20 Cranberry Recipes to Try This Season
by Katie Webster
October 29, 2019 (updated 5/23/23) Jump To Recipe
Here’s a list of 20 cranberry recipes to try this season. From pizza to cocktails, cranberry sauce to cranberry cake, I’ve got a range of from-scratch fresh cranberry recipes for everyone!
Table of contents
When these tiny red fruits start popping up in the market in October they are a sign that Fall and the holidays are here. They’re just so festive! Plus, of course, they are super healthy also.
So I have collected links for some of my favorite healthy cranberry recipes to share with you. We have them in bread, bars and even on flatbread! Thank you to all of the other bloggers who contributed these amazing good-for-you cranberry ideas.
How to Buy Fresh Cranberries
You can find cranberries fresh, frozen, or dried. For the following recipes, you can use either fresh or frozen. I have a whole host of dried cranberry recipes, but for this roundup I wanted to make a useful resource for you to enjoy fresh cranberries while they’re in season.
Produce Department:
At the market, especially in natural food stores or Whole Foods, you can find fresh cranberries in bulk in the produce department, often in a big trough of water with a slotted scoop to get them out. Since cranberries float, you can just scoop them right out. I love buying them this way, and I try to find local Vermont cranberries whenever they’re in season.
Other times, and most commonly, you’ll find cranberries sold in 12-ounce bags in the produce department.
Freezer Section:
Sometimes you can find frozen cranberries in bags. The vast majority of the time you can use frozen cranberries in place of fresh ones. Unlike frozen raspberries, they do not weep when thawed, so you have more wiggle room in making the substitutions.
What to Look For:
Avoid cranberries that are wrinkled or look like they are softening. These are not good and should get composted. If you’re purchasing bulk cranberries, avoid the ones that don’t look fresh. The others should be fine.
How to Store Cranberries:
Once you get them home, make sure they are dry and store them in the refrigerator.
Tips For Cooking With Fresh Cranberries
- Why Cranberries Burst When Cooked: Cranberries are hollow, so when they are simmered or cooked the air inside heats up and expands, and then the cranberry bursts. If you are making a cranberry sauce (see below for my fave) you’ll want to be on the lookout for that mini berry explosion, and that’s when you know your cranberry sauce is done.
- Using Cranberries in Baking: For baking recipes, cranberries can be added in raw, either whole or chopped depending on the recipe.
- Using Frozen Cranberries: If you have frozen berries, you can use them while they are still frozen! When in doubt, check the notes of the recipe you are using.
- Balance Flavors: Cranberries are very tart and astringent, so when cooking with them, add contrasting flavors, such as sweet or salty to help balance them out.
20 Fresh Cranberry Recipes
These Cranberry Crumb Bars are an all time favorite baking recipe for a Christmas dessert or afternoon snack and any time around the winter holidays.
Help yourself to a slice of this sweet and tart Cranberry Cake with Almond Flour. It is made with sour cream instead of butter to give it a tender texture!
This Cranberry Sauce with Orange is one of my most beloved Thanksgiving recipes here on Healthy Seasonal Recipes. It’s an annual tradition! It’s made with fresh orange segments, orange juice and allspice, and cooked into a sweet and tart whole-berry cranberry sauce.
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Tacos with Cranberries From Food Faith Fitness. These healthy, gluten-free slow cooker pork tenderloin tacos are packed with spicy-sweet fall flavor, and are an easy, weeknight, meal that the whole family will love!
This roasted cranberry and goat cheese flatbread is a non-traditional pizza. It is an unexpected holiday party appetizer.
It’s a healthy, easy cranberry vinaigrette for dressing up fall and winter salads. You’ll want to keep this recipe handy since it is a nice way to switch up your usual salad routine and it has tons of flavor. It is also special enough for Thanksgiving or your holiday table.
This Cranberry Orange Mulled Wine is the perfect drink for your holiday party and a great Thanksgiving Recipe!
Here’s a Maple Cranberry Apple Pie recipe for Thanksgiving with a deep dish whole grain crust and a sweet crumble topping. It's no joke one of my favorite pies of all time.
This smoothie is vegan-friendly! From Peas and Crayons. This festive Cranberry Mango Layered Smoothie combines two tasty layers of fruit with hidden veggies for a layered smoothie that’s so easy to make!
This almond cranberry bread is a healthy, refined sugar-free and whole-grain recipe that makes a super holiday gift from the kitchen. It is also a kid-friendly snack for after school, or perfect to bring along if you are going to visit friends or family over the holidays.
If you are looking for a make-ahead breakfast casserole for Christmas morning, look no further. This Cranberry Apple Christmas Casserole will be a huge hit with the whole family and it can be assembled the day before. It’s made with vanilla Greek yogurt, fresh cranberries, sourdough bread, eggs and it’s topped with a crunchy nut streusel topping.
Roasted chicken made with a delicious balsamic chicken marinade, cranberries, and fresh thyme. This paleo one pan chicken recipe is beyond easy!
Sugared cranberries are a wonderful holiday treat and add an extra festive touch to baked goods and cocktails (or mocktails). They are easy to make and once you make a batch you’ll be hooked. Fun gift idea too!
