Candied Cranberries are a holiday staple, but this recipe that involves soaking the berries and then coated them in powdered sugar is all the rage thanks to it going viral on Tiktok. You can easily make these pops of sweet and tart delight to enjoy with your friends and family this season.
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I don’t dabble too much with video at the moment, but I do enjoy scrolling on my phone when I have some free time to see what’s new in the food and recipe space. Occasionally, I come across a “viral” video of a recipe that I just have to make myself, like these Blended Baked Oats with Peanut Butter and Chocolate.
I know that some people prefer to cook following a written recipe, so when I find something that I really love, I add it to a must-make list for this website. These Candied Cranberries are so easy to make and perfect for the holidays, so they got bumped to the top of the list fast!
If you are looking for a recipe for sugared cranberries, you can learn how to make them in this recipe for Cranberry Orange Cinnamon Rolls Wreath.
Why This Recipe Works
Candied Cranberries are the perfect combination of sweet and tart. Soaking them in soda or Prosecco and juice infuses the berries with even more flavor, while also sweetening them along with the powdered sugar. But, don’t worry – that tartness you know and love from the cranberries still comes through too!
They are fun to eat. The cranberries pop when you eat them. It’s an unexpected surprise for those who haven’t had them before, and you’ll want to do it again and again.
These cranberries present beautifully for the holidays. You can add them to a pretty serving dish or bowl or use them as festive, edible decor to top homemade baked goods with.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries: frozen cranberries will not work in this recipe.
- 2 cups 7Up soda: you can use Prosecco if only adults will be enjoying these cranberries.
- 1 cup orange juice (or pineapple juice)
- 1 cup powdered sugar: this should be from a brand new bag as opened bags of powdered sugar can pick up scents that may affect the taste of the cranberries. Some reviewers of similar recipes have found that the end result tastes like soap. This is most likely due to the powdered sugar being mixed with cornstarch. Make sure your powdered sugar does not contain cornstarch.
The full recipe and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prep!
Combine the cranberries, 7Up and orange juice in a large bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. It is important to wait the full 24 hours so that the juices penetrate through the cranberry skin and fully absorb.
Create!
After the cranberries have soaked, preheat your oven to 200ºF.
Drain the cranberries in a colander and place in a large Ziplok bag. Add the powdered sugar and shake really well until the cranberries are all fully coated in sugar.
Transfer the coated cranberries to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and spread them out. If there is extra sugar, you can put the cranberries into a colander and shake out the excess sugar.
Bake for just 5 minutes. If you bake too long, or the temperature of the oven is too high, the cranberries can dry out. Use an oven thermometer to ensure the temperature of your oven is not above 200ºF.
Present!
Allow to cool, then place the cranberries into a serving dish or use as desired.
Tips and Techniques
- Only use fresh cranberries for this recipe. Frozen or dried cranberries will not work or give you the “pop” that fresh cranberries do.
- The 7Up can be replaced with Prosecco if only adults over the age of 21 will be enjoying this recipe.
- Make sure your powdered sugar is from a brand new bag. Opened bags of powdered sugar may pick up scents from other foods nearby that could affect the flavor of the cranberries.
- If there is extra sugar after coating the cranberries, you can put the cranberries into a colander and shake out the excess sugar.
- Use an oven thermometer to ensure the temperature of your oven is not above 200ºF. You don’t want to over-bake the cranberries or they will dry out too much.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Consume within 5 days.
More Cranberry Recipes
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If you try this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would please leave a comment and star rating. Thanks!
Candied Cranberries
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
- 2 cups 7Up (or Prosecco)
- 1 cup orange juice (or pineapple juice)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Combine the cranberries, 7Up and orange juice in a large bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. It is important to wait the full 24 hours so that the juices penetrate through the cranberry skin and fully absorb.1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries, 2 cups 7Up, 1 cup orange juice
- After the cranberries have soaked, preheat your oven to 200ºF.
- Drain the cranberries in a colander and place in a large Ziplok bag. Add the powdered sugar and shake really well until the cranberries are all fully coated in sugar.1 cup powdered sugar
- Transfer the coated cranberries to a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. If there is extra sugar, you can put the cranberries into a colander and shake out the excess sugar.
