75+ Fresh Cranberry Recipes... From Breakfast To Dessert! (2024)

Cranberries are a must on the menu when it comes to the holiday season! From cranberry sauce to healthier cranberry desserts, stuffing studded with cranberries, delicious cranberry bread, refreshing cranberry drinks and more, this ultimate collection of fresh cranberry recipes will help add a festive touch to your holiday menu.

It’s cranberry season!

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a cranberry fan or you’re looking for a delicious cranberry dish to add to your holiday menu planning.

We all know cranberries go hand-in-hand with the holidays in November and December, like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It just doesn’t feel as festive without this tart and somewhat bitter little superfood packed with antioxidants.

Deciding On A Traditional Holiday Menu

The “First Thanksgiving” didn’t consist of the traditional foods that we’ve come to know today. Over time, the “traditional” American Thanksgiving meal evolved into a large meal centered around a roast turkey.

Turkey might be considered the centerpiece, but many would say it’s all about the side dishes. Traditionally, a variety of side dishes like stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans or green bean casserole, corn, vegetables like Brussels sprouts, dinner rolls or bread, and cranberry sauce are commonly served.

And pumpkin pie too… but our focus isn’t on that right now. Although we do have some amazing cranberry desserts featured in the list!

Cranberry sauce is a must-have at the holiday table, but don’t stop there!

This round-up will help you add cranberries to so many other holiday recipes — like stuffing, salads, roasted vegetables, appetizers, and desserts.

They’re also great to enjoy outside of holiday meals. Why not take advantage while they’re in season?

Plus cranberries are packed with nutrition too, known as a great source of Vitamins C, E, and A, as well as lutein, folate and minerals like potassium and manganese.

So if you’re looking for some new inspiration for fresh cranberry recipes, we’ve got you covered with a list of over 70 cranberry recipes from savory to sweet!

Cranberry Sauce Recipes

Cranberry sauce is a must-have at the holiday table. It is such a lovely addition that helps cut the richness of the rest of the large holiday meal.

The lists below include classic recipesand unique standouts, so you’ll have no trouble choosing a wonderful cranberry sauce this year!

Traditional Cranberry Sauce Recipes

Image courtesy of Recipes From The Homestead.

• Healthier Cherry Cranberry Sauce (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — This one is easy to make, naturally sweetened with honey and chock-full of cranberries, cherries and apples, with a hint of orange and cinnamon.
• Cranberry Sauce (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — Love the traditional jellied cranberry sauce that comes in a can? Now you can make your own! This recipe has two options, one for jellied cranberry sauce made with high-quality gelatin and one made without.
• Spiced Cranberry Sauce (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — This spiced cranberry sauce is sweetened with honey and spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger with a little tang from lime juice and sweet orange zest.
• Cranberry Sauce with Honey (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — Simple and classic, this cranberry orange sauce cooks up in 10 minutes and thickens in just 30 minutes. It’s spiced with cinnamon, allspice and cloves.
• Easy Cranberry Sauce (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — This easy sauce, spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, cooks in about 8 to 11 minutes!
• Homemade Cranberry Sauce (Grain-free, Dairy-free) – You can’t get more classic than this sauce! It has a short 10 minute cooking time (plus 10 minutes to rest as it thickens) and only has a 4 ingredients: cranberries, water, organic sugar or coconut sugar, and honey.
• Cranberry Sauce (Gluten-free, Dairy-free) — Truly the most classic recipe, this cranberry sauce is made with cranberries, orange juice, apple, and organic sugar.

Cranberry Sauce Recipes With A Twist

Image courtesy of Eat Beautiful.

