Dried cranberry recipes offer a delightful twist on traditional cranberry dishes, providing a burst of tart and sweet flavors that can be enjoyed any time of year. Often regarded as the healthier cousin of raisins, dry cranberries have become increasingly popular due to their versatility and ability to enhance both sweet and savory dishes.
In this post, I've gathered over 20 recipes that use dried cranberries in cooking and baking, so you can enjoy the tart and sweet taste of cranberries any time of the year!
Be sure to bookmark this page, as I'll keep adding to the list!
Jump to:
- About Dried Cranberries
- Appetizers Made with Dried Cranberries
- Side Dishes Made with Dried Cranberries
- Salads Made with Dried Cranberries
- Sweet Treats
About Dried Cranberries
Dried cranberries are sweeter than fresh cranberries and can double for raisins in some recipes, including salads, baked goods and cereals. They are also portable and store well, which makes them a convenient snack.
Most grocery stores carry dried cranberries in the baking section, next to the raisins, and Ocean Spray and Sun Maid are two major brands. Some stores also carry them in the bulk food section. Customers may find minor nutritional differences, depending on where they buy their product. For example, bulk cranberries may have less sugar while some brands have more fiber.
Calories and Nutritional Value
Bulk cranberries have 87 calories in each ⅓-cup serving. Sun-Maid and Ocean Spray both have 130 calories per serving. The difference in calories may be due to the amount of sugar added during the manufacturing process.
Carbohydrates
Cranberries are quite tart and many manufacturers add sugar during the manufacturing process. The sugar not only enhances the taste, it also helps create the proper texture. Bulk cranberries have 24 g of carbohydrates with one gram of dietary fiber and 23 g of sugar.
Protein, Vitamins and Minerals.
Bulk cranberries have no protein, calcium or vitamin C. They do have one percent of the daily value of iron. Sun-Maid's literature says they have no protein, two percent of the daily value of vitamins A and C, four percent of iron and 35 percent calcium. Ocean Spray cranberries have no protein and the company provides no information on the amount of Vitamins A and C, calcium or iron.
Appetizers Made with Dried Cranberries
Cranberry Goat Cheese Log A simple log of goat cheese is crusted with dried cranberries, nuts, and rosemary to make the perfect holiday appetizer!
Cranberry Goat Cheese Log
This easy appetizer features holiday colors and flavors, and comes together in minutes. Simply perfect for your holiday gathering!
Goat Cheese Appetizer Recipe
Similarly, this festive cheese ball provides another way to enjoy the sweet and savory flavors of nuts and cranberries!
Cranberry Nut Cheese Ball
This festive Cheese Ball with Cranberries and Nuts pairs beautifully with both sweet and savory foods!
Side Dishes Made with Dried Cranberries
Cranberry sauce from dried cranberries is easy and delicious! This classic Thanksgiving condiment takes on a new dimension of flavor when dried cranberries are added to the mix.
Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cranberries
Cranberry sauce is easy to make from Craisins!
Cranberry Sauce from Craisins
Stuffed Acorn Squash is another Thanksgiving side that uses dried cranberries to enhance the flavor. All the flavors of fall in every bite!
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Stuff your squash with an easy sweet and savory filling and cook with a slow cooker
Stuffed Squash Recipe
Salads Made with Dried Cranberries
Broccoli Kale Salad is made with massaged kale, broccoli slaw, and dried cranberries. A citrus vinaigrette brings all the flavors together!
Broccoli Kale Salad with Cranberries
A healthy and delicious salad! Practically superfood in a bowl!
Check out this recipe
Shaved Brussels Sprouts salad delivers a sweet orange vinaigrette dressing in a veggie-packed salad!
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
This salad is a delicious new way to serve Brussels sprouts!
Check out this recipe
Look at the gorgeous colors of this Butternut Squash salad! This vegan salad not only embodies autumn but is an ideal side dish to complement your Thanksgiving feast.
Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad is adelightful dish that combines the earthy sweetness of roasted butternut squash with the wholesome goodness of quinoa.
The addition of dried cranberries makes a classic Broccoli Bacon Salad a little more special!
Broccoli Bacon Salad
Crunchy with a hint of sweet, Broccoli Bacon Salad is healthy and tasty. This version adds apples and cranberries for a perfect lunch, dinner or picnic side!
Cranberry Goat Cheese Salad with a honey balsamic dressing sounds like a perfect light lunch to me!
