Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas is only six weeks away… Time to make sparkling Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries.
I took my dog for a walk this morning and reveled in the clean crisp air, gingerly scented with decomposing leaves and pin needles.
I don’t know what it is about that earthy aroma that makes me so happy. Like a whispering woodland fairy, it always reminds me to start planning for the holidays. No time to waste.
I always like to make Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries in preparation for the holidays.
Candied cranberries are extremely simple to make, and impressive at any Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years table.
Like nature-made Sour Patch Kids, candied cranberries are sweet and tart.
Plus they are so pretty!
Just think of all the wonderful ways to use them:
- Place them in a candy dish to be gobbled up by the handful.
- Use as a fancy garnish for holiday pies, cakes, or savory dishes.
- Fill martini or champagne glasses with them to decorate your holiday table.
- Place them in little tins or gift bags for small edible gifts.
- One more bonus, the leftover vanilla-orange simple syrup absorbs the essence of cranberry, so save it for irresistible holiday cocktails.
Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries are a must-make this holiday season.
Just soak the berries in vanilla orange syrup, then shake in sugar. Viola!
Vanilla Orange Sugared Cranberries
Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cups sugar, divided
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange extract or Grand Marnier
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries (1 bag) about 3 cups
Instructions
- Combine 2 1/2 cups of sugar, water, vanilla, and orange extract in a sauce pan. Heat over medium until the sugar has completely dissolved, but not boiling.
- Pour in the cranberries and stir. The hot syrup will loosen the skin, saturate the berries, and adhere to the berries over time. Cover the cranberries with a small plate to keep them mostly submerged. Then cover the pan and place it in the refrigerator over night.
- Place the remaining 1 1/4 cup of sugar in a rimmed dish. Strain the cranberries and place them in the sugar. Shake until they are completely coated. Carefully transfer them to a baking sheet to dry, about an hour.
- Once the sugar coating is hard, place them in an air-tight container and keep in a cool spot for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition
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Delicious, easy, but the bonus syrup it makes is even more versatile, great for hot tea or wintry cocktails
Can I freeze them
Hi Trish,
Yes, as long as they are cool and dry, you can place them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Made these last year and they blew everyone’s mind. My wife loved them and has requested them again for this weekend’s holiday cookie decorating party. The kicker is making Cranberry Margaritas with the syrup afterward. Fresh squeezed lime juice, tequila, and a few spoonfuls of that Ruby red cranberry Orange vanilla syrup on the rocks. BOOM. Feliz navidad mofos
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I made this today. I used orange extract and I saved the juice. I have no idea what to do with the juice yet, but I know there has to be something I can do with it! This is good. Thank you. I’m thinking of the different things I can add these to. Salads, sweet breads, oatmeal, yogurt, etc.
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I’d like to turn these into edible garlands and gingerbread house decorations, do we think they’ll keep ok at room temperature and still be edible for any length of time?
Hi Nicola,
Hmmm… It’s still just a berry inside, so I can’t imagine they would last very long. Sorry!
We make this recipe a lot in my kitchen! I love it! We use them as garnishes and just eat them. Today I am making them to top our Chocolate orange cheesecakes for a party. I left them in a sealed container on our shelves to see how long they would last. On day 3 they had started to ferment and lost some of the sweetness. The next day the sugar had started to melt off and we tossed them. So, maybe that is helpful to you :)
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My toddler loves these. Of course, we made the alcohol-free version with orange extract. And I’m keeping the syrup. Might be nice to infuse other deserts with it. Or maybe even too add a teaspoon or two to some sparkling wine. ;-)
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I’ve done these cranberries for the last three years for holiday parties. So, so easy.
They disappear like magic – the sweet/tart is addicting!
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Any idea how many hours this needs in the fridge? Does it need 8? More? Thanks!!
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Just finished these up today, and they came out great! Using the left over syrup for cocktails! I think a bit of vanilla powder would make these pop just a bit more.
Endless possibiliteis for these little beauties!
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I made your recipe last year during Christmas time and they were a hit!! These cranberries are so gorgeous and delicious. I’m giving away mason jars full of these babies as little pre-Christmas gifts this year. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these last year and my husband ate them up! He even loves them so much he made a specific request for me to make them again this year. I’d call that a winner!
We absolutely loved these! I had to keep hands away from them because I wanted to decorate a cake using the cranberries(which turned out perfectly Christmas-y!)
