18 Sweet and Savory Cranberry Recipes That Go Beyond Sauce (2024)

You can see it on the Thanksgiving table now — the lonely bowl of jiggly crimson red cranberry sauce that no one has touched. It’s not the cranberry’s fault that it’s often relegated to the back of the buffet table. It’s just that most people don’t put the thought and care into making creative cranberry sauce recipes that they should. If this is the rut you find yourself in every year, scroll down to take your holiday cranberry recipes to the next level with these 18 sweet and savory dishes. Trust us — you won’t be sorry you experimented, and your guests will definitely thank you.

1. Cranberry Curd Tart: Cranberry is beloved for its bold, tart flavor. If you’re a fan of tangy lemon curd, you’ll love this equally pucker-inducing tart that’s as beautiful as it is delicious. (via NYT Cooking)

2. Baked Brie With Candied Pancetta, Pecans and Spicy Cranberries: No holiday party is complete without a gooey serving of warm Brie. Top with salty pancetta, pecans and sweet and spicy cranberries to make it even more festive. (via Cooking for Keeps)

3. Butternut Squash and Cranberry Quinoa Salad: If you’ve not been a HUGE fan of cranberries in the past, ease yourself in with a dish that features them in dried form. This autumnal salad is a great way to do that, and will be a hit every time you make it. (via Little Broken)

4. No-BakeCranberry Cheesecakes: Strawberry and cherry shouldn’t get to have ALL of the fun when it comes to topping cheesecake. Use leftover homemade cranberry sauce or make it fresh to give the rich dessert a zesty bite. (via My Baking Addiction)

5. Cran-Pistachio Cookies: These green and red cookies scream Christmas. Bake them for your annual BFF cookie exchange and be sure to come prepared with the recipe, because your buds *will* beg you for it. (via The Girl Who Ate Everything)

6. Cranberry Almond Cake: The holidays are full of indulgent cakes and desserts — lighten things up with this simple cranberry almond cake. Decorate with sugared cranberries for a *gorgeous* holiday look. (via Saving Room for Dessert)

7. Spicy Cranberry Barbecue Meatballs: Three ingredients are all that stand between you and these meatballs. If you have a can of cranberry sauce in the pantry you know you’ll never use, now’s the perfect time to break it out. (via Yellow Bliss Road)

8. Cranberry Brownies: True cranberry lovers will adore these brownies. They have both frozen cranberries and chocolate-covered dried cranberries in the batter, so you’re sure to have some in every bite. (via Bakerita)

9. Cranberry, Caramelized Onion and Fresh Herb Focaccia: Fresh cranberries truly shine when paired with savory ingredients. This fluffy focaccia is topped with shallots, rosemary and balsamic vinegar, along with juicy roasted cranberries. (via The Floating Kitchen)

10. Cranberry Glazed Turkey Breast: Kill two birds with one stone by coating your turkey breast in a homemade cranberry glaze. Your Thanksgiving leftover sandwich with seriously thank you. (via I Food Blogger)

11. Cranberry Goat Cheese Log With Walnuts, Pecans and Parsley: Why should you buy a pre-made goat cheese log when it’s just as easy to make your own? This one is rolled in a mixture of nuts, herbs and dried cranberries and served on a bed of cranberry sauce. (via Peas and Crayons)

12. Cranberry-Pecan Coffee Cake: If you have overnight guests during the holidays, you know you’ll have to plan food for multiple days. The morning after the festivities are over, break out this cake and watch everyone’s face light up. (via Lemon Tree Dwelling)

13. Cranberry Vinaigrette: Subtly incorporate cranberry into your meal with this tangy vinaigrette. Drizzle on top of a kale salad or even marinate your meat in it for just a hint of that cranberry taste. (via Healthy Seasonal Recipes)

14. Cranberry Square With Walnut Shortbread: This fuss-free dessert is unapologetically *full* of cranberry. The walnut shortbread crust is the perfect complement to the tangy curd filling and completes the whole dessert effortlessly. (via The Finer Cookie)

15. Leftover Cranberry Sauce Popsicles With Maple Syrup and Greek Yogurt: Just because the holidays are typically chilly in most of the country doesn’t mean that’s the case everywhere (looking at you, California). If your Thanksgiving ends up feeling more like the Fourth of July, then these cranberry popsicles will be a fun dessert for the whole fam. (via Up Close and Tasty)

16. Cranberry Rosemary White ChristmasSangria: Cranberries are a beautiful addition to this Christmas sangria. When mixed with apples, rosemary and Pinot Grigio, they create the perfect co*cktail for any holiday dinner table. (via Jerry James Stone)

17. Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cake: White chocolate is *literally* the icing on top of this moist sour cream cake. To give it extra oomph, pile it high with fresh cranberries inside and out. (via Life Love and Sugar)

18. Turkey, Brie and Cranberry Mustard Panini: Thanksgiving leftovers are just as important as the main meal. Treat them right by making an epic panini featuring your favorite dishes from the day before. (via Just a Little Bit of Bacon)

Follow us on Pinterest for more Thanksgiving recipe ideas.

Paige Johnson

Paige is a blogger, food writer and culinary master from Louisville, Ky. She's a newlywed who's obsessed with dogs and renovating her 117 year old home. When she's not working on her blog — My Modern Cookery — you can find her binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S with a triple shot latte in-hand.

