Cranberries add a sweet, tart tang to delicious sweets. Feature them as the main ingredient or a happy sidekick in these cranberry dessert recipes that will have everyone begging for seconds.
24 Cranberry Desserts Worth Puckering Up For
Updated on Sep. 16, 2024
Coconut Cranberry Yummies
When my husband came home from the grocery store with six bags of fresh cranberries, I launched a full-scale effort to creatively use them all. Bursting with tart and sweet flavors, these cranberry coconut cookies are my favorite result from that experiment and one of my favorite cranberry desserts of all time. —Amy Alberts, Appleton, Wisconsin
1/24
2/24
Cranberry Zucchini Wedges
Total Time
45 min
Servings
2 cakes (8 pieces each)
From the Recipe Creator:
I try to slip zucchini into as many dishes as possible. These cake wedges have wonderful flavor and a tender texture. They are pretty, too, with bits of pineapple, cranberries and zucchini. And they're perfect for brunch.—Redawna Kalynchuk, Sexsmith, Alberta
3/24
Cranberry Bog Bars
Total Time
50 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Sweet and chewy, these fun bars combine the flavors of oats, cranberries, brown sugar and pecans. I like to sprinkle the squares with confectioners’ sugar before serving. —Sally Wakefield, Gans, Pennsylvania
4/24
Cranberry Christmas Cake
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The ruby cranberries in this recipe stay bright and beautiful, and their tartness is irresistible. I’ve made this cranberry Christmas cake many times to share. —Marilyn Paradis, Woodburn, Oregon
5/24
Cranberry Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Total Time
55 min
Servings
4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
When I place a pan of these bars in the teachers' lounge and come back after the last bell, the pan is always empty. I'd say that's a good thing. White chocolate chips and cranberries make them extra special. —Mirella Hackett, Chandler, Arizona
6/24
Nantucket Cranberry Tart
Total Time
55 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Cranberry desserts don’t get easier than this one-bowl recipe. While everyone is enjoying a bountiful meal, this eye-catching tart can be baking to perfection in the oven. The pretty holiday dessert calls for very few ingredients, and it’s a snap to assemble. —Jackie Zack, Riverside, Connecticut
7/24
Apple Cranberry Crisp
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Apple cranberry crisp is a wonderful dessert for fall, when both cranberries and apples are in season. The fruits are quite compatible in flavor and color, and they help make any table look festive and inviting. —Martha Sue Stroud, Clarksville, Texas
8/24
Frosted Pumpkin Cranberry Bars
Total Time
35 min
Servings
about 4 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
With tangy dried cranberries tucked inside and a creamy brown butter frosting, these mildly spiced pumpkin bars are doubly delightful. It's a good thing the recipe makes lots, because once you taste one, you won't be able to resist going back for more!
-Barbara Nowakowski, Mesa, Arizona
9/24
Cranberry Layer Cake
Total Time
50 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I adapted a Bundt cake recipe to create this layer cake. Cranberries, walnuts and homemade frosting make it taste so delicious that you'd never guess it starts with a convenient cake mix. —Sandy Burkett, Galena, Ohio
10/24
Cranberry Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Both kids and grown-ups like this gorgeous dessert. It'll keep a few days and is actually better the second day, so you can make it a day ahead. —Sherry Conley, Noel Hants County, Nova Scotia
11/24
Cranberry Lime Macaroons
Total Time
30 min
Servings
2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
It wouldn’t be the holidays for my family and friends if I didn’t make these chewy lime-flavored macaroons. I usually make several batches a week during the season..—Alisa Costa, Chatham, New York
12/24
Banana Coffee Cake
Total Time
40 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
You're sure to go crazy over this yummy banana coffee cake topped with cinnamon, sugar and pecans. This recipe is so delicious that a local pecan grower asked permission to use it in one of his brochures. —Georgia Courtney, Las Cruces, New Mexico
13/24
Cranberry Orange Cake
Total Time
45 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe came to be through much trial and error. Growing up, my family used farina flour in desserts, and I thought it would lend a nice texture to this cake. It's an old-world Italian-style cake, delicious but not too sweet. The orange-cranberry combination is perfect! —Ninette Holbrook, Orlando, Florida
14/24
Classic Creme Brulee
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My favorite dessert is this creme brulee recipe. Recently I was at a party where the guests finished preparing their own desserts by "broiling" the sugar on their portions with a small torch. What a great idea! —Joylyn Trickel, Helendale, California
15/24
Rustic Cranberry Tarts
Total Time
35 min
Servings
2 tarts (6 servings each)
From the Recipe Creator:
I like to serve colorful desserts for gatherings with family and friends. These beautiful tarts are filled with cranberry and citrus flavor, and they’re easy to make and serve. —Holly Bauer, West Bend, Wisconsin
16/24
Cranberry-Almond Pound Cake
Total Time
1 hour 30 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
When you want an extra-special dessert for the holidays, it’s hard to beat a seasonal homemade cake. I like to drizzle mine with a simple but elegant glaze flavored with amaretto. —Jackie Howell, Tucson, Arizona
17/24
White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies
Total Time
55 min
Servings
3 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Friends sometimes ask me to make these for wedding receptions. For a fancier presentation, I cut the bars into triangle shapes and drizzle white chocolate over each one individually. —Erika Busz, Kent, Washington
18/24
Fluffy Cranberry Mousse
Total Time
15 min
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This is a delicious and pretty salad for the holidays, but it's so good that I serve it at other times, too. I got the recipe from a neighbor who had served it with a traditional turkey dinner. —Helen Clement, Hemet, California
19/24
Cranberry Pie
Total Time
1 hour 20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
To showcase abundant fall cranberries, make this beautiful lattice-topped cranberry pie. A dollop of orange cream complements the slightly tart flavor. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
20/24
Cranberry-Orange Cake with Lemon Glaze
Total Time
1 hour 40 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I used cranberries for decorations in a wedding, then challenged myself to find a way to use up the surplus. This pretty, super moist cake with cranberries in the batter and sometimes, sugared ones on top, was the result! —S. Jade Klope, Paducah, Kentucky
21/24
Baked Cranberry Pudding
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This is an old-fashioned pudding that's a cranberry lover's delight. Serve warm topped with whipped cream for an elegant look, or in bowls with rich cream poured over for a homey touch. —Lucy Meyring, Walden, Colorado
22/24
Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Total Time
55 min
Servings
about 2-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
This tasty biscotti is studded with dried cranberries and crunchy pistachios. It's delicious with tea or coffee. —Diane Gruber, Sioux City, Iowa
23/24
Cranberry-Almond Apple Pie
Total Time
1 hour 15 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My grandmother made this treat every year for Christmas. It’s much better than everyday apple pie. The recipe is a family treasure. —Maxine Theriauit, Nashua, New Hampshire
24/24
Cranberry Coconut Cake with Marshmallow Cream Frosting
Total Time
1 hour 35 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Filled with a homemade cranberry curd and smothered with one of the fluffiest frostings you've ever had, this tall cake will make a memorable impression at any gathering. —Julie Merriman, Seattle, Washington
