28 Mouthwatering Cranberry Recipes

With a special spotlight on cranberries in the fall and winter, it's time to take advantage of this tangy fruit for more than just cranberry sauce. (And you should totally forget about the stuff that comes in a can!) Try cranberries in many forms—like raw, sweetened, or dried. They're not only packed with flavor but also are full of antioxidants that can help your heart, brain, and skin.

Here are 28 ways to squeeze more cranberries into your meals over the coming months.

Try this recipe: Cranberry Magic Bars

Compounds in cranberries may help prevent tooth decay, research shows.

Ingredients: Olive oil cooking spray, graham crackers, pecans, sugar, unsalted butter, fresh cranberries, fresh orange juice, unsweetened coconut flakes, bittersweet chocolate

Calories: 166

Adapted from Better Baking (C) 2016 by Genevieve Ko. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Rux Martin Books. All rights reserved.

Try this recipe: Cranberry-Orange-Chocolate Smoothie

Good-for-you chocolate: Cacao nibs, no-sugar-added bits made from cacao beans, are high in fiber, iron, and magnesium.

Ingredients: Oranges, whole-milk yogurt, frozen cranberries, honey, lime juice, cacao nibs.

Calories: 192

Try this recipe: Cranberry Salsa

Power up: Cranberries are an antioxidant star, second only to blueberries in disease-fighting compounds.

Ingredients: Cranberries, maple syrup, water, sweet onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime zest, lime juice, salt, pepper.

Calories: 47

Try this recipe: Cranberry-Port-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Oil change: Avocado oil is excellent for roasting because it has a very high smoke point, and it's healthier than vegetable oil.

Ingredients: Cranberries, cranberry juice, port wine, maple syrup, thyme, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, butter, red wine vinegar, avocado oil, pork tenderloins.

Calories: 250

Oranges and cranberries have always had a beautiful marriage in the cooking world. The strong citrus flavor in this tangy sauce will make you forget that it's fat free. It goes well on a slice of roasted turkey.

Ingredients: Orange marmalade, orange rind, orange juice, sugar, cranberries

Calories: 88

Try this recipe:Seriously Orange Cranberry Sauce

Tart cranberry relish is a great holiday alternative to canned sugary cranberry condiments. Make this recipe up to three days in advance, and store in the refrigerator until Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients: Cranberries, water, sugar, orange rind strip, orange juice, cloves, cinnamon stick

Calories: 74

Try this recipe:Simple Cranberry-Citrus Relish

This spicy recipe proves that cranberry sauce doesn't have to be sweet. With cilantro, salt, lime juice, and jalapeño pepper to add a touch of hotness to the tart berries, this topping will add a kick to your turkey.

Ingredients: Fresh cranberries, celery, white onion, jalapeño, cilantro, sea salt, sugar, lime juice

Calories: 67

Try this recipe: Fresh Cranberry Salsa

Orange rind adds just a hint of citrus while brown sugar and cardamom provide a sweet flavoring. If you're using a sweeter brine for the turkey, then this cranberry sauce will be the perfect condiment.

Ingredients: Frozen cranberries, dark brown sugar, ground cardamom, strips of orange rind

Calories: 58Try this recipe: Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Not quite pudding and not quite cake, this crusty and soft dessert can be whipped up easily to please a crowd of guests during the holidays.

Ingredients: Cranberries, maple syrup, water, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, egg, 1% milk, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, salt

Calories: 239

Try this recipe:Saucy Cranberry Maple Pudding Cake

Bright red cranberries create a stunning sight in this dessert by James Beard award-winning chef John Besh. A medley of wintry spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom—give it an extra boost of flavor.

Ingredients: Pecans, pie crust, all-purpose flour, cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, orange zest, orange juice, unsalted butter

Calories: 343

Try this recipe:Rustic Cranberry Tart

Pears and cranberries are both at their peaks in fall and winter. Poaching them together creates an elegant dessert when you need something fast and easy. For the best texture, choose pears that are perfectly ripe. Underripe pears don't poach well, and if they're overripe, they will become too soggy.

Ingredients: Pears, water, honey, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, passion fruit tea bag, cranberries

Calories: 161

Try this recipe:Cranberry-Poached Pears

Dried cranberries are featured twice in this tangy dessert: in the filling and crunchy granola sprinkled on top. They provide double the antioxidant power and an extra layer of sweetness.

Ingredients: Pie dough, pears, dried cranberries, sugar, all-purpose flour, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, cranberry granola, egg white, raw sugar, honey

Calories: 320

Try this recipe:Pear-Cranberry Pie with Granola

It's easy to be fooled by these decadent, bite-size cookies: they're packed with whole-wheat flour, fiber-rich oats, and heart-healthy walnuts. Plus, each cookie is only 75 calories.

Ingredients: All-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, dried cranberries, walnuts, semisweet chocolate minichips, brown sugar, butter, honey, vanilla extract, egg, egg white

Calories: 75

Try this recipe:Cranberry-Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Light and flaky scones aren't just reserved for chilly mornings. Try them with afternoon tea or as a late-night snack. The buttermilk in this recipe adds flavor and tenderness without the extra fat from cream used in some scones.

