Orange Vanilla Candied Cranberries

Orange Vanilla Candied Cranberries: Tart cranberries are soaked in a scented simple syrup and then encrusted in a sweet, sparkling sugar candy shell.

These delicious bite sized treats are a stunning addition to your holiday dessert table, or used as a garnish on holiday appetizers and Christmas cocktails. But the best part about these festive little cranberries? They’re actually really easy to make at home!

Why You’ll Love these Sugared Cranberries

There are so many things to love about these orange vanilla candied cranberries!

• They’re absolutely beautiful and festive. The deep red color of the cranberries is offset by the sparkling white sugar coating, making them look like little red jewels.
• The combination of sweet, tart, and citrusy flavors is so delicious, it’s irresistible.
• Leftover simple syrup is delicious when mixed into holiday cocktails or holiday sangria.
• They’re easy to make…the hardest part is waiting for them to finish drying out!

Step-by-Step Directions:

To make things even easier for you, I created a simple photo guide below. For all measurements and a more detailed guide, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Prepare the cranberries:

1. Wash the cranberries & remove any stems or cranberries that have gone bad.
2. Place the remaining cranberries in a heat-safe bowl. 

Make the Simple Syrup:

1. In a 2 quart stockpot, combine 1.75 cups water, zest and juice of one orange, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups of granulated sugar, and one cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer for 5 – 7 minutes until thickened.
3. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool for a few minutes. The mixture should be warm, but not so hot that the cranberries pop during the next step. 

Soak the Cranberries

1. Pour the simple syrup mixture, including cinnamon stick, on top of cranberries, doing your best to make sure all the cranberries are submerged.
2. Place the bowl of cranberries in the refrigerator overnight.

Add the Candy Coating:

1. Place a colander or fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Pour the cranberries into the colander, allowing the syrup to drain into the bowl.
2. Let the cranberries sit in the colander for 30 minutes to an hour to get slightly tacky. Reserve the simple syrup for other recipes, like holiday cocktails.
3. Meanwhile, pour 1.5 to 2 cups of white sugar onto a large sheet pan.
4. Gently roll about half the cranberries mixture into the sugar, coating evenly. Add remaining cranberries and roll in the rest of the sugar, rolling the cranberries into as close to a single layer as possible.
5. Leave cranberries and sugar out to dry, for at least 3 hours. The cranberries are done when the sugar has created a crisp shell outside each cranberry.

Essential Tips:

Don’t skip these tips – read them before baking to avoid any potential mistakes.

• Thoroughly rinse and dry your cranberries. Any extra water on the cranberries will prevent the syrup from sticking, which means you won’t get that sparkling sugar candy crust that is so pretty.
• Plain granulated sugar works best to coat the cranberries. Sparkling sugar crystals are a bit too big to create that perfectly crunchy exterior.
• For best results, try to avoid crowding the cranberries on the sheet pan when rolling them in the sugar coating. They need air circulation to dry out and create the sugar crust.
• If the cranberries begin to get wet while storing them, you can re-roll them in a little more sugar to bring them back to life.

What to Do with Candied Cranberries

Sugared cranberries are so yummy, you can easily place them in a bowl for guests to snack on during a party.

And since they look just like iced berries from a winter storm, they also make a gorgeous garnish for all sorts of sweet and savory recipes, like:

• Holiday salads
• Christmas Appetizer Wreath,
• Holiday cakes,
• Easy Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip,
• Cranberry Brie Bites,
• Placed on top of cupcakes, or
• Sprinkled on your Christmas Desserts platters

FAQs:

How Do I Store Sugared Cranberries?

Sugared cranberries will stay fresh for up to 3 days stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place.

We like to keep them loosely covered to maintain air circulation and reduce the chances that the sugar starts to melt. However, if they start to get wet or sticky, you can re-roll them in granulated sugar to freshen them up.

What if I can’t find fresh cranberries?

Unfortunately, candied cranberries work best with fresh berries. Frozen cranberries will not work well because they can’t dry enough for the sugar crust to set.

What Should I Do with the Leftover Ingredients?

You definitely don’t want to throw away the leftovers. Here’s what to do instead:

Leftover Simple Syrup:

Store leftover simple syrup in a canning jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks to use for:

• Mixing into holiday cocktails,
• The wet ingredient for rimming cocktail glasses with sugar or salt,
• Drizzling onto cakes or cupcakes

Leftover Orange Scented Sugar:

Allow the orange zest to dry completely, then store in an airtight container and use the sugar for other holiday recipes like

• Ginger Cookies with Molasses
• Chewy Oatmeal Cookies with Beer
• Cranberry Curd Bars
• Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice

If you liked these Orange Vanilla Candied Cranberries, you’re going to love my Lemon Cake Mix Cookies. Or you can check out all my other Christmas desserts recipes right here.

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This post was originally published on December 10, 2015. It has been updated with step-by-step photos, additional details and new photos.