From breakfast to dessert, savory to sweet, we have your cranberry fix with 30 unique recipes that incorporate the tart, surprisingly versatile berry. While nary a Cosmo graces this page, we totally have you covered in the cocktail department. If you’re looking for something gin-based, definitely check out our cranberry-pear ginger fizz or the the cranberry crush, the latter is laced with two types of bitters — pretty sure Carrie Bradshaw would approve.
1. Skillet Cranberry-Vanilla Buckle: This moist skillet cake is topped with a crisp, vanilla-scented topping. Brimming with bursting berries, it makes a great breakfast or dessert. (via Seasons and Suppers)
2. Homemade Cranberry Sauce, in a can: Homemade, season-how-you-like it jellied cranberry sauce is cleverly molded in a can to give it its classic shape! Perfect choice for the whole berry sauce-averse. (via Food52)
3. Cranberry Crostini: Crisp slices of baguette are spread with goat cheese and topped with dollops of honey- and orange-laced cranberry sauce making a terrific appetizer for your next holiday party. (via Cookie and Kate)
4. Cranberry-Sage Shrub: What better way to get into the Thanksgiving spirit without spirits than with a drink that was popular back in Colonial America? This non-alcoholic drinking vinegar combines roasted cranberries with sugar, apple cider vinegar and sage, and would be a great digestif to serve after a large holiday meal! (via Cooking Stoned)
5. Cranberry-Ginger Pear Pie: Three types of ginger — fresh, crystalized and ground — lend this pear-cranberry pie a nice, layered warmth. With a crumb topping instead of a double crust, it satisfies both the fruit crisp and pie crowds. (via Brown Eyed Baker)
6. Cranberry-Orange Breakfast Buns: What a wonderful treat to wake up to on a holiday morning — the second rise occurs in the fridge overnight making this possible without bleary-eyed hassle! In one way or another, orange appears in the dough, filling and icing in these perfectly-balanced, cranberry-filled buns. (via Smitten Kitchen)
7. Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries, Pistachios and Sherry Vinaigrette: A handful of dried cranberries add a touch of contrast and visual intrest in this nutty grain salad. (via California Olive Ranch)
8. Cranberry-Pistachio Baked Brie: Can you believe that this baked brie topped with a homemade cranberry sauce can be ready in twenty minutes? Bookmark this recipe for when you need a quick, crowd-pleasing and impressive appetizer! (via Gimme Some Oven)
9. Cranberry-Fennel Refresher: Not your ordinary cranberry-vodka-lime cocktail. A toasted fennel seed simple syrup lends a sweet complexity to this drink, the anise flavor plays surprisingly well with the tart berries. (via The Boys Club)
10. Sufganiyot with Cranberry Jam: Whether or not you’re celebrating Hanukkah this year, who can resist a homemade — through and through — jelly donut? (via The Everything Soap Blog)
11. Orange-Rosemary Ice Cream with a Cranberry Swirl: Just because it may be snowing where you are doesn’t mean the ice cream maker should be relinquished to the basement. Woodsy-citrusy-sweet-tart, a scoop of this atop pound cake makes a mean alternative dessert to pie. (via 10th Kitchen)
12. Orange-Cranberry Upside Down Cake: Barely sweetened with maple syrup and orange juice, this grain-free upside down cake is a great base recipe for year-round baking — use cranberries, apples or pears in the fall and come summer, your favorite berry. (via The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen)
13. Whole Wheat Crepes with Cranberry-Apple Compote: Apples, cinnamon and just a spoonful (or three) of sugar sweeten this tart cranberry compote, a terrific topping for crepes — in keeping with the French origins of the sauce — or pancakes. (via Food, Pleasure and Health)
14. Pear and Cranberry Crostata: Crostatas and galettes are such a fantastic choices for when you feel like pie, but don’t want to bother with — or don’t own — a pie plate. Here we have a cranberry and roasted pear filling baked atop an almond cream (not unlike the good stuff that fills almond croissants, but I digress) combining to form a rustic-yet-gorgeous free-form tart. (via Food Network)
