9 Ways To Use Cranberries This Season

Cranberries are the signal of the season’s beginning, from the moment the cranberry sauce and stuffing hits the Thanksgiving table. For our family, this is the unofficial start to our pierogi assembly lines and days of baking buttery cookies transcribed from my grandmother’s handwritten tattered pages.

Growing up in a Polish household, the holiday season has always been special. Each year is spent with family anticipating those last two months filled with cheesy pierogies, buttery haluski, and spicy kielbasa. Although my siblings and I are now grown, our traditions haven’t diminished. Instead, they’ve flourished.

Whether you’re looking to reinvent your traditional dishes or discover something new, we’ve compiled nine of our favorite ways to incorporate cranberries in your holiday favorites.

Cranberries: Sweet & In Season

Cranberry Casserole

Freight House’s Sara Bradley bakes a twist on her family-favorite cranberry casserole recipe. Her cranberries are paired with fresh sage and a touch of red wine vinegar, all topped with a sugary oat and pecan topping. The best part? Bradley offers substitutions to make the recipe nut and dairy free with sunflower seeds and non-dairy butter, sure to please every holiday guest.

Citrus Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Cranberry Relish

Sweet meets citrusy, savory, and spicy in Vivian Howard’s sweet potatoes. The North Carolina chef mixes sweet potatoes with orange juice, citrus zest, brown sugar, and butter then tops it all with a crunchy cranberry, leek, and breadcrumb relish. For additional spice, top with Olde Virden’s sweet and spicy honey sprinkles to amplify the earthy flavors.

Cranberry-Pecan Sauce

Every holiday meal needs its fair share of cranberry sauce. A twist on the traditional recipe, Charlottesville, Virginia’s Megan Kiernan cooks up a cranberry-pecan version, complete with orange juice and a touch of zest. If the pecans inside aren’t enough, we suggest Zorro’s Georgia roasted pecans for an extra crunchy topping.

Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Make vegetables the star of your holiday menu with chef John Ondo’s brussels sprouts. Topped with a sweet cranberry vinaigrette, these sprouts are roasted to golden brown and crispy perfection. Pair with a drizzle of Apis Mercantile honey for a savory-sweet finish.

White Chocolate Cranberry Bread Pudding

Veronica Mathieu shares her recipe for the perfect fire-side dessert. The Atlanta chef mixes French bread with vanilla, cinnamon, craisins, and white chocolate to make the ultimate sweet holiday bread pudding. Pair with a cup of hot coffee mixed with a hint of Omni Coffee’s cookie butter syrup to relish the holiday mood. 

Cranberry Noel Brioche

Holiday breads are often forgotten amid other cookies and sweets. Lionel Vatinet brings La Farm’s best to the table with this cranberry brioche with a sweet candied almond meringue. Toasted pecans (we recommend Billie’s), espelette pepper, and rum make this brioche the perfect addition to your charcuterie spread.

Cranberry-Pear Pie

Pie specialist, Amanda Wilbanks of Southern Baked Pie Company,  is happy to deliver pies right to your door, but you can also use her recipe to make your own bakery-worthy dessert this winter. With a mix of fresh cranberries matched with winter pears, this dish is perfectly in-season. If you love this recipe, make sure to check out her cookbook, Southern Baked.

Cranberry Salad with Apples and Pistachios

Instead of reheating your Thanksgiving leftovers, transform them into a refreshing lunch with Sean Fowler’s holiday-themed turkey salad. The Raleigh, North Carolina chef mixes turkey leftovers with dried cranberries and apples for a hint of sweet crunch. Add fresh herbs like rosemary and tarragon, then complete with Duke’s mayonnaise, orange zest, and Feridies’ pistachios for an entirely new dish.

Cranberry Gin Smash

What are the holidays without a cocktail? Scott Blackwell of High Wire Distillery shares his cranberry and gin smash with a cranberry spice simple syrup of cinnamon, orange peel, and rosemary. With a vibrant red color and a rosemary sprig as garnish, Blackwell’s holiday sipper looks as good as it tastes.

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