• Naturally Sweetened Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — Looking for an Instant Pot cranberry sauce? Look no further than this traditionally flavored version!
• Homemade Cider Elderberry Cranberry Sauce (Paleo, GAPS) — A beautiful flavor combination, this cranberry sauce is naturally sweetened with honey and apple cider, plus flavored with immune-boosting elderberries.
• Roasted Apple Cranberry Sauce (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — This sugar-free cranberry sauce recipe adds extra flavor by roasting the fruit first!
• Fermented Cranberry Sauce with Figs (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — Looking for a traditionally fermented version? This cranberry sauce rich in probiotics is flavored with dried figs, raisins, maple syrup, citrus, cinnamon, and cloves.
• Easy Cranberry Mango Sauce (Gluten-free, Dairy-free) — Another 4-ingredient sauce, this one is mostly sweetened with mango and a small amount of raw sugar.
• Homemade Spiced Cranberry Sauce (Gluten-free) — If you love canning or want to preserve your cranberry sauce, this cranberry sauce is canning-safe.
• Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — No sugar? No problem! This recipe only uses fruit juices like apple and orange plus a touch of stevia to sweeten the sauce.
• 4-Ingredient Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce (Low Carb, Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — This low-carb version only has 4 ingredients: cranberries, low-carb sweetener powdered erythritol, water, and vanilla extract plus the option of using orange zest.

Fresh Cranberry Recipes & Cranberry Relish Recipes

Looking for something a little more refreshing? Cranberry relish recipes, made with fresh cranberries, are usually a bit more tart than cranberry sauce.

• Mandarian Cranberry Relish (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — Beautifully flavored, this slightly course relish is packed with raw cranberries, mandarins, apple juice, and unrefined sugar.
• Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — Simple and refreshing, this raw relish is full of cranberries and oranges, plus it’s sweetened with honey.
• Fermented Cranberry Orange Apple Relish (Grain-free, Gluten-free) — An easy ferment, this delicious cranberry apple relish is very flexible with fruit ratios (cranberries, oranges, and apples). You’ll love the suble flavors of cinnamon and unrefined sugar.
• Lacto-Fermented Cranberry Relish (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — This coarsely chopped relish is packed with cranberries, apples, thinly-sliced celery, chopped raw walnuts or pecans, and sweetened with maple syrup or honey. It has a small amount of salt and whey to help with the fermentation process.

Cranberry Side Dishes

Image courtesy of Recipes to Nourish.

The holiday table is not complete without side dishes — especially stuffing!

Our list includes cornbread stuffing, gluten-free stuffing, stuffing with riced cauliflower, and a grain-free cauliflower stuffing, all packed with cranberries. We’ve even included a wild rice and slaw side dish too.

• Homemade Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing (Gluten-free)
• Roasted Cauliflower Cranberry Stuffing (Gluten-free)
• Fruity Riced Cauliflower Stuffing (Gluten-free)
• Cauliflower Cranberry Sage Stuffing (Paleo, Grain-free)
• Cranberry Pecan Wild Rice (Gluten-free)
• Broccoli Jicama Cranberry Slaw (Low Carb, Paleo)

Cranberry Salad Recipes

Image courtesy of A Real Food Journey.

Add a fresh touch to your holiday menu with a fresh cranberry salad or veggie dish!

• Fresh Cranberry Salad (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — Pack cranberries, pineapple, mandarins, honey, and walnuts in the food processor for the perfect coarse texture for this fresh, mostly fruit-based cranberry salad! So easy!
  
• Easy Cranberry Salad (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — Cinnamon roasted cranberries star in this simple green salad. Flavorful, crunchy, and dressed with a homemade olive oil-based dressing!
  
• Broccoli Salad with Cranberries (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free) — Packed with broccoli and dried cranberries, this creamy, sweet and tangy salad has lots of crunch to it with the additions of sunflower seeds, crumbled bacon and chopped red onion. We recommend steaming the broccoli first and giving it a quick blanch in cold water to help reduce oxalic acid since cruciferous vegetables tend to have high concentrations of oxalate.
• Broccoli Cranberry Salad with Bacon & Walnuts (Keto, Low Carb, Paleo, Grain-free) — This beautiful salad is packed with broccoli, bacon, dried cranberries, and chopped walnuts, and dressed in a creamy lemon poppy seed dressing. As mentioned above, we recommend steaming then blanching the broccoli (to help reduce oxalic acid) and using homemade mayonnaise in the dressing.

Cranberry Appetizers & Savory Cranberry Meals

Image courtesy of Butter For All.

In need of a delicious cranberry appetizer to go with a holiday dinner or meal?

Give the gorgeous Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball a shot at your next dinner party… or try Spiced Apple-Cranberry-Pumpkin & Sausage one pan meal any day of the week!

• Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball (Low Carb, Grain-free)
• Cranberry Apple Duck Liver Paté (Gluten-free)
• Savory Bacon Cranberry Cheese Tartlets (Keto, Low Carb, Grain-free)
• Spicy Chipotle Cranberry Hummus (Gluten-free, Dairy-free)
• Spiced Apple Cranberry Pumpkin & Sausage One Pan Meal (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Paleo Chicken Salad with Cranberries (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad (Low Carb, Grain-free)

Healthier Cranberry Dessert Recipes

Who doesn’t love a delicious sweet treat like a cranberry pie during the holidays?

Or, why not try something a little bit different this year, like a rustic cranberry galette (similar to a pie but easier to make with only one pie crust), delectable cranberry cheesecake bars, or a vibrant, beautiful cranberry tart?!

• Rustic Cranberry Apple Galette (Gluten-free)
• Paleo Crepe Cake with Cranberries (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Keto Sugar-Free Cranberry Curd Tart (Keto, Paleo, Grain-free, Gluten-free)
• Healthier Cranberry Cheesecake Bars (Grain-free)
• Allergy-Friendly Instant Pot Apple Cranberry Crisp (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Allergy-Friendly Cranberry Apple Pie (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Cinnamon Cranberry Coffee Cake (Gluten-free)
• Cranberry Curd Tart (Gluten-free)
• Cranberry Cherry Chocolate Chili Biscotti (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Easy Cranberry Shortbread Bars (Gluten-free)
• Cranberry Cacao Chip Oat Cookies (Gluten-free)
• Orange Cranberry Holiday Thumbprint Cookies (Gluten-free option)
• White Chocolate Cranberry Bliss Cookies (Gluten-free option)
• Cranberry Sourdough Pastry Wheels
• Festive Cranberry Orange Coconut Butter Fudge (Gluten-free)
• Goji-Cranberry Truffles (Keto, Low Carb, Paleo, GAPS)
• Chocolate Almond Cranberry Clusters (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Cranberry Baked Pears (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)

Cranberry Breakfast Recipes, Cranberry Bread Recipes & Cranberry Snacks

Image courtesy of Skinny Fitalicious.

October through November is peak cranberry season! Why not enjoy as many cranberries as you can?

Pack them into your breakfasts and snacks with these fresh cranberry recipes!

• Cranberry Orange Muffins with Soaked Oats (Gluten-free, Dairy-free)
• Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal Cups (Gluten-free)
• Fresh Cranberry Breakfast Cookies (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Cranberry Orange Granola (Gluten-free, Dairy-free)
• Cranberry Sauce Quick Bread (Gluten-free, Dairy-free)
• Banana Bread with Cranberries (Gluten-free, Dairy-free)
• Cranberry Coconut Bread (Paleo, Grain-free)
• Cranberry Kefir Fruit Snacks (Paleo, GAPS)
• Indian Pudding with Cranberries & Maple Syrup
• Cranberry Walnut Powerballs
• Cranberry Applesauce (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Fermented Honey Cranberries (Paleo, Grain-free)

Cranberry Drink Recipes

Image courtesy of Healthy Christian Home.

There is nothing more comforting and cozy than a cranberry warming drink like Spiced Cranberry Mors or Cranberry Wassail during the colder months.

If you’d like something more refreshing and chilled, try some cranberry soda or a spritzer.

• Honey-Sweetened Instant Pot Cranberry Juice (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free, GAPS)
• Homemade Cranberry Juice (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Spiced Cranberry Mors (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free
• Cranberry Wassail (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
• Healthy Cranberry Apple Smoothie (Keto, Paleo, Grain-free)
• Cranberry Apple Switchel (Paleo, GAPS)
• Fermented Cranberry Soda (Gluten-free, Dairy-free)
• Real Food Cranberry Lemon Spritzer (Low Carb, Paleo, Dairy-free)
• Cranberry Spritzer Mocktail (Paleo, Grain-free, Dairy-free)

What are your favorite fresh cranberry recipes? Do you have any favorite holiday dishes or recipes?

Main images courtesy of Wholesome Yum, Traditional Cooking School, and Strength & Sunshine.