- Bake for just 5 minutes. If you bake too long, or the temperature of the oven is too high, the cranberries can dry out. Use an oven thermometer to ensure the temperature of your oven is not above 200ºF.
- Allow to cool, then place the cranberries into a serving dish or use as desired.
Notes
Tips and Techniques
- Only use fresh cranberries for this recipe. Frozen or dried cranberries will not work or give you the "pop" that fresh cranberries do.
- The 7Up can be replaced with Prosecco if only adults over the age of 21 will be enjoying this recipe.
- Make sure your powdered sugar is from a brand new bag. Opened bags of powdered sugar may pick up scents from other foods nearby that could affect the flavor of the cranberries. DO NOT USE POWDERED SUGAR THAT CONTAINS CORNSTARCH or the final product may taste like soap.
- If there is extra sugar after coating the cranberries, you can put the cranberries into a colander and shake out the excess sugar.
- Use an oven thermometer to ensure the temperature of your oven is not above 200ºF. You don't want to over-bake the cranberries or they will dry out too much.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Consume within 5 days.
Bridget Sawyer says
make sure it says POWERED SUGAR and NOT CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR which contains a small amount of cornstarch to prevent clumping
Lauren Vavala Harris says
Thank you Bridget 🙂 I can’t believe this was never even mentioned in culinary school and the baking and pastry courses I took. I still wouldn’t have thought the cornstarch would make a soapy taste!
– Lauren
Anne says
These as is are delicious! Have you ever tried incorporating some dry gelatin mix with the powdered sugar? Just curious if it would work. Would add another flavor note.
Lauren Vavala Harris says
Hi Anne,
I haven’t tried that but it instantly reminded me of how we used to mix Koolaid packets with sugar in ziplock bags when we were kids (like Fun Dip!). I think it could work. I’d mix just a little with a little of the sugar and see how it tastes. With the whole cornstarch/soap taste fiasco, I’d definitely recommend a small trial first.
– Lauren
Sunflwr says
Mine didn’t look powdery when coated. Were the cranberries to be rinsed or dried before putting in the sugar?
Lauren Vavala Harris says
Hi,
I’m not sure why the sugar didn’t stick for you. They berries should have still been moist from being soaked and drained. You definitely don’t want to dry them first. So sorry they didn’t work out perfectly.
– Lauren
Rebecca says
How do I store these after they cool
Lauren Vavala Harris says
Hi Rebecca,
You can store them in a covered dish at room temperature for about 3 days.
– Lauren
Ashley says
I really hate leaving bad ratings, but these are not good. I followed the recipe, only swapping 7up for Sprite. The end result was as showed, but the flavor – I don’t know a single person who likes the soapy pungent flavor of pure powdered sugar. And that’s all you get with these, followed by a sad cranberry flavor drowning in nasty powdered sugar. New bag of sugar, too, just as specified. Waste of 25 hours of time and $12 worth of ingredients.
Lauren Vavala Harris says
Hi Ashley,
I’m so sorry you had this happen. I did some research and found that this has happened to other people too with similar recipes. From what I have gathered, some powdered sugar is mixed with cornstarch which can cause the cranberries to taste like soap! I had NO idea. I didn’t even know that powdered sugar could contain cornstarch (or other ingredients), therefore never had this issue when I’ve made them. I have made noted in the post and in the recipe card regarding this so it will hopefully not happen to anyone else who uses this recipe. Thanks for letting me know!
– Lauren
Melissa says
Do you think I can substitute pineapple juice for the orange juice?
Lauren Vavala Harris says
Yes! Pineapple juice is a good substitute for orange 🙂
– Lauren
Claudette says
Hi Lauren,
Can I use Ginger Ale instead of 7-Up for this recipe. I can’t wait to try this as décoration for my Christmas dessert decorations.
Thank you for the recipe.
Lauren Vavala Harris says
Hi Claudette! Yes, ginger ale should work just fine in this recipe. Hope you love them!
– Lauren