This is my mom's recipe for raw cranberry relish with ground up orange and raspberry jam. It only takes 1o minutes to make and it can be made up to two days before Thanksgiving.
These crispy Almond Waffles with Cranberry Orange Honey Syrup are EVERYTHING! They’re crisp as all good waffles should be, and then they are also almondy (like the flavor of an almond macaroon) That alone renders them too good. But then the tart sweet cranberry orange honey syrup makes them an absolute treat.
Sweet, tangy, colorful, and toasted. These Roasted Balsamic Cranberry and Brie Crostini make for s snazzy Holiday appetizer.
This delicious Cranberry Crisp recipe is made with lots and lots of fresh cranberries, it’s easy to prep ahead of time, and it’s the perfect holiday dessert! Feel free to bake it up in a 9-x-9-inch baking dish, or in cute little mini individual ramekins.
Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Cranberry Horseradish Chutney is the perfect protein packed Thanksgiving appetizer!
This cranberry smoothie bowl is packed full of cranberries, mixed berries, bananas, almond milk and topped with coconut, chia seeds and nuts. It's healthy, delicious and the perfect holiday rush breakfast.
More Fall Recipes You’ll Love
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Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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20 Cranberry Recipes to Try This Season
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 18 servings 1x
Description
When cranberries start popping up in the market in October they are a sign that Fall and the holidays are here. They’re just so festive! These Cranberry Crumb Bars with Clementines are a favorite. They have a simple crust that doubles as the crumb topping with almonds. There are fresh clementines mixed into the cranberries and coconut oil and coconut flakes added as well. They were adapted from The Simple Art of EatingWell.
Ingredients
Crust and Topping
- 1 cup sliced almonds, divided
- ¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil, softened if necessary according to package instructions
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons sunflower or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut chips
Filling
- 5 cups cranberries, divided
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup freshly squeezed clementine juice (save the zest)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup chopped peeled clementine
- 1 ½ teaspoons clementine zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously coat a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Make the Crust and Topping: Combine ¾ cup almonds, whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, ½ cup sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the almonds are ground. Add coconut oil and pulse until completely blended in. Whisk egg, sunflower or canola oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and almond extract in a small dish until combined. Turn on processor and drizzle egg mixture through the feed tube and continue processing and then pulsing, scraping down the sides a few times until the mixture becomes crumbly. {Note: the crumbs will be loose, but if you squeeze them together with your hand it will clump together.]
- Reserve ½ cup of the crumb mixture and mix in a bowl with the remaining almonds. Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish and set aside.
- Make the filling: Stir 3 cups cranberries, ¾ cup sugar, clementine juice and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until very thick, about 5 minutes total. Stir in the remaining 2 cups cranberries, chopped clementine, zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Spread the cranberry filling over the crust. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the top. Scatter the coconut chips over the topping and transfer to the oven. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue cooking until the filling bubbles and the topping is lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Cool completely before cutting.
Notes
Storing Tip: Store the cranberry crumb bars in an airtight container (or sealable bag) at room temp, in the refrigerator or freezer. They will stay good for up to 2 days at room temp, and up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 73 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.
Cranberry is my favorite berry! I really think that it can be converted to any dish and it will be amazingly delicious. Main course, dessert or sauce – delicious anyway! I already tried to cook Roasted Cranberry and Goat Cheese Flatbread, Cranberry Maple Apple Crumb Pie and Cranberry Bread according to your recipes. And moreover, cranberry sauce and cranberry marinade are regular guests at my dining table. This is a cool selection, keep it up. Thank you!
Hi Katie – thanks for the recipes! My family are cranberry growers in MA and there aren’t any grown in VT unless it is basically in someone’s back yard. They need sand.
Sarah, thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you find some new recipes to use your berries in:) I didn’t know they needed sand. That is so interesting. I don’t know how they do it, but we do get local cranberries here, believe it or not. I can find them at a handful of good markets, Farmer Markets and as part of the locavore share of our CSA. The company is Vermont Cranberry Company. http://www.vermontcranberry.com/about-vermont-cranberry-company/ I wonder if they have sandy soils?
What a great round-up, Katie! Cranberry is the superfood of the month at the hospital I’m currently interning at so it is definitely on my mind (and in my belly) lately ;).
Lucky you. I just saw the cover of EatingWell and what do you think is on the cover? I guess everyone is thinking about them:)
I’ve been searching for them too–no where to be seen 🙁 I want to make my sauce + about a zillion other things, and I am super impatient. Great round up, Katie!
Thanks Ari. I saw a picture on instagram of someone buying them in mass quantities, so I know they are out there:)
Great ideas! I always forget about cranberries until Thanksgiving. I buy a ton of them and freeze for later.
Anne, I just checked and I think I still have some in my freezer from last year! Thanks for coming by!
Loving this round-up, and thanks for including me!
Kalyn it is an honor to include your recipes! Thanks so much for your spinach salad and cranberry salsa!
Thanks so much for including me (#14)! Definitely bookmarking this one to try out some of these delicious recipes. 🙂
David. I love your Orzo salad. Anything that is a little sweet and savory is good in my book.