnish for Thanksgiving and Christmas! You don't even have to make your own simple syrup (and risk popping your cranberries). This recipe is totally foolproof. 
Prep Time1 hr
Cook Time0 mins
Chill Time6 hrs
Total Time7 hrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 218kcal
Author: Karen

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries cranberries
  • 1 & 1/2 cups maple syrup
  • 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Rinse the cranberries, discarding any that have become soft.
  • In a tupperware with a lid, stir together the cranberries and maple syrup.
  • Cover and refrigerate overnight, or 6-8 hours.
  • Place the cranberries in a colander set over a bowl so that the syrup drains off (save it for pancakes!)
  • Spread the sugar onto a rimmed baking sheet. Working in 2-3 batches, roll the drained cranberries in the sugar. Kids love this part! I love this part! Lick your fingers!
  • Let the cranberries dry out on the pan, or you can put them on a cooking rack so they get really crisp. Make sure none of them are touching each other.
  • Let them dry out for at least an hour, the more the better. Putting the pan in the fridge speeds this up.
  • Store the cranberries uncovered on a pan or shallow dish. If you cover them or let them touch each other, they will get soggy.
  • If you want to give these away as a hostess or neighbor gift, I recommend layering them in a tin lined with parchment paper. Put another layer of parchment on top before adding a second layer. Tell the recipient to uncover the tin as soon as possible.

Notes

Ways to make this recipe more complicated:
Roll cranberries 3-4 at a time so that there is no chance of the sugar clumping.
Whirl your sugar in a food processor for a minute to make it superfine, or find some superfine (sometimes called caster or baking sugar) at the store. This will make it super sparkly!
Variations:
Add a few teaspoons of orange zest to the sugar that you roll the cranberries in.
Add a slice or two of fresh ginger to the syrup and let it soak overnight, stirring a couple times if possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg