How To Make Stunning Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary
The holiday season on our cozy little Tennessee homestead is all about creating magic with simple traditions. From baking Christmas cakes to crafting handmade decorations, there’s always something festive happening in the kitchen. This year, my favorite way to add a little sparkle to our holiday celebrations has been with sugared cranberries and rosemary. These sweet, frosted garnishes are not only a beautiful garnish for your holiday desserts, but they’re also an easy, fun project for the whole family to enjoy.
Whether I’m topping this easy cheesecake galette, garnishing a holiday mocktail like this bubble Cranberry Spritzer, or decorating a charcuterie board, these sparkling cranberries and sugared rosemary bring the perfect festive touch. The best part? You only need a few ingredients, all of which I know you already have at home.
Simple Ingredients, Big Holiday Flair
On the farm, we try to keep things simple and wholesome and as close to whole and real as possible. Because of this I use organic cane sugar for all of my recipes. I was also able to harvest the rosemary fresh from the garden. But, if you don’t have any growing at home, store-bought rosemary works wonderfully too!
Expect Tip To Keep Rosemary Longer: Trim the ends and keep the sprigs in a cup of shallow water to maintain their freshness until you’re ready to use them.
Along with rosemary, you’ll need fresh cranberries and a few tools you likely already have in your kitchen.
Tips for Perfect Sugared Garnishes
These sparkling treats are deceptively simple to make, but I’ve learned a few tricks along the way to ensure they come out perfect every time:
- Cool the Sugar Syrup Completely: Using hot syrup can crack cranberries and burn rosemary, turning it black instead of sparkly green. Let the syrup cool to room temperature for best results.
- Work in Small Batches: Coat just a few cranberries or rosemary sprigs at a time to ensure even coverage.
- Use Two Slotted Spoons: To avoid making the bowl of sugar clumpy, use one slotted spoon to transfer cranberries from the syrup and tap off excess liquid. Then, use a separate spoon for tossing them in sugar.
- Parchment Paper in a Rimmed Dish: Cranberries roll easily, so placing parchment paper in a rimmed baking dish helps keep them contained as they dry.
Why We Love These Festive Treats
Making these easy sugared cranberries and sugared rosemary is fast become a family tradition for us. The kids love rolling the cranberries in sugar and laying them out to dry, and I love how these little projects tie us closer together during the holidays. Not only are they fun to make, but they’re also versatile:
- Use them to garnish holiday cocktails or mocktails.
- Add them to charcuterie boards or holiday cheese boards.
- Decorate Christmas cakes, cheesecakes, and other holiday desserts.
- Enjoy them as a sweet-tart snack—the perfect combination of tart cranberries and sweet sugar coating!
Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cranberries or a bag of cranberries
- A few sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 cup of sugar organic cane sugar, granulated sugar, or your choice
- 3/4 cup to 1 cup water equal parts sugar and water for syrup
- Additional sugar for coating
Instructions
Tools:
- Small saucepan or medium saucepan
Two slotted spoons
Parchment paper
Large baking sheet or rimmed dish
Bowl of sugar
Instructions:
- 1. Make the Simple Syrup
Combine 1 cup of sugar and 3/4–1 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
Let the syrup cool to room temperature.
2. Sugar the Cranberries
Place fresh cranberries in the cooled syrup in small batches, ensuring each berry is well-coated.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cranberries to a paper towel to tap off excess syrup. Then, drop them into a bowl of sugar and toss to coat using a separate slotted spoon.
Lay the coated cranberries in a single layer on parchment paper placed in a rimmed dish or large baking sheet.
3. Sugar the Rosemary
Dip the sprigs of rosemary by hand into the syrup, ensuring they’re fully coated.
Sprinkle them generously with sugar and lay them out on parchment paper or a cooling rack to dry.
4. Dry and Store
Let the sugared cranberries and rosemary dry for a couple of hours until the sugar coating hardens.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days.
Notes and Variations
- Powdered Sugar Option: For a softer look, roll the sugared cranberries and rosemary in powdered sugar after their initial sugar coating has dried.
- Orange Peel Addition: Add a touch of zest by garnishing with sugared orange peel for even more holiday flair.
- Use Different Sugars: Experiment with raw sugar or fine white sugar for varied textures.
These candied cranberries and sugared rosemary sprigs are the perfect addition to your holiday celebrations. Whether they’re decorating your favorite desserts, adorning a festive cocktail, or sitting pretty on a dessert tray, they’re sure to bring a little sparkle to your season.
If you make these, I’d love to see them! Tag me over on Instagram so I can see the finished product! From our homestead to yours, happy holidays!
Other Cranberry Desserts:
