Our Best Cranberry Recipes

Cranberry Crumble Pie
Photo: Gerard + Belevender

It's that time of year when cranberries are in abundance, so we've gathered some of our favorite recipes from classic sauces to pies and even a few boozy cocktails.  Aside from upgrading your canned cranberry sauce, these cranberry-forward recipes should be on the top of your must-make list.

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Roasted Spiced Cranberry Pie

Roasted Spiced Cranberry Pie
Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Stylist Torie Cox / Prop Stylist Claire Spollen

Tart cranberries are roasted with lemongrass and gochugaru (Korean chile flakes) to give this vibrant pie its fruity and fragrant kick. Roasting the cranberries concentrates their flavor and allows you to control their doneness, resulting in juicy, bursting berries in every bite. Thin strips of dried mango plump as they soak up the flavorful juices, giving the filling a pop of tropical brightness.

02 of 16

Chunky Cranberry Sauce

Chunky Cranberry Sauce
David Malosh

Gary Vaynerchuk prefers "real cranberry sauce" with chunks of whole fruit over the smooth canned-and-jellied kind.

03 of 16

Cranberry and Orange Pavlovas

Cranberry and Orange Pavlova
© Stephanie Foley

This Pavlova has a secret: The whipped cream on top of the crisp meringue shell tastes a lot like a Creamsicle.

04 of 16

Chipotle-Cranberry-Glazed Turkey Meatballs

Chipotle Cranberry Glazed Turkey Meatballs
Photo: Jennifer Causey / Food stylist Ali Ramee

Meatballs paired with a sweet-spicy cranberry sauce make for an ideal appetizer at any holiday party. The chipotle pepper and honey added to this cranberry sauce gives it gentle notes of heat and sweetness. Using quick-cooking gluten-free oatmeal in the meatballs instead of breadcrumbs makes this a great gluten-free appetizer.

05 of 16

Cranberry-Orange Sparkling Wine Gelatin

Cranberry-Orange Sparkling Wine Gelatin
Photo by Noah Fecks / Food Styling by Drew Aichele / Prop Styling by Ethan Lunkenheimer

This festive layered gelatin is a conversation-starting centerpiece and sure to delight potluck guests. The rosy cranberry layer is tart, bursting with cranberries and a splash of gin, and the sparkling wine layer, with a hint of elderflower liqueur, still playfully maintains its bubbles. Spiked with three types of alcohol, this is an adults-only side or dessert. Read more about how this gelatin makes a showstopping addition to your holiday table.

06 of 16

Port-Cranberry Sauce

Port-Cranberry Sauce
© William Meppem

Traditional cranberry sauce gets a sweet, dark glug of port wine, plus orange juice and orange zest.

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Pear-and-Cranberry Slab Pie

Pear-and-Cranberry Slab Pie
© Con Poulos

Instead of making a traditional two-crust pie in a pie plate, F&W Culinary Director at Large Justin Chapple makes this free-form, fruit-filled, ginger-laced pie on a baking sheet.

08 of 16

Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Fuji Apple

Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Fuji Apple
© Frances Janisch

A classic take on cranberry jelly is updated with tart sliced apples. This recipe can be made up to two weeks in advance.

09 of 16

Cranberry Mostarda

Cranberry Mostarda
© Con Poulos

This jammy, mustard-seed-spiked condiment from chef and butcher Chris Eley is terrific served alongside everything from grilled sausage to roast turkey.

10 of 16

Cranberry Vinaigrette

Cranberry Vinaigrette
© Johnny Valiant

Sweet-tart dried cranberries add color and texture to a basic salad dressing. Serve with a salad of arugula, endives, diced apples, crumbled farmer cheese, and toasted pumpkin seeds.

11 of 16

Cranberry-Glazed Pumpkin Pie

Cranberry-Glazed Pumpkin Pie
© Dana Gallagher

This super-simple crust is made with store-bought gingersnaps and ground walnuts and filled with silky pumpkin filling and a cranberry compote topping with more crunchy walnuts.

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Dried Cranberry and Chocolate Cookies

Dried Cranberry and Chocolate Cookies
Recipes and images excerpted with permission from

Adding cranberries and rolled oats to buttery chocolate chip cookie dough makes the cookies crunchier and more substantial.

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Cranberry Crumble Pie

Cranberry Crumble Pie
Gerard + Belevender

The cranberry compote's jammy texture holds the fruity filling together for this dessert, which presents a cranberry crumble in pie form. Plenty of warm spices in the filling help to balance the buttery crumble topping.

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Cranberry-Spice Cocktail

Cocktails
© Jonny Valiant

The numerous cranberries in this delicious concoction (including homemade cranberry-anise bitters) perfectly complement the hard cider and the Aperol.

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Cranberry, Ginger and Orange Chutney

Cranberry, Ginger and Orange Chutney
© Con Poulos

This chunky cranberry chutney is super-fresh-tasting because the cranberries are simmered briefly and the orange sections are added near the end of cooking.

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Rosé Sangria with Cranberries and Apples

Rosé Sangria with Cranberries and Apples
© Petrina Tinslay

This strong but not overly sweet sangria is nicely spiced with cinnamon, anise and cloves and it has just enough crushed red pepper to give it a tiny kick.

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