Cure your cranberry cravings with three delicious recipes perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner table.

Have you ever wanted to wade around in the cranberry bogs of Massachusetts? No, just me? Okay then, even if you’d rather not don the hip-waders and help harvest a crop of cranberries, you’ve undoubtedly had a serving or two of the tiny red fruit. Cranberries are considered a superfood with antioxidants and high nutrients that can help to improve immune function, decrease blood pressure, and lower the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI). Plus, they are just so darn tasty.

Whether you like to keep it sweet and simple with the traditional versions of cranberry sauce or you’d like to broaden your horizons with a new recipe, we’ve collected three ways to serve cranberries and bring a bit of color and tartness to your savory holiday meals.

Canned Cranberries

canned cranberries

Courtesy: Sandy Allen

Everybody is familiar with that can of jellied sauce that slips out into a blob on Mom’s best glass serving plate. Do you slice it into neat circular pieces or chop it up into big chunks? Either way, it’s the obligatory serving of Thanksgiving fruit and super-easy to prepare.

Ocean Spray, a farmer-owned cooperative in business since 1930, offers a wide variety of cranberry products such as juice, fresh fruit, Craisins, and the always popular jellied sauces. The cans themselves have recipes on the back, and you can find a whole host of other cranberry-inspired recipes at the website. Cranberry recipes include breads and muffins, scones, drinks and cocktails, sauces, sides, salads, Tex-Mex cranberry salsa, main courses, appetizers, and even a cranberry Monte Cristo strata.

Sugared Cranberry Recipe via Food.com

sugared cranberries

Courtesy: Sandy Allen

These sugared cranberries are a sweet and tart little treat. Plus, they add a really nice pop of color next to the golden turkey and dressing. The kids will love them. The recipe calls for superfine sugar. If you can't find it, you can use regular granulated sugar and blend it a bit in a food processor. I did this and it worked perfectly.

Cranberry Clafoutis from The Food Network

Here’s where we step it up a notch. This cranberry clafoutis recipe, courtesy of the Food Network, is a nice way to switch it up. Clafoutis (pronounced cla-foo-tee) is a French dessert typically made with cherries, so it was interesting to find this cranberry version. Honestly, this recipe would be great with blueberries or raspberries as well.

cranberry dessert

Courtesy: Sandy Allen

The recipe calls for three tablespoons of Grand Marnier or any other orange-flavored brandy, so I substituted triple sec. According to the internet, triple sec is a good substitute for Grand Marnier. I was worried about the sweetness level, so I cut it down to ½ to ¾ cups of Turbinado. I like to use a very generous dusting of powdered sugar, so I figured that would add in some sweetness, which it did.

cranberry recipe

Courtesy: Sandy Allen

Ingredients:

  • 3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks
  • 1 cup turbinado sugar
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored brandy
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Unsalted butter for the baking dish
  • 2 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Combine the eggs, egg yolks, ½ cup turbinado sugar, the half-and-half, flour, Grand Marnier, vanilla, and salt in a blender. Pulse until the sugar has dissolved and the batter is smooth, about one minute. Let sit at room temperature, about 30 minutes.

2. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of an 11-inch ceramic tart pan or pie plate and set on a baking sheet.

3. Toss the cranberries with five tablespoons turbinado sugar in a small bowl. Spread in the bottom of the prepared tart pan. Bake until the mixture starts to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375.

cranberries

Courtesy: Sandy Allen

4. Carefully pour one cup of the prepared batter into the hot pan and let sit for five minutes. Pour in the remaining batter. Sprinkle the remaining three tablespoons of turbinado sugar on top.

5. Bake until puffed and almost set, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 20 minutes. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

cranberry dessert

Courtesy: Sandy Allen

Bonus: Cranberry Champagne Cocktail

cranberry cocktail

Courtesy: Sandy Allen

Since we all agree that you can never have too many cranberries, here’s a bonus. This refreshing cranberry champagne cocktail comes courtesy of Tyler Florence and the Food Network. It’s a refreshing take on the traditional mimosa. I added an extra ounce of cranberry juice—partly for that extra shot of tartness and partly so as not to end up with too many boozy guests.

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz cranberry juice (sweetened)
  • 1 wedge lime
  • Champagne or sparkling wine
  • Cranberries (frozen)

Directions:

In a chilled glass, add the cranberry juice and a squeeze of lime. Top off with champagne. Garnish with three or four cranberries.

Do you have a favorite cranberry recipe? What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food? Let us know in the comments.