15. Polenta Squares with Cranberry Mostarda (Vegan, Gluten-free): Cranberries get the savory treatment in an Italian take on fruit chutney. If you want to cut down prep time, use pre-made polenta that comes in a tube — cut slices off the log and fry as directed! (via Vegetarian Times)
16. Guajillo Cranberry Sauce: Sweet and spicy with some nice texture courtesy of a pepita garnish, this cranberry sauce is sure to add some pizzaz to your holiday table. (via Sweet Life)
17. Cranberry-Flax Stuffing (Paleo): This bread may be free of a lot of things — dairy, gluten, grains — but with cranberries, aromatic vegetables and a few spices stirred in, flavor isn’t one of them. (via Healthful Pursuit)
18. Fresh Cranberry Scones: Cream scones flecked with fresh, not dried, cranberries are perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea. As a bonus: they can be fully made ahead of time, frozen and baked as needed! (via Sweet Pea’s Kitchen)
19. Cranberry and Cheese Danish Cupcakes: These personal-size cheese and cranberry pastries come together quickly with the use of store-bought puff pastry dough! (via Cupcake Projet)
20. Rugelach with Cranberry-Port Jam, Chocolate and Walnuts (Gluten-free): Don’t these rugelach sound decadent? Another great Thanksgivukkah treat! (P.S. A whole wheat variation is included if gluten isn’t an issue.) (via The Bojon Gourmet
21. Cranberry Meringue Pie: Cranberry curd cleverly stands in for lemon in this unique — and pink! — take on the classic meringue pie. (via The Baker Chick)
22. Cranberry Almond Granola Bars: With all of the hustle and bustle around the holidays, having these grab-and-go granola bars on hand is sure to come in handy, providing a quick and healthy pick-me-up when you need it most. (via What She’s Having)
23. Caramelized Cranberry and Brie Pull-Apart Bread: Just like baked brie, pull-apart breads are always a hit. You get the best of both worlds here with layers of brie and cranberries in the middle of homemade dough. (via Vegetarian Ventures)
24. Sausage, Mushroom and Cranberry Tart: Give [this] quiche a chance! It may seem strange to pair cranberries and sausage, but tart-fatty combos are (usually) terrific, the acidity providing a nice balance. (via Jimmy Dean)
25. Chocolate-Hazelnut-Cranberry Wreath with a Cocoa-Date Filling: Dates are camouflaged by cocoa powder in this cinnamon bun-inspired wreath. Dotted with cranberries and hazelnuts, the presentation is simply stunning. (via Elemental Custard)
26. Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese, Cranberries, Almonds and Bacon: As far as salads go, the wedge salad is just about as easy as they come. Go all out and make a homemade blue cheese dressing — our lightened up version is a great choice — or use your favorite bottled variety. (via Almond Accents)
27. Stuffed Prosciutto Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze (Gluten-free) : Where oh where to begin? To create these sweet-salty, bite-size masterpieces, fresh pearl mozzarella is stuffed inside naturally gluten-free pork meatballs that are then wrapped in a paper thin slice of prosciutto and baked. The finishing touch is a quick toss in a homemade cranberry glaze. (via Kitchenette)
28. Lemon and Miso Cranberry Sauce: Sweet white miso adds a lovely earthy note to this chunky, maple syrup-sweetened cranberry sauce. (via Fettle Vegan)
29. Turkey Tostadas with Cranberry-Chipotle Sauce: Holiday leftovers get a complete makeover in these tostadas. Chipotle punches up whole berry cranberry sauce to create a spicy topping to enliven shredded turkey and beans. (via Apple A Day)
30. Cranberry Margaritas: Make the holiday season merrier with a pitcher of these cranberry margaritas. No cranberry juice cocktail here; tequila, Cointreau and a splash of lime get the top-shelf treatment with a homemade cranberry syrup. (via Sweet Life)
What’s your favorite recipe that uses cranberries? Do you find yourself reaching for the fresh, dried or juice-form the most? Talk to us in the comments!
