Our Test Kitchen Can’t Get Enough of This 3-Ingredient Crunchy Holiday Treat

The holidays are a perfect time to share family recipes—ones that have been handed down for generations—with the people you love. From NFL great Patrick Mahomes’ family chili recipe to Jennifer Garner and her mom’s go-to cornbread, Allrecipes’ site is full of them. But one thing we haven’t seen until now is a fruity treat with Russian origins that’s currently going viral on TikTok.

What Are Candied Cranberries?

Candied cranberries, also sometimes called sugared cranberries, can be made a variety of different ways, but all have the same basic ingredients: fresh cranberries, a sweet liquid, and powdered sugar. The crunchy holiday snack seems pretty simple to make, as evidenced by TikToker @cookiterica’s recent videos sharing her Russian grandmother’s recipe for candied cranberries.

In Erica’s video, she marinates fresh cranberries in a mixture of Prosecco and orange juice, then drains the liquid and coats the berries in powdered sugar. “In some Russian households, they use egg whites,” she explains, while her daughter, Morgan, adds that their grandma “was a woman of efficiency,” and revamped the traditional recipe a bit. The cranberries get set aside in the fridge to absorb some of the liquid.

Once soaked, Erica then adds the drained cranberries and powdered sugar to a bowl, puts a lid on it, and shakes vigorously, explaining that “every single one of them has to be coated.”

The next step is to dry the berries a bit in the oven, baking them for 5 to 7 minutes in a single layer on a baking sheet in an oven set to 200 degrees F. After the drying is complete, Erica suggests allowing the cranberries to chill in the refrigerator for about 12 hours before snacking on them.

“It’s sweet and it’s tangy,” she explains. “They’re so good.”

That video has racked up over 10 million views since posting, with a follow-up video garnering nearly 4 millions views of its own.

In another viral TikTok video, user @siah.leigh says she tried a version of the recipe made with cranberries marinated in lemon juice and sugar, then tossed in powdered sugar and dried in the oven.

“This is a prime example of ‘all heroes do not wear capes’,” she says of the original recipe creator. “To this person, or whomever came up with this recipe, I hope your pillow stays cold on both sides, your bank account stays full, your heart is full of love…because this is a winner. 10 out of 10.”

That’s pretty high praise, but just how did these viral cranberries come about? On the blog, Russia Beyond, food blogger Victoria Drey calls cranberries “one of the most beloved berries in Russia.”

“Sugared cranberry was one of the most popular and healthy sweets in my childhood, and it still is today,” Drey writes. “My granny said that sugared cranberries were in short supply in Soviet times, although there always has been tons of cranberries in Russia’s northern regions. She remembered that this delight became common not so long ago, only in the early 2000s.”

Drey’s version of sugared cranberries calls for preparing a classic simple syrup, then letting it cool a bit (so the berries don’t pop from the heat), and coating the cranberries in the mixture. Next, she tosses the coated cranberries in powdered sugar and allows them to dry out for a few hours on parchment paper on the countertop. But there’s an even easier way to make them at home.

How to Make Candied Cranberries at Home

To make tried Allrecipes version of candied cranberries, wash and drain a 12-ounce bag of cranberries. Add the cranberries to a large bowl or storage container and add in enough orange juice to full submerge the berries. Allow them to sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Strain the cranberries and add them to a bowl with 2 cups of powdered sugar. Toss until the cranberries are fully coated in powdered sugar. (You can also do this step in a zip-top bag and shake to combine.) Transfer the coated cranberries to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 250 degrees F for 5-8 minutes.

We tried the viral snack in our test kitchen, and Allrecipes Senior Producer Nicole McLaughlin and Producer Natalie Gravois couldn’t get enough of them. While Gravois grew up with the snack (but called Cranberry Snowballs in her house), it was McLaughlin’s first time trying candied cranberries. She had just two words for them: “Quite delightful.”

No matter how you make your candied cranberries, they’re sure to become a favorite holiday snack in your house, too. And, if you need more cranberry recipes to quell your cravings for tangy, tart treats, try some White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies or Cranberry Nut Bread, while you’re at it.