Cranberry Desserts: 7 Easy and Festive Cranberry Recipes

Cranberries are available dried, fresh, frozen, or canned. Here’s how to use each type of cranberry in your favorite desserts.

• Dried cranberries: Dried cranberries are available all year long and add a chewy texture to granola and shortbread. Try them in white chocolate cranberry cookies.
• Fresh cranberries: Fresh cranberries are available throughout the holiday season and have the brightest cranberry flavor. If you want to make a recipe that calls for fresh cranberries outside of cranberry season, you can use frozen cranberries. Try candying fresh cranberries as a topping for a decadent cranberry cheesecake. For bursts of tart cranberry flavor, fold them into the batter of a cranberry cake.
• Canned cranberry sauce: Cranberry sauce isn’t just a condiment. You can use canned cranberry sauce in baked goods, like a creamy and tart cranberry cheesecake.

These common pantry ingredients can help guide you towards the perfect cranberry dessert recipes.

1. 1. Apples: Fresh cranberries add brightness and color to a traditional apple pie. Try dried apples and dried cranberries together in everything from granola to scones.
2. 2. Citrus: Add orange juice, lime zest, or candied lemon peel to your next cranberry cake or pie to bring out the cranberries’ tartness.
3. 3. Cream cheese: Nothing says “party” like a rich cheesecake topped cranberry sauce and sugared cranberries.
4. 4. Nuts: Pecans, pistachios, and almonds all make a deliciously nutty crust for a cranberry curd tart.
5. 5. Oats: A cranberry crisp is simple and classic. If you’re feeding a crowd, make cranberry bars by baking the crisp in a sheet pan instead of a deep dish. Top with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for a simple yet decadent dessert.
6. 6. Sour cream: If you have leftover sour cream, try it in a cake. The fat and acidity in sour cream keeps the crumb moist and tender, and the flavor pairs well with fresh cranberries. Top the cranberry upside-down cake below with a simple streusel topping for an easy coffee cake variation.
7. 7. White chocolate: Creamy white chocolate is a welcome counterpoint to dried cranberries. Try it in the cookie recipe below, which uses a blend of white and brown sugar for a chewy texture.

Try one of these easy dessert recipes for your next holiday gathering.

1. 1. Apple cranberry crisp: This rustic crisp pairs sweet apples with tart cranberries for a satisfying seasonal dish. It has all the flavor of a holiday pie, but its nutty oat topping is much easier to prepare than a pie crust.
2. 2. Cranberry cake: This upside-down cake is easy to make, thanks to the melted butter in the batter. It features a ginger-flavored pound cake bursting with fresh whole cranberries.
3. 3. Cranberry cheesecake: Elevate cranberry cheesecake with a gingerbread crust and a sugared-cranberry topping. The filling uses both cream cheese and crème fraîche for an extra luxurious filling. Sugared cranberries add a bit of sparkle to the topping.
4. 4. Cranberry cobbler: This simple recipe makes a tasty cranberry cobbler. Fresh cranberries burst as they bake, creating a jammy filling.
5. 5. Cranberry curd tart: A nutty tart crust is the perfect base for the cranberry filling in this cranberry tart. To bump up the nutty flavor, use almond extract instead of vanilla.
6. 6. Cranberry pie: Cranberry pie is a welcome change from the usual holiday desserts. The addition of vodka in the pie dough prevents gluten from forming as you work the dough. Apples or pears are a welcome addition to the filling if you’re looking to incorporate other fall fruits.
7. 7. White chocolate cranberry cookies: Tart cranberries and sweet white chocolate chips create a balanced cookie. Once you get a hang of this recipe, the base dough works well with a variety of mix-ins such as pistachio, almond, or macadamia nuts. Add citrus zest for an extra pop of flavor, or your favorite warming spices like cinnamon or allspice.

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