Sparkling sugared cranberries and sugared blueberries make a beautiful egg-free simple garnish for cakes, puddings, charcuterie platters, frozen tarts, ice cream bowls, cocktails and more.
Sugared Cranberries | Sugared Blueberries
Sugared cranberries and sugared blueberries make the easiest prettiest garnish. Each takes only 2 ingredients, and under 20 minutes. Sure, they have sugar, but my recipe does not use eggs. Just water. Sugar and water and berries.
These fancy frosted berries are super easy to make, and delicious to eat. I used blueberries, cranberries for a more tart taste to take the edge of the sweet, but raspberries and strawberries work too!
How Do You Use Sugared Berries?
I put them on my chocolate cream pie here, but you can do so many things with sugared berries. Here are a few ideas you can add them to:
- Cakes and pies and tarts
- Ice cream and pudding dessert bowls
- Charcuterie platters for splashes of color and sweet
- Speared on tooth picks for cocktail garnishes
- On their own as a dessert
How Do You Make Sugared Cranberries and Sugared Blueberries?
Just two simple steps:
1. Make a simple sugar syrup by microwaving sugar and water together for one minute. Let it cool, then dip each berry.
2. Roll the berries in sugar and let them dry. That's it!
Some recipes have you dipping berries in egg white - not necessary, water is perfect.
Some recipes have you waiting an hour for the dipped berries to dry stickly before rolling them into sugar. Doing it this way results in a less-sticky surface so less sugar will stick to the berries.
Q & A About Sugared Berries
Berries are nature’s candy and making sugared berries make them even more candy-like. Here are some questions answered about this recipe.
Can You Eat Sugared Fruit?
You can eat these straight instead of using as a garnish. Of course the berries are nutritious but the sugar isn’t so I’d pop a few but not have a bowl of sugared berries for my breakfast lol.
How Do You Sweeten Blueberries?
Easy, just use my sugared berries recipe right here. Blueberries are a bit sour so they are the perfect berry, just like cranberries, to coat in sugar.
Can You Use Frozen Berries To Decorate A Cake?
Of course, but sugared berries are even prettier.
Can You Eat Raw Cranberries?
Yep! Sugared cranberries cut the sourness however.
Are Cranberries High in Sugar?
No, quite low, so are blueberries. That's what makes them the perfect candidate for sugared berries.
How Do You Sweeten Raw Cranberries?
Eat sweetened raw cranberries by making sugared cranberries and then use as garnishes to a cake or even charcuterie platter. Or eat a few on their own.
What Do You Do with Fresh Cranberries?
Make this fresh sugared cranberry recipe among other uses such as my Cranberry Orange Muffins.
Best Desserts To Garnish with Sugared Berries
Chocolate Cream Pie
Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
Vanilla Cake
Sweet Potato Ice Cream
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Sugared Cranberries | Sugared Blueberries
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup organic cane sugar, divided
- 1 cup blueberries (or strawberries)
- 1 cup cranberries (or raspberries)
Instructions
Prep
- Rinse and pat dry fresh berries. Remove any soft berries or those that are gone. Set aside.
- Set out a cooling rack with a protective paper or cookie sheet beneath to catch loose sugar.
- Add ½ cup sugar to a bowl to prepare for rolling the berries to coat.
Make Sugared Berries
- First, make the simple sugar syrup by adding ¼ cup of sugar to ¼ cup of water and set into microwave for 1 minute. Remove cup and stir until all sugar is melted. Quickly add in ¼ cup sugar and stir again until dissolved. Microwave another 15 seconds if you need to dissolve any further.
- Set the syrup aside to cool, about 15-30 minutes. Don't use it warm or it will pop the berries.
- When the syrup is at room temperature, dip each berry using a fork, coating it completely. Let excess drip off, then roll in the sugar in the bowl.
- Set coated berries one by one on the cooling rack to drain and wait to be sugared. Then dip each one in the waiting bowl of sugar, rolling with fork or finger to coat. Then lift it out and set it back on rack. Do this until all berries are coated.
Store Sugared Berries
- Store them uncovered in the refrigerator for 4 days. If they get wet and the sugar coating seems to dissolve, simply roll them in sugar to refresh.
Nutrition
Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of the recent cookbook, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients and another immunity-boosting smoothie shot book, 4-Ingredient Smoothies + Juices , due out in January 2021. On this blog you'll find incredibly easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in sciences and journalism, editor at The Feedfeed and a nutritional expert at WikiHow. More about Dee Dine here.
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