Ingredients: All-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, low-fat buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, cranberries, egg white, sugar

Calories: 266

Try this recipe:Cranberry-Buttermilk Scones

Want to cut calories from breakfast? Instead of bacon and eggs, make these fluffy muffins, which use a carton of low-fat yogurt in place of added oil or butter.

Ingredients: Cranberries, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vegetable oil, lemon rind, vanilla extract, egg whites, low-fat vanilla yogurt, egg

Calories: 238

Try this recipe:Cranberry-Citrus Muffins

Why get store-bought bars when you can make your own? The peanuts in these bars may help prevent blood-sugar spikes while the dark chocolate and cranberries offer antioxidants for heart health.

Ingredients: Whole-wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, light brown sugar, peanut butter, eggs, canola oil, vanilla extract, rolled oats, dried cranberries, peanuts, semisweet chocolate chips

Calories: 176

Try this recipe:Chocolate Peanut-Butter Energy Bars

Make these simple sweets in less than 10 minutes from start to finish. You won't feel guilty offering guests these make-ahead nibbles because they're low in fat and cholesterol.

Ingredients: Semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, dried cranberries, pecans

Calories: 52

Try this recipe:Chocolate, Fruit, and Nut Clusters

Take advantage of frozen phyllo tartlet shells when you're baking a lot for the holiday season. You can't go wrong when these mini apple-cranberry tarts are just 39 calories each.

Ingredients: Phyllo tartlet shells, apple cider, cinnamon stick, apples, unsalted butter, salt, dried cranberries

Calories: 39

Try this recipe:Apple Pie Tassies

Every bite of this festive candy is loaded with heart-healthy dried cranberries and antioxidant-rich almonds. We used unsweetened coconut to save a few calories while adding great flavor and a bit of fiber.

Ingredients: Sliced almonds, unsweetened coconut, rice cereal, dried cranberries, white chocolate, vegetable oil

Calories: 142

Try this recipe:White Chocolate Holiday Bark

Even a beginner cook could quickly make this appetizer. Simply pour chutney over Brie, bake, and spread on toast. And if the taste wasn't enough, the creamy cheese is also a good source of protein and calcium.

Ingredients: French bread, Brie cheese, apple-cranberry chutney

Calories: 57

Try this recipe:Baked Brie With Cran-Apple Chutney

Get valuable energy in the morning from these sweet treats whose ingredient list runs the gamut: whole grains, yogurt, nuts, fresh fruit, and even carrots. Each muffin is packed with 5 grams of fiber and one-third of your recommended daily intake of calcium, protein, and vitamin B6.

Ingredients: Whole-wheat pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, orange, sugar, egg whites, olive oil, fat-free Greek yogurt, carrots, cranberries, pistachios

Calories: 206

Try this recipe:Sunshine Muffins

Fruit is always a great way to end a meal. This easy dessert is cooked in the microwave and topped with creamy frozen yogurt. Make sure your yogurt has healthy probiotics for digestive and immune health by looking for brands that say "live and active cultures."

Ingredients: Bosc pears, sugar, cinnamon, dried cranberries, low-fat granola, apple juice, low-fat frozen yogurt

Calories: 176

Try this recipe:Quick Baked Pears

Opt for a hearty bowl of oatmeal in the morning. This filling breakfast provides soluble fiber, zinc-rich pecans, and antioxidant-packed cranberries, all of which are good for heart health.

Ingredients: Water, apple cider, rolled oats, salt, pear, dried cranberries, cinnamon, vanilla extract, pecans, fat-free milk

Calories: 256

Try this recipe:De-lish Oatmeal

The batter for these muffins takes just 5 minutes to prep. Each muffin is full of healthy oats, whole-wheat flour, applesauce, and dried cranberries. Smear with a tablespoon of almond butter to get 7 grams of protein per serving.

Ingredients: Rolled oats, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, water, oil, applesauce, eggs, dried cranberries

Calories: 317

Try this recipe:Oatmeal-Cranberry Muffins

A light and refreshing punch is a great alternative to calorie-laden cocktails often served around the holidays. At only 92 calories a serving, this drink looks extra fancy with the addition of fresh cranberries and strips of orange peel.

Ingredients: Sparkling wine, Riesling, light white cranberry juice, orange, cranberries, orange peel

Calories: 92

Try this recipe:White Cranberry-Citrus Punch

This festive cocktail gets its bright color from the addition of cranberry juice. It's only 93 calories per glass and takes a mere 5 minutes to mix up.

Ingredients: Crushed ice, Grand Marnier, cranberry juice, champagne, orange slices

Calories: 93

Try this recipe:Cranberry-Champagne Cocktail

Your guests will love it when you greet them at the door with one of these refreshing cocktails. They will be even happier when you tell them each glass is less than 150 calories.

Ingredients: Champagne, orange juice, cranberry juice cocktail, cranberries, orange slices

Calories: 146

Try this recipe:Fresh-Cranberry Mimosas

Revamp your usual stuffing recipe by using corn bread cubes. Festive holiday mix-ins like nuts and dried cranberries add great texture to this traditional side dish.

Ingredients: Corn bread, pecans, olive oil, onions, dried cranberries, parsley, chicken broth, salt, black pepper

Calories: 190

Try this recipe:Corn Bread Stuffing With Cranberries