Easy Cranberry Syrup Recipe

Cranberry is such a traditional flavor for Christmas, and the color is so striking. This easy cranberry syrup recipe is fresh tasting with a little bit of spice so it’s not as sweet as regular syrup. It’s such an easy recipe to make, and perfect for a holiday breakfast anytime during the holiday season.

Homemade cranberry syrup is a special flavor and I look forward to serving it with my make-ahead gingerbread waffles, but you can easily serve it with fluffy pancakes, or french toast.

You could make it while cooking your waffles, and serve it warm to your whole family on Christmas morning. As we are typically just two mine is used throughout the month of December, whenever someone wants it. I store mine in a pretty container so it keeps for weeks.

Homemade Cranberry Syrup Recipe

Ingredients

This homemade sauce uses simple ingredients, I make mine exactly as listed below. If you want an orange flavor, replace 1 cup of the water with pulp-free orange juice.

Place the water and sugar into a medium saucepan. Stir and cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the tart cranberries. Once boiling lower heat to low, add spices, and continue to cook until the cranberries are soft, about fifteen minutes. As the cranberries cook they will burst, the sugar will dissolve and the syrup will thicken slightly. You may notice the spices floating on top of the water for a little bit, this is okay the flavor still transfers. Once cooked, mash the cranberries with a potato masher.

Use a large bowl covered with a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Pour the cooked cranberry mixture into the strainer and allow it to strain stirring occasionally. The syrup isn’t grainy but it’s thick from the natural pectin in the cranberries, it needs time to strain. You will see what I mean in the picture below.

Transfer to a pretty container or server. You can serve the cranberry syrup warm or store it in the fridge.

Let the syrup cool to room temperature before placing the fridge.

If placed into a sealed container like a juice bottle or mason jar with a sealable lid, you can keep the syrup for up to three weeks. It’s such a great syrup to have on hand during the holidays, it’s certain to be a family favorite for holiday breakfasts.

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Other Christmas Breakfast Ideas

I created cranberry syrup to go with my homemade gingerbread waffles. But I need to try it with eggnog french toast, or cranberry pancakes.

Easy Cranberry Syrup Recipe

Cranberry syrup is easy to make, versatile and perfect for Chritmas breakfast, or anytime you want something sweet and spicy.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:5 minutes mins

Cook Time:10 minutes mins

Total Time:25 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 3 cups cranberries fresh or frozen
• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ¼ tsp nutmeg

Instructions

• Place the water and sugar into a medium saucepan.  Stir and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolved. 
• Add the cranberries. Once boiling reduce heat to low.
• Add spices and continue to cook until the cranberries are soft, about fifteen minutes. Note-the spices will float on top of the water for a little bit, don’t worry the flavour still transfers,
• Pour the cranberries into a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Strain.
• Transfer to a pretty container or server.  If placed into a sealed container you can keep the syrup for up to a week before using.