Cranberry Goat Cheese Salad with Walnuts
This simple yet elegant cranberry goat cheese salad with walnuts is quick and easy to toss up, and can be served with almost any dinner, or as a light flavor-packed lunch on it’s own.
This Christmas Salad is one of the best salad recipes for Christmas dinner, featuring baby greens, spinach, chopped roasted chestnuts, dried cranberries and feta cheese in an elegant combination topped off by homemade Cranberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing.
Christmas Salad With Chestnuts and Cranberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
This Christmas Salad with a cranberry balsamic vinaigrette is topped with roasted chestnuts, feta cheese, and dried cranberries.
Using rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite shortcuts! This rotisserie chicken salad offers the best of sweet and savory flavors.
Cranberry Rotisserie Chicken Salad
This cranberry rotisserie chicken salad recipe is a fantastic combo of sweet and savory flavors, with tangy cranberries, savory chicken, and a creamy dressing.
This salad was inspired by a healthy sweet potato salad found on Ikaria Island, Greece, famous for its unusual longevity. If delicious food helps you live longer, you can sign me up!
Kale Sweet Potato Salad – Art of Natural Living
Kale, savory red onion, creamy avocado & caramel-y sweet potato deliver flavor and nutrition in this tasty Kale Sweet Potato Salad.
Sweet Treats
Dried Cranberry Muffins and Breads
Combine two favorite holiday flavors - eggnog and cranberries - to make this Cranberry Eggnog Bread. White chocolate gives it just the right touch of sweet!
Eggnog Cranberry Bread
This eggnog cranberry bread is the perfect quick bread for the holidays. Every bite bursts with sweet and tart: cranberry and white chocolate.
get the recipe
Adding walnuts to the batter as well as the streusel topping gives these muffins a full texture and a uniquely satisfying flavor.
Cranberry Walnut Muffins
Soft, tender muffins filled with cranberry, orange and walnut flavor. Use dried cranberries (Craisins) and make them year round!
Cranberry Walnut Muffins Recipe
Apples and cranberries combine beautifully in this delicious muffin. A taste of fall in every bite!
Whole Wheat Apple Cranberry Muffins With Streusel Topping
These Whole Wheat Apple Cranberry Muffins turned out absolutely moist and soft. Adding the streusel topping is entirely optional but I would highly recommend it as the muffins were very less sweet without the streusel.
Dried Cranberry Cookies and Bars
Cranberry and apple crumble bars feature an irresistibly fruity filling between two layers of crumble, for an effortless treat that takes no more than 30 minutes to prepare and no chance of failure!
Cranberry and Apple Crumble Bars
Cranberry and apple crumble bars have a fruity filling sandwiched between two layers of oat crumble and are simple to make.
Making chocolate bark is no sweat; the melting, cooling, and setting process can take less than one hour - perfect if you need a last-minute treat for family and guests!
Chocolate Bark
This chocolate bark recipe is an extremely quick-to-make no-bake recipe that’s so easy to adjust to any occasion. Use nuts, seeds, dried berries, and fruit to create a unique chocolate dessert that will look fantastic on your table.
For some of us, every holiday season involves waiting in line at Starbucks for their delicious Cranberry Bliss bars, eagerly awaiting their delectable blend of tart cranberries, creamy white chocolate chips, and an unexpected hint of orange. What could possibly beat it?! So delicious?
Healthy Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars (gluten-free)
This Healthy Cranberry Bliss Bars recipe is way healthier than the original version, with much less fat and added sugars.
One bite will quickly make these chewy delicious cookies your new go-to treats! Easy to make and packed full of amazing ingredients and textures - one bite will have you hooked.
Oatmeal Craisin Cookies with White Chocolate Recipe
Oatmeal Craisin Cookies with white chocolate chips are a delicious and easy to make cookie. Chewy Craisin Cookies are great for the holidays!
Brown sugar is the star ingredient for this pistachio cookie recipe. By doubling up on its use over regular granulated sugar you get soft and chewy cookies that are bendable yet flavorful.
Pistachio Christmas Cookie
This Craisins recipe makes such soft and sweet, deliciously decadent cookies. Perfect for holiday cookie baking.
Dried cranberries provide a fantastic way to enjoy the unique flavor of cranberries year-round. Whether you're looking to whip up an easy cranberry sauce or add a touch of sweetness and tartness to your favorite dishes, these dried cranberry recipes have got you covered.
Let me know which ones are your favorites!