18 Sweet and Savory Cranberry Recipes That Go Beyond Sauce (2024)

FAQs

How to jazz up jellied cranberry sauce? ›

Top with dried or fresh fruits

Sure, you can go all meta with some dried cranberries or sliced fresh raw cranberries, but I also like to think about complementary flavors — dried cherries, dried mulberries, golden raisins, chopped apricots. All work great with cranberry sauce.

How do you spice up Ocean Spray cranberry sauce? ›

Stir-in one (or more) of the following add-ins to one can of whole or jellied cranberry sauce:
  1. 2 Tbsp. of orange juice plus 1 tsp. of finely grated orange peel.
  2. ½ can of mandarin oranges.
  3. ½ cup pineapple.
  4. ½ tsp. cinnamon.
  5. ½ cup chopped dried apricots.
  6. ½ cup toasted pecans.
  7. 2 Tbsp. Zinfandel Wine.
Aug 11, 2022

What can I do with a jar of cranberry sauce? ›

Mix with cream cheese for a tasty topping on crackers and bagels! Dollop a spoonful on baked sweet potato in place of butter. Top off your yoghurt with a spoonful for extra fruity flavour! Swirl it into your cake batter for delicious marbled muffins.

What takes the bitterness out of cranberry sauce? ›

"Instead, start by stirring in one tablespoon maple syrup and one teaspoon of a sweet drink like apple juice, orange juice, or fruity white or red wine. Add more to taste. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (in small amounts, it intensifies sweetness)."

How do you upgrade canned cranberry sauce? ›

4- You can enhance the canned cranberries by incorporating fresh fruits or berries. Chopped apples, pears, or even diced pineapple can add a fresh and fruity dimension to the sauce. Mix them in while heating the cranberries for added flavor. 5- Fresh herbs can provide a unique twist to cranberry sauce.

What is the difference between cranberry sauce and jellied cranberry sauce? ›

Cranberry sauce can be served either as a gooey liquid or as a solid jelly. The jellied version is solid enough to retain the shape of the container in which it's placed whereas the sauce version is much more fluid.

How to spice up canned cranberry jelly? ›

Arrange store-bought strips of candied ginger atop sliced jellied cranberry sauce. The ginger adds a spicy sweetness and a little bite to the sauce's texture.

How do you make ocean spray cranberry juice taste better? ›

Originally Answered: How can I make cranberry juice taste better? Personally, I recommend doing what Ocean Spray does, and mixing in other juices. Grape and apple seem to work well. For a little kick, add Sprite or Sierra Mist instead.

Why are the labels upside down on Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce? ›

Observant consumers have noticed that the Ocean Spray labels on jellied cranberry sauce cans are flipped, meaning the rounded edge that's typically on the bottom of most canned goods is on top of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce cans. According to Ocean Spray, that's intentional: It creates a seamless serving experience.

What pairs well with cranberries? ›

They're not dissimilar to raisins, but with a sweet-tart flavor that pairs well with cheese, like in our cranberry cheese ball bites or our sweet potato feta salad; with white chocolate, like in our copycat Starbucks cranberry bliss bars or our oatmeal cranberry cookies; or with citrus, like in our mandarin orange ...

What can I add to store bought cranberry sauce? ›

Add some spices

The main ingredients of canned cranberry sauce are typically cranberries, sugar or corn syrup, and water, which means that the primary flavors are sweet and tart. To add depth and dimension, try adding basic pantry spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger, to name a few.

Why is cranberry sauce so expensive? ›

Costs are up

That includes cranberry sauce, whose price is up about 18% compared to last year because cranberry crops are smaller this year, sparking a supply squeeze.

What thickens cranberry sauce? ›

Jelling. Homemade cranberry sauce is meant to thicken, or “jell,” while cooking. If it stays soupy, that could mean a couple of things. One possibility is that you may not have used enough sugar: Sugar helps the sauce firm up, so be sure to use the full amount called for in a recipe.

Why is my homemade cranberry sauce runny? ›

Mistake #2: Your Cranberry Sauce Is Too Runny

You may have added too much liquid to the cranberries. In addition to pectin, cranberries contain water, which means you only need to add a splash of liquid to get the cooking going. Add too much and you'll be stirring at the stove much longer than expected.

How do you cut tartness off cranberries? ›

Anything from a drizzle of honey to agave, maple syrup, or molasses will also fare well. After a few minutes of maceration, the sour fruit juices will mix with the sugar and alleviate some of the cranberries' natural tartness.

How do you fix bland cranberry sauce? ›

Maple syrup, brown sugar and even honey can make your cranberry sauce more dynamic. And don't forget the spices! Cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, citrus zest and star anise all work well with cranberries and can be added while the sauce cooks to infuse your sauce with flavor.

What is the best way to serve jellied cranberry sauce? ›

Both come out of the can as a red, jelly-like cylinder. The traditional way to serve canned cranberry sauce is to slice the cylinder into rounds and arrange them on a platter.

How do you serve canned jellied cranberries? ›

You open the can, slide the contents onto a plate, and either slice it into neat rounds, or break it into chunks to serve it. I have known people to eat it with a spoon straught out of the jar. Some people arrange round slices of cranberry sauce on lettuce leaves and top them with mandarin oranges from a can.

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