
Fruits · Dried fruit
Dried cranberries
Tart cranberries dried with added sugar, chewy and red; used like raisins in baking, salads and granola.
Also called: craisins
A kind of berries
Photo: Unknown author, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
What it is
Dried cranberries are cranberries that have been infused with sugar syrup (and sometimes juice) then dried, because the fresh berries are too sour to eat on their own. They are red, chewy and sweet-tart, and plumper than raisins. Fresh cranberries are a different, very hard and sour product.
Vaccinium macrocarpon
How it’s used
- Mixed into granola, trail mix and flapjacks
- Baked into scones, cookies and breads
- Scattered over salads and grain dishes
- Added to stuffing and pilafs
Characteristics
- Taste
- Sweet with a sharp tang.
- Texture
- Chewy and moist.
- Sold as
- dried
- Cooking uses
- Usually eaten raw, Suitable for baking
- Common in
- American, Canadian, British, International
Storage
Cool, dry and dark. Keep sealed in a cool, dry place; they harden if left open. Refrigerate in hot, humid climates.
Diet, allergens and safety
No major allergens in typical versions.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Soy-free
- Caffeine-free
Nutrition per 100 g
- Energy
- 308 kcal
- Protein
- 0.17 g
- Carbohydrate
- 82.8 g
- Fat
- 1.09 g
- Fibre
- 5.3 g
- Sugars
- 72.56 g
USDA FoodData Central: Cranberries, dried, sweetened (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program).
Substitutes
Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.
- Raisins — Swap 1:1; sweeter and less tart.
- Dried barberries — Use less; much sourer.
Related ingredients
Recipes with dried cranberries
No recipe in the catalogue uses it yet.
More dried fruit

Dried fruit
Dates
Sticky-sweet dried fruit of the date palm; eaten whole, stuffed, or blended to sweeten bakes and smoothies.
14 recipes

Dried fruit
Raisins
Dried grapes, dark or golden; sweet and chewy for baking, pilafs, curries and snacks.
54 recipes

Dried fruit
Dried apricots
Dried apricot halves, chewy and sweet-tart; used in tagines, pilafs, baking and snacking.
3 recipes

Dried fruit
Dried figs
Chewy, sweet dried figs full of crunchy seeds; for snacking, baking, compotes and cheese boards.
1 recipe
Dried fruit
Dried barberries
Tiny, ruby-red dried berries (zereshk) with a sharp, sour taste; essential to Persian jeweled rice and zereshk polow.
2 recipes

Dried fruit
Dried jujubes
Dried red jujubes ('red dates'); sweet, apple-like fruit simmered in Chinese and Korean soups, teas and rice.
3 recipes

Dried fruit
Prunes
Dried plums: dark, soft and sticky-sweet; stewed, baked and used in savoury braises.
6 recipes
Dried fruit
Aloo bukhara (dried sour plums)
Small dried sour plums that add a sweet-tart tang to Sindhi and Dhakai biryanis, kormas and chutneys.
2 recipes
