Turn Fresh Cranberries Into Candy With Sprite, Orange Juice, And Powdered Sugar

With their crimson red hue and vivid, uniquely tart flavor, fresh cranberries are a seasonal treat to savor, and it sometimes feels like a shame to cook them down into a sauce. However, you need a pretty high tolerance for sourness to eat this fruit straight-up. For a compromise, try candying fresh cranberries using Sprite, orange juice, and powdered sugar, turning them into a sweet-and-sour, poppable snack.

This must-try fall cranberry recipe is incredibly simple, and the candied berries can be eaten out of hand or used as an edible decoration on other dishes. Unlike chewy dried cranberries, these treats are only cooked for a brief time, giving them a crunchier texture that pops pleasantly between your teeth. And since oranges are a classic ingredient that upgrades homemade cranberry sauce and other cranberry dishes, the orange juice in this recipe enhances the overall flavor.

To get started, sort through your fresh cranberries and pick out any soft or wrinkled fruits — you only want perfectly firm berries. Toss them with equal parts Sprite (or another lemon-lime soda) and orange juice and let everything sit in the fridge for 24 hours. An overnight soak softens and flavors the berries and adds a sticky coating, helping the powered sugar to adhere. Next, drain the berries well and toss them with powdered sugar, giving them a nice, even coating with a festive snow-white appearance. Shake off the excess sugar and bake the berries in the oven for just a few minutes, then let them cool before enjoying them.

This simple candied cranberry recipe can be changed up in a few ways for fresh new flavors. Firstly, you can replace the Sprite with other refreshing sodas like ginger ale. If you're serving the berries to adults, try using leftover sparkling wine or Prosecco in place of soda for a fancier alcoholic twist. The orange juice can also be replaced with other fruit juices like pineapple, or even cranberry juice for the strongest berry flavor. For extra depth, try adding a few drops of vanilla or orange extract to the soaking liquid, or combine the powdered sugar with a little ground cinnamon for a warm, spicy note.

These cranberries stay good for a few days in the fridge, so they're a make-ahead holiday treat that you can use in countless ways. Add the berries to a party charcuterie board, cookie tray, or fruit platter, or use them as a garnish for your favorite holiday cocktail recipes. You can skewer the berries on a pick; float them in a mug of mulled wine; or toss them into a bowl of our Christmas punch, which also uses orange and cranberry flavors.

Candied cranberries also make a delicious ice cream topping and look stunning when sprinkled onto cakes, tarts, trifles, and pies. On the flip side, if you only have dried cranberries on hand and still want a festive confection starring the fruit, make a luxurious seasonal cranberry fudge with condensed milk and white chocolate.