16 Seasonal Cranberry Recipes

November 20, 2014

No Thanksgiving feast is complete without a side of sweet-tart cranberry sauce. But while cranberries are in season in the late fall, they also make a delightfully tangy addition to cocktails and desserts. Roasted, juiced, or baked, from the most traditional of sauces to an airy cranberry mousse, these 16 recipes highlight the very best of the iconic autumnal berry.

Cranberry Salsa

Lime and jalapeño punch up SAVEUR executive food editor Todd Coleman's fresh, no-cook take on cranberry sauce. If you use frozen cranberries, be sure they are fully thawed before beginning the recipe. See the recipe for Cranberry Salsa »Todd Coleman
Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Sauce

No Thanksgiving feast is complete without cranberry sauce—forget the canned variety and make this recipe instead. See the recipe for Cranberry Sauce »Vanessa Rees
Apple and Cranberry Upside-Down Cakes

Apple and Cranberry Upside-Down Cakes

This recipe, from Fore Street restaurant in Portland, Maine, calls for using six 4" steel blini pans. But you can make a single cake in an 8" cast-iron skillet, if you prefer. If fresh or frozen cranberries aren't available, use reconstituted dried berries. Get the recipe for Apple and Cranberry Upside-Down Cakes »Khushbu Shah
Red Nose Punch

Red Nose Punch

This sweet and tangy cranberry–beer–bourbon punch, delicately spiced with cinnamon-infused simple syrup, is perfect for a festive gathering.Helen Rosner

Debesmanna (Cranberry Mousse)

Farina undergoes an unexpected transformation from hot cereal to airy pudding in this tart-sweet Latvian dessert, which is typically served with milk poured on top. See the recipe for Debesmanna »Todd Coleman
Whole Cranberry Sauce

Whole Cranberry Sauce

Fresh orange and grapefruit juice add zest to this seasonal staple. **See the Recipe for Whole Cranberry Sauce »**Vanessa Rees

Cranberry-Ginger Chutney

Laced with spices and plenty of fresh ginger, this sophisticated take on cranberry sauce gets an added boost from chopped celery and tart apples. See the recipe for Cranberry-Ginger Chutney »Todd Coleman

Cranberry Farro Quick Bread

Farro adds substance and nuttiness to moist honey-and-brown-sugar-sweetened quick bread. See the recipe for Cranberry Farro Quick Bread »Anna Stockwell

Cranberry Crush

Spiced rum and fiery ginger beer combine with tart cranberry juice for a flavorful cool-weather cocktail. Be sure to use true cranberry juice--not a cranberry juice cocktail or other blend--otherwise this drink will turn out cloyingly sweet. See the recipe for Cranberry Crush »Helen Rosner
Cranberry-Walnut Relish

Cranberry-Walnut Relish

Raw cranberries and earthy walnuts are transformed into a tart, fresh condiment for turkey.Farideh Sadeghin

Cranberry Oil

An infusion of fresh cranberries adds vibrant color and subtle tartness to extra-virgin olive oil. Use the oil to add a special seasonal touch to salad dressings or sauces. See the recipe for Cranberry Oil »Ben Fink

Roasted Cranberry Sauce

The relish featured here employs a novel technique: cranberries are roasted with orange peel, jalapeño, and spices until their skins burst, concentrating their flavor and drawing out their sweetness and juices; then they're tossed with orange juice and port. See the recipe for Roasted Cranberry Sauce »André Baranowski

Triple-Tart Cranberry Butter

Great on anything from breakfast biscuits to turkey sandwiches, this fruity, tart spread makes the most of the season's fresh cranberries.Maxime Iattoni
Cranberry Chiffon Pie

Cranberry Chiffon Pie

Fresh or frozen cranberries make the base for this tart custard pie.Andrew Ingalls
Pickled Cranberries

Pickled Cranberries

Pickling takes the natural sweet-tart nature of the cranberry and amplifies it.Nicole Franzen
Apple-Cranberry Relish

Apple-Cranberry Relish

Sautéed garlic and onion, plus a little bit of salt, add a savory note to this sweet-tart relish, which gets its body from the natural pectin in the poached, puréed cranberries. A twist on Thanksgiving’s traditional cranberry sauce, the recipe was given to us by Michael Sandoval, executive chef of Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, California. His staff prepares it as part of the restaurant's annual Thanksgiving meal for veterans and their families.Ingalls Photography

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