Back to top

Cranberry Treats

Not sure what to do with all that leftover cranberry? Consider adding it to these tasty treats!

Whether your Thanksgiving cranberry sauce is made fresh from whole cranberries and orange rind, or is fresh from a can (rings and all!), this table top staple is often leftover in abundance. Save from putting an all-out stop on people bringing extra sauce, you can also have a clear plan of ways you can incorporate it into your meals after celebrations are over.

Much like many of our other tips, having a clear plan can really make a difference in reducing the amount of food that is ultimately going to waste in your home. For cranberry sauce, keeping any leftovers in a clear, labelled jar or container, in a visible place in the refrigerator, is a great place to start. 

You can use it similar to any other fruit preserves:

  • topping a hot bowl of oatmeal (or mix it into your overnight oats)
  • smear it on top of toast, waffles, or pancakes
  • use it, along with some granola if desired, to top yogurt

If you're feeling a little more ambitious, try out one of the recipes below for a special post-holiday treat.

Below you will find recipes for the more chunky cranberry sauces and relishes, as well as one for the tasty canned-variety.


Cranberry Coconut Muffins

Ingredients

  • 3-4 tbsp sugar (depending on desired sweetness)
  • 3 tbsp butter, room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup flour, sifted
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts (whatever extras you have on hand from other holiday baking)
  • 1/4 cup coconut flakes
  • 3/4 cup canned or home made cranberry sauce

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350F
  • Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and lemon juice. Beat until smooth.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture.
  • Cut in pieces of cranberry sauce. Gently incorporate.
  • Fold in nuts and coconut.
  • Put batter by tablespoons into a non-stick mini muffin pan.
  • Bake for 20 minutes until tops spring back.
  • Remove and top with powdered sugar, if desired.

Cranberry Jello

Ingredients

  • 1 6 oz package raspberry flavor gelatin 
  • 2 cups boiling hot water
  • 2 cups cold water
  • roughly 1-2 cups of chunky cranberry sauce or relish (depending on how chunky you want the gelatin and how much you need to use up)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts of your choice if desired)

Directions

  • Place boiling hot water into a bowl and use a whisk or fork to mix in the packet of gelatin until dissolved 
  • Stir in 2 cups of cold water and refrigerate for 1 hour until slightly thickened
  • Slowly add cranberry sauce and nuts, keeping an eye on the consistency to ensure you get the amount of texture you desire
  • Pour the mixture into individual serving cups or a larger mould, then transfer to the refrigerator to set for roughly 4 hours

Additional Recipes

Gazpacho
reinvent wrinkly tomatoes into a tasty side dish
Roasted Tomatoes
Agua Fresca / Melon Sa Malamig
Freezing Spinach
Make preserved lemons to gift to friends or just to keep on hand for a tasty addition to dishes
Preserved Lemons
Garden Tomatoes covered in ash
Wildfire Ash on Produce
Quick Jam
Reviving Mac & Cheese