These Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries are the perfect combination of tart and sweet, with a crunchy layer of sugar that creates a delicious texture! These festive treats are great to add to your holiday desserts or serve on their own as a little snack!

Sparkling Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries Recipe in a wooden bowl
Sommer headshot.

Sommer’s Recipe Notes

Candied Cranberries, AKA Sugared Cranberries

I always like to make Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries in preparation for the holidays. This Cranberry Candy Recipe, also known as Sugared Cranberries, is extremely simple to make and impressive on any Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s table.

Like nature-made Sour Patch Kids, sugar-coated cranberries are sweet and tart. Plus, they are so pretty, you will find all sorts of way to use these sparkling cranberries!

Ingredients for Candied Cranberries

  • Granulated sugar
  • Water
  • Vanilla extract
  • Orange extract
  • Fresh cranberries, washed
Sugared Cranberries - overhead shot of candied cranberries with sugar crust

How to Make Candied Cranberries

Find the full Cranberry Candy Recipe with ingredient proportions and detailed instructions in the printable form at the bottom of the post.

Recipe Variations

Mix up the flavors of the candy coating by swapping the vanilla and citrus extracts with other extracts such as: coconut, almond, lemon, chocolate, rum, and/or raspberry extract.

Making Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries
How To: Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries
Brilliant Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries
Dazzling Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries

How To Use Candied Cranberries

Just think of all the wonderful ways to use these sugared cranberries:

  • Place this cranberry candy recipe in a candy dish to be gobbled up by the handful as a holiday treat.
  • Use as a fancy garnish for holiday pies, cakes, cocktails and mocktails, cranberry sauce, 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.

Sugared Cranberries are a must-make this holiday season. Just soak the berries in vanilla orange syrup, then shake in sugar. Viola!

Looking for More Holiday Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:

Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries Recipe | ASpicyPerspective.com
Print Recipe
5 stars (16 reviews)
Leave a Review »

Candied Cranberries Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Easy Vanilla-Orange Sugared Cranberries Recipe – Perfect for snacking, edible gifts, dessert garnishes and cocktails!
Servings: 12

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric
  • 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

Refrigerate your leftover Cranberry Infused Vanilla-Orange Syrup, then reuse it for cocktail time!

Nutrition

Serving: 2ounces, Calories: 255kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 0g, Fat: 0g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 3mg, Potassium: 24mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 63g, Vitamin A: 15IU, Vitamin C: 3.8mg, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 0.1mg
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Author: Sommer Collier
Cook It? Love It? Rate It!YOU can help this recipe RANK on Google – TAP 5 STARS so other hungry people can find it. Thank you!

Share This Recipe With Friends!