I did reduce the sugar quite a bit and decided to use Amaretto Liqueur, all working out wonderfully. Thanks so much!
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Using different colored sugars is fun with these. We love to use the golds and silver.
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Just noticing the grams do not equal the cups via Google search. Google says 12oz is equivalent to 1.5 cups. But the ingredients say 12oz is about 3 cups. Please clarify. Was planning on making these. Thanks.
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These are so beautiful sparkling in the bowl! I made a batch and although they are a little too sour for me, my husband and son (big fans of Sour Patch Kids) love them! Thanks for sharing. Happy Holidays!
Oh just saw these on Eat, Play, Love and can’t wait to try them!
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Not only beautiful to look at but an extremely user friendly recipe to make even for the novice of cooks. I will definitely be adding this to my recipe collection. Thank you so very much!
love this idea never heard of candies cranberries,,, They sound yummy
I’ve always wondered if cranberries could be made into sweet berry bites and here you have it. This is just what I’ve been looking for. I bet it’s a bite of tart sweetness. Thanks for sharing!
Great idea! I’ve garnished cakes with candied cranberries before, but it required raw egg. And who would eat that?!
Um, this is brilliant. I’m totally doing this!
What a great idea! I wish I had seen this in time for Christmas…but I just made some candied kumquats in syrup, so perhaps this is something I could try with them in the meantime. I’ve never wanted to try a Christmas recipe so early in the year. Well done!
I've never had sugared cranberries…they sound delicious with the vanilla orange syrup! Perfect for the holidays!
this is the cutest idea! I am going out to the store right now and buying some cranberries so I can do this as well. I am your newest follower.
xo
Your cranberries are beautiful. I made some similar ones…mine got all clumpy! I'll have to try with orange and vanilla!
These are definitely pretty…wonderful flavors :)
I just finished a cranberry dessert last night, these would have been lovely on the side :)
These ares stunningly simple. Now I just have to find fresh cranberries.
Wow…when I first saw the title, I have to admit that I wasn't interested, thinking that it would be raw cranberries. But the bath in the hot simple syrup would make them perfect. You're a genius.
Such pretty cranberries! The vanilla and orange flavor sounds excellent for sure!
These are so pretty and festive. I wonder how much like sour candy they taste like.
What a wonderful flavour! These would be so beautiful on top of a cake as a decoration. It would be so pretty!
*kisses* HH
Wow so festive! Great idea.
You just helped me decide what to make for my (helpful) gate agents and flight attendant friends, while flying during the holiday season. I'm thinking in baby jelly jars, wrapped in striking burgandy toile with a little velvet ribbon! Love!!!!!
This photos is gorgeous! I want it to be my Christmas card. Can you photoshop in my kids? Delicious! Have a wonderful weekend!!
These are so beautiful. No cranberries her ebut excited to try this with other fruit
These are gorgeous! I'd hesitate to eat them at someone's house… they look like they're meant to be admired.
I made these for an event and I will be disappointed if no one eats them. They are delish!
Haha! I see someone else is going for Christmas and holiday posts! In our house, we laugh when someone breaks the 'pre-Thanksgiving ban on all things Christmas'. BUT… yesterday, I baked a beautiful little spice cake and decked it out like Christmas… look on The Spice Garden! To great minds, Sommer! Cranberries and sugar decked cakes … deck the halls!
delicious way to eat cranberries
They look beautiful and I bet they taste even better… and the cranberry infused syrup would make a delicious addition to some iced tea!
Sommer
those cranberries look amazing and are so simple to make!! I can't wait to try them!! Thanks so much for passing along this wonderful creation!
Cheers
Dennis
I too make sugared cranberries for a holiday garnish. Yours looks so festive!
Those are so festive and pretty! They also look like their easy to make. I am going to give this one a try!
Beautiful!!!
What lovely photos and what a lovely idea! I am so excited the holidays are around the corner. Thanks for sharing your recipe and congrats on the top 9 too!!!
These are lovely for the holidays. The cranberries look like they are spinkled in snow! P.S. Your dog is very cute!
wow love these and the snap of you and your dog is adorable
Hi, Sommer! I feel like we haven't chatted in a while, although I am not sure why! Let's remedy that! These cranberries look WONderful, and I love your dog, although I am rather partial to my own. ;)
What a wonderful idea! These sugared cranberries look gorgeous. I imagine that they would look beautiful on a holiday table. You are adorable, by the way. Thank you for sharing. I hope your weekend is full of love and fun.
They look so pretty and festive. Great for the holiday table!
these look fabulous! I will definitely be making these at Christmas time!
Oh, beautiful, Sommer! These photos are gorgeous (as are you!)! I love the idea of making amazing edible decorations. You are helping me feel festive already – wish I were there to enjoy all the activities. ( :
Your sugared cranberries are so cute that I'd throw a party just to make them to show off to my guests :d
thanks for sharing it
What a terrific recipe. And I just love your photos. This is a great idea and looks so beautiful and festive.
Thanks for sharing,
Joanne
I love these! I love your pictures too :)
Candies cranberries are my favorite thing ever! I made a whole bunch last year nd they were gobbled up in minutes. I used plain old simple syrup but lov ethe extra flavors in your version. Thanks for the reminder to make them again.
1. You are the cutest creative ever. Yes, cuter than Kona.
2. These are perfect!
I live in Asheville as well and have always enjoyed seeing the gingerbread house competition! Every year my boyfriend and I enjoy some hot chocolate in the lounging area after looking at all the houses. The Nutcracker is such a treat, too! Your cranberries look delicious! What a festive idea!
These are such great treats. I wish we had cranberries in Greece.
Those are so pretty and festive. Thank you for a timely recipe!
Well this is incredibly timely. I was just looking up how to make sugared cranberries for some desserts I have in mind this Christmas. Thanks! They look beautiful.
Gorgeous! i love cranberries!
woow.. really it looks so good, great idea!
Wow! What a great idea. I am going to make these for Thanksgiving – for sure. Won't everyone be impressed! Do the cranberries soften much?
Hi there! I love the recipes, clear instructions & delicious photography! May I know what camera you use for your shots? Thanks. Will keep coming back for more.
They are so beautiful. What a fantastic idea. Thanks for sharing!
Holy Cranberry! I am going to have to give these a whirl. They look beautiful and sound delicious. We have a lot of cooks in our family and we all are bringing *something special* to Thanksgiving this year. This might have to be my new treat! :)
These are stunning! And sound positively delicious!
Wow Sommer! These are almost too beautiful to eat! Great idea!
whoa they look awesome ! wanna graab a few–:P
This is a great recipe- I have a bag of cranberries and am going to make this RIGHT NOW!! Thanks.
Lisa.
Clever combination of flavors! Thank you for sharing – it looks beautiful.
I am absolutely not thinking Christmas. These are just what it takes to get me in the mood.
How fantastic! These look delicious.. I love the flavors.. I'm going to use this in a slightly different dish.. I'll let you know how it turns out :)
So easy and so pretty? I love that you are presenting us with something so doable and at the same time so chic! Love the grand marnier :)
LOVE THESE…saving!
These sound delicious! Love the idea of grand marnier :-)
Nice, Sommer! I love that you compared these to Sour Patch Kids too-I bet these are much more delicious, and I know they are more wholesome:)
So pretty! Such a great idea as an edible centerpiece, too.
These are wonderful. I can see a ton of uses for these lovelies.
this is so pretty:) thank you for sharing this.
I love this idea! Cranberries are on sale at our Teeter this week, and since I'm having friends over on Sunday, I think I'll try this!
Yum! Great idea!
Wow, these are so easy and they looks so festive and beautiful! I definitely want to make these this year! Thanks so much for sharing. Oh, and yeah, I cannot believe that Christmas is only 6 weeks away, crazy!
I love, love, love this. Seriously, I'm planning a holiday party already just to have these sitting on the counter in dishes to share. I love it!
These sugared cranberries are downright beautiful and festive. What a lovely edible decoration for the table. Saved to recipe file for sure…thx for the inspiration and sharing :)
I had sugared fruit like this on my wedding cake. It is so pretty. I have always wanted to come see the gingerbread houses at Grove Park. Is it just mobbed or are there better times to come? My husband, Paul, makes an amazing gingerbread house every year with candy glazed windows and he lights it from inside.
Gorgeous! I can‘t wait to try them. I love cranberries.
Love this idea! All of the uses are so well thought out and perfect for the holidays. I have a great planning sheet I found for thanksgiving too if you need it!
Hi Kona! You look almost as sweet as your Frauchen. :-))
That's a super duper idea! I didn't know I could do cranberries this way. Thanks!
Angie
I think I'm in love! What a fantastic idea.